Stelian Tanase
Encyclopedia
Stelian Tănase is a Romania
n 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 for Social Dialogue
and the Civic Alliance
, he was the latter's vice-president between 1991 and 1993. In 1990, Tănase co-founded the political magazine 22, and, in 1992, he founded Sfera Politicii
; he is a managing editor of both, as well as a regular contributor to various Romanian newspapers. Over the years, he was the host of several talk shows (2 plus 1 and Orient express for Antena 1; Maşina de tocat for TVR 1
; Zece şi un sfert, Zece fix, Tănase şi Dinescu
, and 3 X 3 for Realitatea TV
).
Tănase is also vocal in the campaign to declassify
all files kept in Securitate
archives; in March 2002, he invited on his talk show a discussion his best friend, after it was revealed that the latter had been a Securitate informant
who regularly furnished information on Tănase himself.
, he graduated from the local university
's Faculty of Philosophy in 1977. Before 1989, two out of his first three books were banned by the Communist regime censorship
apparatus.
Tănase became a public figure soon after the Romanian Revolution of 1989
: in 1990, he took part in the Golaniad
, the protest movement against former members of the Romanian Communist Party
who had gained power during the Revolution.
After July 1991, Tănase sided with the group inside the Civic Alliance that called for the organization's transformation into a political party
. As a member of the newly-created Civic Alliance Party inside the opposition alliance (the Romanian Democratic Convention
), he was elected to the Chamber of Deputies for the 1992-1996 legislature, representing the city of Bucharest. He was vice-president of the Parliamentary Committee for Foreign Affairs (until April 1995) and member of the Special Committee for the Advancing a Legislative Proposal Regarding the Functioning of Political Parties.
In 2006, he was chosen member of the Presidential Commission for the Study of the Communist Dictatorship in Romania
by its president, Vladimir Tismăneanu
. The Commission was founded by President
Traian Băsescu
in order to provide for an official and academic basis for condemning the Romanian communist regime. This took place on December 18, 2006, when the President presented the Commission's 660 pages report to Parliament
, making Romania the first Eastern Bloc
country to officially condemn its communist regime.
in political sociology by the University of Bucharest. A visiting professor at the University of California, Los Angeles
Sociology Department in 1997, he currently teaches at the University of Bucharest's Faculty of Political Sciences.
Tănase was the recipient of several fellowships: he was Visiting Short-Term Fellow (1993) and Visiting Scholar (1994) at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
, granted a Visiting Short Term Collaborative research project at the University of California, Los Angeles (with Gail Kligman in 1996); a Fulbright scholar, post-Ph.D. grant, The New School for Social Research
(1997); Visiting Short Term Scholar at the Holocaust Memorial Museum
in Washington, D.C.
(1998).
He has held conferences in Rome
, Paris
, Oslo
, Vienna
, Budapest
, Washington, D.C.
, and also at prestigious American universities: the University of California, Los Angeles, Berkeley University, Stanford University
, New York University
, Columbia University
, the University of Maryland
, and The New School for Social Research
.
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 writer, historian, journalist, political analyst, and 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....
host. Having briefly engaged in politics during the early 1990s, after the fall of 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...
, he has remained a leading figure of the Romanian 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...
.
A founding member of both the Group for Social Dialogue
Group for Social Dialogue
The Group for Social Dialogue is a Romanian non-governmental organization whose stated mission is to protect and promote democracy, human rights and civil liberties...
and the Civic Alliance
Civic Alliance Foundation
The Civic Alliance Foundation is a Romanian non-governmental organization . It is one of the largest Romanian NGOs, working for the consolidation of a civil society in the aftermath of the 42-year long communist regime. The AC has subsidiaries in 36 of the 41 counties, overseen by a 27-member...
, he was the latter's vice-president between 1991 and 1993. In 1990, Tănase co-founded the political magazine 22, and, in 1992, he founded Sfera Politicii
Sfera Politicii
Sfera Politicii is a monthly political science magazine, published in Romania since 1992. Its articles, written in both English and Romanian, deal with diverse issues in local and international politics....
; he is a managing editor of both, as well as a regular contributor to various Romanian newspapers. Over the years, he was the host of several talk shows (2 plus 1 and Orient express for Antena 1; Maşina de tocat for TVR 1
TVR 1
TVR1 is the main channel of the Romanian public broadcaster TVR.The most important show of the channel is Jurnalul TVR, whose motto is Jurnalul aşa cum ar trebui sǎ fie! , but on 28 March 2009 was replaced by Telejurnal...
; Zece şi un sfert, Zece fix, Tănase şi Dinescu
Mircea Dinescu
Mircea Dinescu is a Romanian poet, journalist and editor.He was born in Slobozia, the son of Ştefan Dinescu, a metalworker and Aurelia . 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...
, and 3 X 3 for 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 is also vocal in the campaign to declassify
Classified information
Classified information is sensitive information to which access is restricted by law or regulation to particular groups of persons. A formal security clearance is required to handle classified documents or access classified data. The clearance process requires a satisfactory background investigation...
all files kept in 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...
archives; in March 2002, he invited on his talk show a discussion his best friend, after it was revealed that the latter had been a Securitate informant
Informant
An informant is a person who provides privileged information about a person or organization to an agency. The term is usually used within the law enforcement world, where they are officially known as confidential or criminal informants , and can often refer pejoratively to the supply of information...
who regularly furnished information on Tănase himself.
Biography
Born in BucharestBucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
, he graduated from the local university
University of Bucharest
The University of Bucharest , in Romania, is a university founded in 1864 by decree of Prince Alexander John Cuza to convert the former Saint Sava Academy into the current University of Bucharest.-Presentation:...
's Faculty of Philosophy in 1977. Before 1989, two out of his first three books were banned by the Communist regime 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.
Tănase became a public figure soon after the Romanian Revolution of 1989
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...
: in 1990, he took part in the Golaniad
Golaniad
The Golaniad was a protest in Romania in the University Square, Bucharest. It was initiated by students and professors at the University of Bucharest....
, the protest movement against former members of the Romanian Communist Party
Romanian Communist Party
The Romanian Communist Party was a communist political party in Romania. Successor to the Bolshevik wing of the Socialist Party of Romania, it gave ideological endorsement to communist revolution and the disestablishment of Greater Romania. The PCR was a minor and illegal grouping for much of the...
who had gained power during the Revolution.
After July 1991, Tănase sided with the group inside the Civic Alliance that called for the organization's transformation into a political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
. As a member of the newly-created Civic Alliance Party inside the opposition alliance (the Romanian Democratic Convention
Romanian Democratic Convention
The Romanian Democratic Convention was an electoral alliance of several political parties of Romania, active from early 1992 until 2000....
), he was elected to the Chamber of Deputies for the 1992-1996 legislature, representing the city of Bucharest. He was vice-president of the Parliamentary Committee for Foreign Affairs (until April 1995) and member of the Special Committee for the Advancing a Legislative Proposal Regarding the Functioning of Political Parties.
In 2006, he was chosen member of the Presidential Commission for the Study of the Communist Dictatorship in Romania
Presidential Commission for the Study of the Communist Dictatorship in Romania
The Presidential Commission for the Study of the Communist Dictatorship in Romania , also known as the Tismăneanu Commission , is a commission instituted in Romania by President Traian Băsescu to investigate the Communist regime and provide a comprehensive report allowing for the condemnation of...
by its president, Vladimir Tismăneanu
Vladimir Tismaneanu
Vladimir Tismăneanu is a Romanian and American political scientist, political analyst, sociologist, and professor at the University of Maryland, College Park...
. The Commission was founded by 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...
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...
in order to provide for an official and academic basis for condemning the Romanian communist regime. This took place on December 18, 2006, when the President presented the Commission's 660 pages report to Parliament
Parliament of Romania
The Parliament of Romania is made up of two chambers:*The Chamber of Deputies*The SenatePrior to the modifications of the Constitution in 2003, the two houses had identical attributes. A text of a law had to be approved by both houses...
, making Romania the first Eastern Bloc
Eastern bloc
The term Eastern Bloc or Communist Bloc refers to the former communist states of Eastern and Central Europe, generally the Soviet Union and the countries of the Warsaw Pact...
country to officially condemn its communist regime.
Academia
In 1996, he was granted a Ph.D.Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in political sociology by the University of Bucharest. A visiting professor at the University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
Sociology Department in 1997, he currently teaches at the University of Bucharest's Faculty of Political Sciences.
Tănase was the recipient of several fellowships: he was Visiting Short-Term Fellow (1993) and Visiting Scholar (1994) at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars , located in Washington, D.C., is a United States Presidential Memorial that was established as part of the Smithsonian Institution by an act of Congress in 1968...
, granted a Visiting Short Term Collaborative research project at the University of California, Los Angeles (with Gail Kligman in 1996); a Fulbright scholar, post-Ph.D. grant, The New School for Social Research
The New School
The New School is a university in New York City, located mostly in Greenwich Village. From its founding in 1919 by progressive New York academics, and for most of its history, the university was known as the New School for Social Research. Between 1997 and 2005 it was known as New School University...
(1997); Visiting Short Term Scholar at the Holocaust Memorial Museum
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is the United States' official memorial to the Holocaust. Adjacent to the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the USHMM provides for the documentation, study, and interpretation of Holocaust history...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
(1998).
He has held conferences in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, and also at prestigious American universities: the University of California, Los Angeles, Berkeley University, Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
, New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
, Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, the University of Maryland
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
, and The New School for Social Research
The New School
The New School is a university in New York City, located mostly in Greenwich Village. From its founding in 1919 by progressive New York academics, and for most of its history, the university was known as the New School for Social Research. Between 1997 and 2005 it was known as New School University...
.
Novels
- 1982 - Luxul melancoliei ("The Luxury of Melancholy"); 2 nd ed. 1993
- 1990 - Corpuri de iluminat ("Lighting Bodies"), written 1985-1987; 2 nd ed. 1998, 3 rd ed. 2004
- 1995 - Playback; 2 nd ed. 2004
- 2008 - Maestro
Studies and essays
- 1993 - Şocuri şi crize ("Shocks and Crises"), collected political articles
- 1995 - Ora oficială de iarnă ("Official Winter Time"), diary 1986-1990
- 1996 - Sfidarea memoriei. Convorbiri cu Alexandru Paleologu ("Defying Memory. Conversations with Alexandru PaleologuAlexandru PaleologuAlexandru Paleologu was a Romanian essayist, literary critic, diplomat and politician. He is the father of historian Theodor Paleologu.-Biography:...
") - 1996 - Revoluţia ca eşec. Elite şi societate ("Revolution as Failure. Elites and Society"), political studies
- 1997 - Anatomia mistificării. Procesul Noica-Pillat ("Anatomy of Mystification. The NoicaConstantin NoicaConstantin Noica was a Romanian philosopher, essayist and poet. His preoccupations were throughout all philosophy, from epistemology, philosophy of culture, axiology and philosophic anthropology to ontology and logics, from the history of philosophy to systematic philosophy, from ancient to...
-Pillat Trial") - 1998 - LA vs NY. Jurnal american ("LA vs NY. American Diary")
- 1998 - Elite şi societate. Guvernarea Gheorghiu-Dej (1948–1965) ("Elites and Society. The Gheorghiu-DejGheorghe Gheorghiu-DejGheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej was the Communist leader of Romania from 1948 until his death in 1965.-Early life:Gheorghe was the son of a poor worker, Tănase Gheorghiu, and his wife Ana. Gheorghiu-Dej joined the Communist Party of Romania in 1930...
Government") - 1999 - Miracolul revoluţiei. O istorie politică a căderii regimurilor comuniste ("The Miracle of Revolution. A Political History of the Fall of Communist Regimes")
- 2002 - Acasă se vorbeşte în şoaptă, Dosar & jurnal din anii târzii ai dictaturii ("They Whisper at Home. A File & a Diary from the Late Years of Dictatorship"); contains excerpts from his file at the political police SecuritateSecuritateThe 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...
- 2004 - Zei şi semizei la început de secol ("Gods and Demigods at the Dawn of the Century")
- 2005 - Clienţii lu' tanti Varvara. Poveşti clandestine ("Aunt Varvara's Clients. Clandestine Stories")
Directed
- 1991 - Piaţa Univesităţii - România ("University SquareGolaniadThe Golaniad was a protest in Romania in the University Square, Bucharest. It was initiated by students and professors at the University of Bucharest....
- Romania"), documentary
Screenplays
- 1999 - Asaltul cerului ("The Siege of the Sky"), documentary for Antena 1; 6 episodes
- 2000 - StrumaStrumaThe Struma was a ship chartered to carry Jewish refugees from Axis-allied Romania to British-controlled Palestine during World War II. On February 23, 1942, with its engine inoperable and its refugee passengers aboard, Turkish authorities towed the ship from Istanbul harbor through the Bosphorus...
, documentary for Antena 1 - 2004 - Vizionarii ("The Foreseers"), portraits of 19th and 20th century Romanian politicians (Mihail KogălniceanuMihail KogalniceanuMihail Kogălniceanu was a Moldavian-born Romanian liberal statesman, lawyer, historian and publicist; he became Prime Minister of Romania October 11, 1863, after the 1859 union of the Danubian Principalities under Domnitor Alexander John Cuza, and later served as Foreign Minister under Carol I. He...
, Ion BrătianuIon BratianuIon C. Brătianu was one of the major political figures of 19th century Romania. He was the younger brother of Dimitrie, as well as the father of Ionel, Dinu, and Vintilă Brătianu...
, Nicolae IorgaNicolae IorgaNicolae Iorga was a Romanian historian, politician, literary critic, memoirist, poet and playwright. Co-founder of the Democratic Nationalist Party , he served as a member of Parliament, President of the Deputies' Assembly and Senate, cabinet minister and briefly as Prime Minister...
, Nicolae TitulescuNicolae TitulescuNicolae Titulescu was a well-known Romanian diplomat, at various times government minister, finance and foreign minister, and for two terms President of the General Assembly of the League of Nations . He was a member of the Freemasonry.-Early years:...
, Iuliu ManiuIuliu ManiuIuliu Maniu was an Austro-Hungarian-born Romanian politician. A leader of the National Party of Transylvania and Banat before and after World War I, he served as Prime Minister of Romania for three terms during 1928–1933, and, with Ion Mihalache, co-founded the National Peasants'...
), documentary for Realitatea TVRealitatea TVRealitatea 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....
; 5 episodes - 2004 - Istoria alegerilor în România secolului XX ("The History of Elections in 20th century Romania"), documentary for Realitatea TV; 6 episodes
- 2006 - Dinastia ("The Dinasty"), portraits of the four kings of the Romanians, documentary for the Romanian Television Company; 21 episodes
External links
- The Renegade Istrati, excerpt from Aunt Varvara's Clients, translated by Alistair Ian Blyth Biography at the PoliromPoliromPolirom or Editura Polirom is a Romanian publishing house with a tradition of publishing classics of international literature and also various titles in the fields of social sciences, such as psychology, sociology and anthropology. The company was founded in February 1995. The first title...
siteSfera politicii Interview in Cariere magazine