Mihai Razvan Ungureanu’s career in the Romanian administration began in 1998, when he worked as state secretary in the Foreign Ministry, under the term of Andrei Plesu, the man Ungureanu says trusted him the most and was also his fiercest critic, HotNews reports.
Ungureanu was state secretary until 2001, when he became general director – special emissary of the Stability Pact for Southeastern Europe (2001-2003) and then deputy coordinator of the Southeast European Cooperation Initiative (SECI). His diplomatic career took off to new heights in this period and he would return to SECI in a difficult moment of his career.
Youngest head of diplomacy
In 2004, at 36, he became the youngest foreign minister in the Tariceanu cabinet. In Luxembourg in 2005, he got to sign Romania’s EU accession treaty. It was Ungureanu who began the reform of a ministry seen as obsolete and marked by remnants of the old rule.
He asked the CNSAS to check Romanian ambassadors and those confirmed to have been Securitate collaborators were force to leave the diplomatic corps. Ungureanu managed to rejuvenate both the ministry and the corps, brining to the foreground young diplomats such as Teodor Baconschi and Cristian Preda, currently an MEP, giving them, secretary of state positions. The current PM delegate has managed to appoint career diplomats or intellectuals on key posts instead of appointing politicians.
When the rift between PM Tariceanu and President Basescu began, Ungureanu was perceived as siding with the president, which triggered his departure from the Foreign Ministry in February 2007.
The pretext was the case of two Romanians held in Iraq, subcontractors working on an American base, and who were accused of espionage for taking some photos. When their story was revealed, about three months after they were detained, PM Tariceanu asked Ungureanu to resign because the minister had not informed him of the case, but had told the president.
Tariceanu asked for his resignation when Ungureanu was on vacation with his family in Vienna. Ungureanu, seen as a collateral victim of the fight between palaces, admitted that he did not inform Tariceanu and said he was taking responsibility. He underlined that he informed the president because the president heads the Supreme Defense Council, which coordinates SIE, since the two Romanians were accused of espionage. When the situation was cleared and turned into a mere consular case, he saw no need to tell the prime minister.
MEP, ambassador? No, spy chief
After his forced resignation, the young politician was taking into consideration various options. He suspended his PNL membership, as demanded by the SECI job. There were rumors that he would head the list of PNL candidates in EP elections or that he would take the then vacant position of ambassador to the US.
After his resignation, Ungureanu remained with the Foreign Ministry, which reactivated the position of Romanian representative to SECI in Vienna, a position Ungureanu returned to.
In December 2007, less than a year after his resignation from the helm of the Foreign Ministry, he became head of the Foreign Intelligence Agency. He held the position until Monday, February 6, serving a discreet term.
Mihai Razvan Ungureanu -"vanator"de diplomati securisti, sef al spionilor romani si acum premier
Cariera lui Mihai Razvan Ungureanu in administratia Romaniei a inceput in 1998, ca secretar de stat in MAE, sub conducerea lui Andrei Plesu, omul care, potrivit spuselor lui Ungureanu, a avut cea mai mare incredere in el, dar care s-a constituit in cel mai sever critic, scrie HotNews.
Ungureanu a detinut functia de secretar de stat pana in 2001, cand a devenit director general - emisar special al Pactului de Stabilitate pentru Europa de Sud-Est (2001-2003) si, mai apoi, coordonator adjunct al Initiativei de Cooperare Sud-Est Europene (SECI). A fost o perioada in care s-a facut remarcat ca diplomat. La SECI urma sa revina intr-un moment dificil al carierei sale.
Cel mai tanar sef al diplomatiei
In 2004, la 36 de ani, devine cel mai tanar ministru de externe, in Guvernul Tariceanu. In aceasta calitate a semnat, la Luxemburg, in 2005, Tratatul de aderare a Romaniei la UE. Ungureanu a inceput o reforma a unui minister considerat invechit si tarat de ramasite ale vechiului regim.
El a cerut CNSAS verificarea dosarelor ambasadorilor Romaniei, iar cei care s-au dovedit in timp colaboratori ai Securitatii au plecat din corpul diplomatic. Astfel Ungureanu a reusit o intinerire atat a corpului diplomatic romanesc, dar si a Ministerului de Externe. El a fost acela care i-a adus in prim-plan, in functii de secretar de stat, pe Teodor Baconschi si pe Cristian Preda, actual eurodeputat PDL. Actualul premier desemnat a reusit sa faca numiri diplomatice din randul diplomatilor de cariera sau al universitarilor si mai putin numiri politice.
Odata cu debutul frecusurilor dintre premierul Tariceanu si presedintele Basescu, Mihai Razvan Ungureanu a fost perceput ca fiind in tabara presedintelui, ceea ce i-a atras, in februarie 2007, plecarea de la MAE.
Pretextul a fost situatia a doi romani retinuti in Irak, subcontractori care lucrau intr-o baza americana si care, din cauza ca facusera niste fotografii erau acuzati de spionaj. Cand s-a aflat povestea celor doi, cam la trei luni dupa retinerea lor, premierul Tariceanu i-a cerut demisia pe motiv ca nu fusese informat. In schimb, ministrul de externe il informase pe presedintele Traian Basescu asupra acestei situatii.
Tariceanu i-a cerut demisia intr-un moment in care Ungureanu se afla la Viena, in concediu, alaturi de sotia sa si de fiul sau in varsta de cinci saptamani. Mihai Razvan Ungureanu - considerat de multi politicieni din intreaga clasa politica o victima colaterala a luptei dintre cele doua palate, Cotroceni si Victoria - a recunoscut ca nu l-a informat pe Tariceanu si ca isi asuma raspunderea. El a argumentat ca il informase pe presedinte in calitatea sa de sef al CSAT care il are in subordine pe seful SIE, pentru ca era vorba despre acuzatii de spionaj si situatia trebuia clarificata. Cand s-au lamurit lucrurile si a devenit un banal caz consular, el nu a vazut relevanta instiintarii premierului.
Eurodeputat, ambasador? Nu, sef al spionilor
Dupa demisia sa fortata, s-au vehiculat o serie de optiuni pentru tanarul politician. Care s-a si autosuspendat din PNL (i-o cerea functia de la SECI), al carui membru devenise in 2004, cand a devenit si membru al Guvernului. S-a vorbit ca urma sa fie cap de lista PNL la alegerile europarlamentare, sau ca ar fi putut ocupa postul de ambasador in SUA, vacant la acel moment. Ambele variante pareau insa sub functia de sef al diplomatiei pe care tocmai o eliberase.
Dupa demisia sa din functia de ministru, Ungureanu a ramas angajat al MAE, iar institutia a reactivat postul de reprezentant al romaniei la SECI, la Viena. Acest post a fost ocupat ulterior de fostul ministru.
In decembrie 2007, la mai putin de un an de la demisia sa din fruntea MAE, el devine seful Serviciului de Informatii Externe. A detinut aceasta functie pana luni, 6 februarie 2012, avand un mandat discret.
