17 Facts About Ecaterina Andronescu

Ecaterina Andronescu held the same position in the cabinet of Emil Boc from 2008 to 2009, in the Victor Ponta cabinet during 2012, and finally in the Viorica Dancila cabinet for under 9 months between November 2018 and August 2019.

Ecaterina Andronescu was born in Malovat, Mehedinti County and became an engineer in 1972 upon graduation from the Oxidic Materials Science and Engineering department of the Politehnica University of Bucharest's Industrial Chemistry Faculty.

Ecaterina Andronescu became the university's rector in 2004, serving until 2012.

Ecaterina Andronescu has published over 155 scientific works in specialty journals in Romania and abroad; had over 60 scientific research contracts, including abroad; published three books; and has been awarded a patent.

In 1996, Andronescu joined the Party of Social Democracy in Romania.

Ecaterina Andronescu had been a secretary of state at the Education Ministry since the preceding year, and at the autumn 1996 elections, she gained a seat in the Chamber and left the ministry.

Critics charged that these "experiments" had introduced "anachronism and chaos" into the Romanian educational system, perturbing both pupils and teachers, and Ecaterina Andronescu's reputed inability to justify and sustain her decisions earned her the nickname of Abramburica.

Ecaterina Andronescu was again elected to the Chamber in 2004, and to the Senate in 2008.

Ecaterina Andronescu later indicated a willingness to scrap the test in its current form, citing unpopularity among teachers.

Ecaterina Andronescu worked on pushing a new educational code through Parliament, but the PSD's former government partner, the Democratic Liberal Party, has its own proposals; despite her expressed wish, the debate became entangled in the autumn presidential campaign, where the parties are supporting rival candidates.

Boc's move followed rising discontent with her within the PDL, whose members Ioan Oltean and Radu Berceanu suggested that Ecaterina Andronescu herself was trying to politicise the educational process.

The PDL suggested that Ecaterina Andronescu's proposals aimed at sabotaging Boc's own reform project, which the party claimed was addressing the fundamental issues.

Together with her PSD colleagues, Ecaterina Andronescu resigned from the cabinet on 1 October 2009, in protest at the dismissal of vice prime minister and Interior Minister Dan Nica.

In July 2012, Ecaterina Andronescu became Education Minister a third time, appointed by Prime Minister Ponta.

Ecaterina Andronescu, although finding the request "demeaning" for her professional career, declared she had never committed plagiarism.

Ecaterina Andronescu was returned to the Senate at the 2016 parliamentary election.

Ecaterina Andronescu was removed from office on 2 August 2019 by prime minister Viorica Dancila following a controversial statement that "young girls should know better than to get in cars with strangers" regarding the kidnapping of Alexandra Macesanu and Luiza Melencu.