Marian Munteanu

Marian Munteanu (born 19 June 1962) is a former leader of the anti-government protests that took place in 1990 in Romania and were ended violently by the intervention of the miners (the Mineriad).

Munteanu was the leader of the Students' League, which was one of organizers of the protests against Ion Iliescu's rule. On June 14, 1990, he was severely beaten. A miner was later imprisoned for attempted murder following witnesses' declarations that he had tried to kill Munteanu using an axe.^[1]^[2]

He was arrested and detained at Jilava between June 18 and August 2, 1990.

As of 2011, he was teaching ethnology, anthropology and folklore at the University of Bucharest.^[2]

He made a comeback into politics in 2016 after accepting PNL's proposal as candidate for mayor of Bucharest for June 5, 2016 elections. His proposal was controversial at best, since he has activated his Facebook page as "public figure" on April 7-th, only four days before PNL's candidate, Ludovic Orban, has withdrawn from the run on April 11-th, in light of being prosecuted for corruption by the DNA (Departamentul National Anticoruptie). ^[3]

After almost 20 years under the radar, Munteanu has been largely remembered as the student with a Jesus Christ appearance that was beaten by the miners in 1990 for opposing the Iliescu regime and fighting for democracy. That was because the internet was in its infancy when Munteanu disappeared from the public eye. Nowadays, when he appeared back on TV as running for mayor, a Pandora box was open and everyone had a wealth of information to understand who this guy really is and what role he played in the 1989 events and after. The internet was flooded with documents demonstrating beyond doubt that the guy is nothing else than a former collaborator of Ceausescu's security police, having signed an agreement for furnishing information and being paid for. He was approached by security police after he became a confidante of Petre Țuțea, the purpose being the surveillance of the former anticommunist.^[4] ^[5] ^[6]

He has been also a candidate for presidency in 1996, supported by Virgil Magureanu's party, another colorful character (being a high rank security police officer in the former Securitate and the first director of the new SRI - Serviciul Roman de Informatii) involved in 1989 events and especially participating in Ceausescu's mock trial. Munteanu refused to sign an official proof of integrity document, as required to candidates for public positions. Several organizations and even PNL party have files an official request to CNSAS, the national counsel for studying the security archives, to check the ties he might have had with the Securitate before 1989. ^[7] ^[8] ^[9]

His articles in a paper funded by his organisation "Miscarea pentru Romania" (disappeared since 1996) clearly show his admiration for "Miscarea Legionara", an extreme right nationalistic movement before WW2, which has committed atrocities known in history. He has been accused for making antisemitic statements by various public figures, like Nicolae Manolescu: ^[10]

All this has led to Munteanu's withdrawal from the elections.

References

External links

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Authority control	WorldCat Identities VIAF: 100470423

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