Sever Voinescu

Sever Voinescu (Romanian pronunciation: [ˈsever vojˈnesku], full last name Voinescu-Cotoi;^[1][2] born June 19, 1969) is a Romanian journalist, political analyst, diplomat and right-wing politician. A Foreign Affairs Ministry figure during the mid-1990s, he was later a Consul General of Romania in Chicago, United States. Voinescu became known as a columnist for Dilema Veche weekly and Cotidianul daily, and worked for the Institute for Public Policies, a political think tank. As pundit, Voinescu supports conservative ideas, and criticizes left-wing and welfare state solutions as applied to his country.

Often described as a member of the intellectual faction close to President Traian Băsescu, Voinescu was characterized by political opponents as a person lacking in independence, a verdict which, in 2007, cost him advancement in the diplomatic service. He subsequently joined the Democratic Liberal Party (PDL), running in the 2008 legislative election and earning a deputy seat for Ploieşti. From April 2009 to February 2011, he was Secretary of the Deputies' Chamber.

During his time in office, Sever Voinescu became known as a supporter of inner-party reform and pressed for the PDL's transformation into a conservative group, although he is still noted for taking sides against stronger critics of the party line. He also regularly spoke out against media opponents of Băsescu and the PDL, accusing part of the press of being politically controlled by the opposition parties. Voinescu was subsequently involved in several political controversies, including claims that he has used his Chamber position to push for electoral fraud.