Romanian defense minister Ionuț Moșteanu resigned on Friday, November 28, after a scandal regarding inconsistencies in his resume triggered by a journalistic investigation. The controversy erupted after Libertatea reported that Moșteanu had falsely claimed in his first official CV to have graduated from Athenaeum University – an institution that said he was never a student – prompting him to admit it was a “mistake” and to present a different diploma obtained in 2015.
Prime minister Ilie Bolojan confirmed that he has taken note of Ionuț Moșteanu’s resignation as minister of defense, adding that he will propose to the president that the interim position be filled by Radu Miruță, the minister of economy.
In the official announcement on Friday, Moșteanu said he communicated his decision to resign to the president, prime minister, and party leadership.
“Romania and Europe are under assault by Russia. Our national security must be defended at all costs. I do not want discussions about my education and the mistakes I made many years ago to distract those who now lead the country from their difficult mission,” he stated.
The outgoing minister highlighted that during the five months in office, he “strengthened relationships with allies, monitored and accelerated equipment programs, improved the legal framework, and defended the rights of those who serve the homeland.” He also suggested that he disrupted corrupt interest groups in the defense sector.
Earlier this week, Ionuț Moșteanu published his bachelor’s degree on Facebook in response to the investigation and attacks from the leader of the far-right opposition party AUR, George Simion. Criticism also came from the leading ruling Social Democratic Party, or PSD, which has routinely exchanged blows with Moșteanu’s reformist, center-right party, Union Save Romania (or USR), despite forming a coalition.
In the post accompanying his bachelor’s degree, Ionuț Moșteanu explained that he holds a BSc in management obtained in 2015 from Bioterra University, an institution with a rather low profile. He added that he attended courses at Athenaeum University in the 90s and that he interrupted courses at the more prestigious Computer Engineering University to work.
He also admitted to a key mistake. “In a CV that I quickly made in 2016 by using an online template, there remained a mistake which, I admit, embarrasses me. I did not pay much attention to these details at the time. For this, I apologize,” he said in the post on Facebook.
The issue is not simply one of reputation. Between 2015–2016, Ionuț Moșteanu was an adviser in the Ministry of Transport and a member of the Board of Directors of several state-owned companies, positions that required, according to the legislation in force at that time, higher education studies. To qualify, he submitted a CV featuring a diploma from the Athenaeum University, the only one he held at the time. Nevertheless, the now-minister later removed the diploma from his official biography.
After becoming a parliamentarian, Ionuț Moșteanu posted another CV on the website of the Chamber of Deputies, in which there is no longer any reference to Athenaeum University. Instead, studies at Bioterra University are listed, between 1996–1999, also in Management. In a response to Libertatea, Athenaeum University denied that Moșteanu had ever been enrolled as a student.
During an interview, Ionuț Moșteanu insisted that his only university degree is from Bioterra and that it was obtained in 2015. Doubts, however, continued to linger and impact his party, which has long insisted on transparency and honesty. Before Mosteanu’s resignation, USR leaders gathered for a meeting to address the scandal.
(Photo source: Ionut Mosteanu on Facebook)
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