13 Facts About Norica Nicolai

Norica Nicolai was born on January 27,1958 and is a Romanian lawyer and politician.

Norica Nicolai was at the centre of a conflict between Prime Minister Calin Popescu-Tariceanu and President Traian Basescu in early 2008, with the latter rejecting, ultimately successfully, the former's nomination of Nicolai to be Justice Minister.

Norica Nicolai was born in Sinaia, and, following secondary studies at the town's George Enescu High School, in 1983 she graduated from the Law Faculty of the University of Bucharest.

Norica Nicolai worked as a lawyer in the same city from 1991 to 1997.

From 1998 to 2001, Nicolai was president of the Economic and Social Council, a public institution that facilitates dialogue between employers, unions and the government; and was a secretary of state at the Labour Ministry from 1997 to 2000.

Norica Nicolai belonged to the Christian Democratic National Peasants' Party from 1997 until August 2000, when it expelled her for signing a declaration in support of then-PNL member Theodor Stolojan; the PNT-CD supported Mugur Isarescu in the upcoming presidential election.

In 2006, she was the subject of controversy when cameras caught her niece in her Senate chair with a voting card in her hand, although Norica Nicolai stated her niece did not actually cast a vote.

President Traian Basescu began by asking Tariceanu to withdraw Norica Nicolai, claiming the negative image she had acquired as senator, in particular through the affair involving her niece, would not be conducive to increased public trust in the judiciary.

Norica Nicolai in turn produced a document indicating the individual in the 1987 case did not spend any time in prison, and said she appeared in the adoption case as a private individual, not a prosecutor, and did not violate the law.

Norica Nicolai further opined that the document release was reminiscent of the methods of the Securitate secret police; the PNL's UDMR government partners weighed in on the prime minister's side, as did the opposition PSD.

At the 2008 election, Norica Nicolai was defeated in her bid for a third Senate term: she finished first in her constituency but failed to obtain a seat under the mixed member proportional representation system introduced at that election.

Norica Nicolai was re-elected as a PNL vice president at a party congress in March 2009, and at the same time supported Crin Antonescu's successful bid to become party president.

When her party subsequently left the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Group for the European People's Party, Norica Nicolai opted to remain with the former caucus, which assigned her to the Fisheries Committee.