Viorel Oancea (born 8 December 1944 in Brașov, Brașov County, Romania) is a retired Romanian politician and a retired major general in the Romanian Armed Forces.[1] He was advanced in rank by Presidential decree issued by former President Traian Băsescu on 21 October 2010.[2]

Viorel Oancea
Mayor of Timișoara
In office
18 February 1992 – 2 June 1996
Personal details
Born (1944-12-08) 8 December 1944 (age 79)
Brașov, Brașov County, Romania
Political partyPartidul Alianța Civică (PAC)

Romanian Revolution of 1989

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Viorel Oancea was the first Army officer to take a stance against the Communist regime during the Romanian Revolution on 22 December 1989.[3] This act led to his imprisonment under General Ștefan Gușă[citation needed]

In 1992, he was awarded the PL Foundation Freedom Award, shared with Radu Filipescu for his fight against the Romanian regime led by Nicolae Ceaușescu and his human rights advocacy.[4]

Political career

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Viorel Oancea was the first freely elected Mayor of Timișoara, an office he held from 1992 to 1996.[citation needed]

In 1997, he became General Secretary of Ministry of Interior, a position he held until 1998. He then returned to Timisoara, to take up the position of Local Councillor until 2004.[5] Running for state office, in 2004 he was elected Deputy at the Chamber of Deputies, a role he held until 2008.[6]

His last political appointment before retiring from public office was Romanian Secretary of State (2009–2012), representing Romania's defense interests on the NATO Council.[7]

References

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  1. ^ "Galeria foto a Ministerului Apararii Nationale :: Viorel Oancea, secretar de stat la Ministerul Apărării Naţionale (Viorel Oancea, State Secretary within the Ministry of National Defence) :: Secretarul_de_stat_Viorel_Oancea". www.mapn.ro. Retrieved 2021-03-21.
  2. ^ "DECRETE emise în anul 2010 de catre Preşedintele României". www.cdep.ro. Retrieved 2021-03-21.
  3. ^ "Tough rebirth for Romania". 2004-12-06. Retrieved 2021-03-21.
  4. ^ admin. "In English". PL - Fonden (in Danish). Retrieved 2021-03-21.
  5. ^ "Funcţionarii publici - Primăria Municipiului Timișoara". Primăria Municipiului Timișoara - Website oficial (in Romanian). 2020-02-21. Retrieved 2021-03-21.
  6. ^ "Oancea Viorel". www.cdep.ro. Retrieved 2021-03-21.
  7. ^ "Viorel Oancea, secretar de stat la Ministerul Apararii Nationale". www.mapn.ro. Retrieved 2021-03-21.