Mircea Dinescu
Encyclopedia
Mircea Dinescu (ˈmirt͡ʃe̯a diˈnesku; born November 11, 1950) is a Romania
n poet
, journalist
and editor
.
He was born in Slobozia
, the son of Ştefan Dinescu, a metalworker and Aurelia (born Badea). Dinescu studied at the Faculty of Journalism of the Ştefan Gheorghiu Academy
, and was considered a gifted young poet during his youth, with several poetry volumes published. His book, Moartea citeşte ziarul ("Death is reading the newspaper") was turned down in 1988 by the Communist regime
's censorship
apparatus in, and was then published in Amsterdam
.
In 1989 he was fired from România Literară
literary magazine, as a result of an anti-totalitarian
interview against President
Nicolae Ceauşescu
, which Dinescu had granted to the French
newspaper Libération
; he was held under house arrest
.
In December 1989 he took a preeminent part in the Romanian Revolution
, taking part in the occupation of the National Television building by the people of Bucharest. According to popular rumors, his fellow revolutionary Ion Caramitru
, unaware of being filmed, addressed Dinescu the words "Mircea, fă-te că lucrezi!" ("Mircea, pretend you are working!"); this version of events was argued by political adversaries to constitute proof that the Revolution was a carefully staged front for a coup d'état
. According to the investigation of Alex Mihai Stoenescu
, Caramitru actually said "Mircea, arăţi că lucrezi" ("Mircea, show them that you're working on something" — while holding Dinescu's booklet in front of camera), to which Dinescu replied "La un apel" ("[I'm working] on an appeal [to the people]") — which was indicative of their ill-preparedness and preoccupation in quickly drafting a single revolutionary proclamation on the spot.
After the fall of Communism, he co-founded Academia Caţavencu
, the most famous Romanian satirical magazine. He quit the publication in 1998 and went on founding his own publications, Plai cu Boi (loosely translated as "Land of the Dumb") - a satirical Playboy
-style magazine and Aspirina Săracului (The Poor Man's Aspirin - a humorous reference to sexual intercourse) - a weekly satirical magazine.
He invested a part of the money he earned from the books published into agriculture, his estate makes the wine sold under the name Vinul Moşierului ("Landowner's wine") — the name is a tongue-in-cheek reference to an ironic comment President
Ion Iliescu
had made about Dinescu's social status.
Dinescu remains a strong and charismatic voice of the civil society
. As member of Consiliul Naţional pentru Studierea Arhivelor Securităţii (National Council for Studying the Archives of the Securitate), he is particularly concerned with exposing the former officers and collaborators of Securitate
. He is also a strong critic of Communism
and of Romanian leaders that had connections with the Communist regime.
Although not politically involved, he openly supported Traian Băsescu
's candidature for President of Romania
during the 2004 elections
.
In May 2005, in collaboration with the journalist Cristian Tudor Popescu
, he started a new newspaper called Gândul
, with an initial circulation of 100,000 copies, but he sold his shares in July 2006. He and Stelian Tănase
host a talk show
on Realitatea TV
(Tănase şi Dinescu).
Dinescu was appointed a Commander of the Order of the Star of Romania
. In 1991, he became an Honorary Member of the University of Augsburg
.
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
.
He was born in Slobozia
Slobozia
Slobozia is the capital city of Ialomiţa County, Romania, with a population of 52,710 in 2002.-Geography:Slobozia lies roughly in the middle of the county, on the banks of Ialomita River, at ca. east of Bucharest and west of Constanţa, important port at the Black Sea...
, the son of Ştefan Dinescu, a metalworker and Aurelia (born Badea). Dinescu studied at the Faculty of Journalism of the Ştefan Gheorghiu Academy
Stefan Gheorghiu Academy
The Ştefan Gheorghiu Academy The Ştefan Gheorghiu Academy The Ştefan Gheorghiu Academy (Romanian: Academia Ştefan Gheorghiu, in full: Academia de învăţămînt social-politic Ştefan Gheorghiu de pe lîngă CC al PCR - approx...
, and was considered a gifted young poet during his youth, with several poetry volumes published. His book, Moartea citeşte ziarul ("Death is reading the newspaper") was turned down in 1988 by the Communist regime
Communist Romania
Communist Romania was the period in Romanian history when that country was a Soviet-aligned communist state in the Eastern Bloc, with the dominant role of Romanian Communist Party enshrined in its successive constitutions...
's censorship
Censorship
thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
apparatus in, and was then published in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
.
In 1989 he was fired from România Literară
România Literară
România literară is a cultural and literary magazine from România founded in 1855 by Vasile Alecsandri and published in Iași between January 1, 1855 until December 3, 1855, when it was suppressed. The new series appeared in October 10, 1855 as a continuation of Gazeta literară...
literary magazine, as a result of an anti-totalitarian
Totalitarianism
Totalitarianism is a political system where the state recognizes no limits to its authority and strives to regulate every aspect of public and private life wherever feasible...
interview against President
President of Romania
The President of Romania is the head of state of Romania. The President is directly elected by a two-round system for a five-year term . An individual may serve two terms...
Nicolae Ceauşescu
Nicolae Ceausescu
Nicolae Ceaușescu was a Romanian Communist politician. He was General Secretary of the Romanian Communist Party from 1965 to 1989, and as such was the country's second and last Communist leader...
, which Dinescu had granted to the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
newspaper Libération
Libération
Libération is a French daily newspaper founded in Paris by Jean-Paul Sartre and Serge July in 1973 in the wake of the protest movements of May 1968. Originally a leftist newspaper, it has undergone a number of shifts during the 1980s and 1990s...
; he was held under house arrest
House arrest
In justice and law, house arrest is a measure by which a person is confined by the authorities to his or her residence. Travel is usually restricted, if allowed at all...
.
In December 1989 he took a preeminent part in the Romanian Revolution
Romanian Revolution of 1989
The Romanian Revolution of 1989 was a series of riots and clashes in December 1989. These were part of the Revolutions of 1989 that occurred in several Warsaw Pact countries...
, taking part in the occupation of the National Television building by the people of Bucharest. According to popular rumors, his fellow revolutionary Ion Caramitru
Ion Caramitru
Ion Caramitru is a Romanian stage and film actor, stage director, as well as a political figure. He was Minister of Culture between 1996 and 2000, in the Romanian Democratic Convention cabinets of Victor Ciorbea, Gavril Dejeu, Radu Vasile, Alexandru Athanasiu, and Mugur Isărescu.-Early life and...
, unaware of being filmed, addressed Dinescu the words "Mircea, fă-te că lucrezi!" ("Mircea, pretend you are working!"); this version of events was argued by political adversaries to constitute proof that the Revolution was a carefully staged front for a coup d'état
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
. According to the investigation of Alex Mihai Stoenescu
Alex Mihai Stoenescu
Alex Mihai Stoenescu is a Romanian historian, writer, journalist and politician.-Biography:According to his own admission, Stoenescu collaborated with the Securitate in 1984, while he worked as an engineer at a factory in Băneasa...
, Caramitru actually said "Mircea, arăţi că lucrezi" ("Mircea, show them that you're working on something" — while holding Dinescu's booklet in front of camera), to which Dinescu replied "La un apel" ("[I'm working] on an appeal [to the people]") — which was indicative of their ill-preparedness and preoccupation in quickly drafting a single revolutionary proclamation on the spot.
After the fall of Communism, he co-founded Academia Caţavencu
Academia Catavencu
Academia Caţavencu is a Romanian satirical magazine founded in 1991 and made famous by its investigative journalism. Academia Caţavencu also owns Radio Guerrilla , an FM radio station with national coverage ; Tabu, a women's magazine, Superbebe, a magazine for new parents, Aventuri la pescuit, a...
, the most famous Romanian satirical magazine. He quit the publication in 1998 and went on founding his own publications, Plai cu Boi (loosely translated as "Land of the Dumb") - a satirical Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
-style magazine and Aspirina Săracului (The Poor Man's Aspirin - a humorous reference to sexual intercourse) - a weekly satirical magazine.
He invested a part of the money he earned from the books published into agriculture, his estate makes the wine sold under the name Vinul Moşierului ("Landowner's wine") — the name is a tongue-in-cheek reference to an ironic comment President
President of Romania
The President of Romania is the head of state of Romania. The President is directly elected by a two-round system for a five-year term . An individual may serve two terms...
Ion Iliescu
Ion Iliescu
Ion Iliescu served as President of Romania from 1990 until 1996, and from 2000 until 2004. From 1996 to 2000 and from 2004 until his retirement in 2008, Iliescu was a Senator for the Social Democratic Party , whose honorary president he remains....
had made about Dinescu's social status.
Dinescu remains a strong and charismatic voice of the civil society
Civil society
Civil society is composed of the totality of many voluntary social relationships, civic and social organizations, and institutions that form the basis of a functioning society, as distinct from the force-backed structures of a state , the commercial institutions of the market, and private criminal...
. As member of Consiliul Naţional pentru Studierea Arhivelor Securităţii (National Council for Studying the Archives of the Securitate), he is particularly concerned with exposing the former officers and collaborators of Securitate
Securitate
The Securitate was the secret police agency of Communist Romania. Previously, the Romanian secret police was called Siguranţa Statului. Founded on August 30, 1948, with help from the Soviet NKVD, the Securitate was abolished in December 1989, shortly after President Nicolae Ceaușescu was...
. He is also a strong critic of Communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
and of Romanian leaders that had connections with the Communist regime.
Although not politically involved, he openly supported Traian Băsescu
Traian Basescu
Traian Băsescu is the current President of Romania. After serving as the mayor of Bucharest from June 2000 until December 2004, he was elected president in the Romanian Presidential Elections of 2004 and inaugurated on December 20, 2004...
's candidature for President of Romania
President of Romania
The President of Romania is the head of state of Romania. The President is directly elected by a two-round system for a five-year term . An individual may serve two terms...
during the 2004 elections
Romanian presidential election, 2004
A presidential election was held in Romania on November 28, 2004. 12 candidates competed for the office. As no candidate won more than 50% of the votes, a run-off was held on December 12, 2004, between the two leading candidates: prime minister Adrian Năstase of the ruling Social Democratic Party...
.
In May 2005, in collaboration with the journalist Cristian Tudor Popescu
Cristian Tudor Popescu
Cristian Tudor Popescu is a Romanian journalist, essayist and short-story writer. Author of science fiction stories during his youth, he has also hosted talk shows for various television stations, and had contributions as a literary critic and translator...
, he started a new newspaper called Gândul
Gândul
Gândul is a Romanian daily newspaper published in Bucharest. It was founded in May 2005 by Mircea Dinescu, who used to write a daily editorial called "Vorba lu' Dinescu", and Cristian Tudor Popescu, who was also the editor-in-chief until January 2008. Its initial circulation was about 52,000...
, with an initial circulation of 100,000 copies, but he sold his shares in July 2006. He and Stelian Tănase
Stelian Tanase
Stelian Tănase is a Romanian writer, historian, journalist, political analyst, and talk show host. Having briefly engaged in politics during the early 1990s, after the fall of the Communist regime, he has remained a leading figure of the Romanian civil society.A founding member of both the Group...
host a talk show
Talk show
A talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....
on Realitatea TV
Realitatea TV
Realitatea TV is a Romanian news television network. The channel is distributed by many cable operators in Romania and Moldova. Its main owner is Romanian businessman Elan Schwartzenberg....
(Tănase şi Dinescu).
Dinescu was appointed a Commander of the Order of the Star of Romania
Order of the Star of Romania
The Order of the Star of Romania is Romania's highest civil order. It is awarded by the President of Romania...
. In 1991, he became an Honorary Member of the University of Augsburg
University of Augsburg
The University of Augsburg is a university located in the Universitätsviertel section of Augsburg, Germany. It was founded in 1970 and is organized in 7 Faculties....
.
External links
- Mircea Dinescu - 2003 Time's Heroes of Europe at the TimeTime (magazine)Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
European edition site