Vlad Filat
Filat in 2023
Leader of the Liberal Democratic Party
Assumed office
2 July 2023
Preceded byIulian David (acting)
In office
16 August 2020 – 29 April 2021
Preceded byTudor Deliu
Succeeded byIulian David (acting)
In office
8 December 2007 – 27 May 2016
Succeeded byViorel Cibotaru
Member of the Moldovan Parliament
In office
9 December 2014 – 15 December 2016
Succeeded bySimion Grișciuc
Parliamentary groupLiberal Democratic Party
In office
24 December 2010 – 14 February 2011
Succeeded byElena Frumosu
Parliamentary groupLiberal Democratic Party
In office
17 March 2005 – 25 September 2009
Succeeded byIvan Ionaș
Parliamentary groupDemocratic Moldova Electoral Bloc
Democratic Party
Liberal Democratic Party
Prime Minister of Moldova
In office
25 September 2009 – 25 April 2013
PresidentMihai Ghimpu (acting)
Himself (acting)
Marian Lupu (acting)
Nicolae Timofti
Deputy
See list
Preceded byVitalie Pîrlog (acting)
Succeeded byIurie Leancă
President of Moldova
Acting
In office
28 December 2010 – 30 December 2010
Prime MinisterHimself
Preceded byMihai Ghimpu (acting)
Succeeded byMarian Lupu (acting)
Minister of State
In office
12 March 1999 – 21 December 1999
PresidentPetru Lucinschi
Prime MinisterIon Sturza
Preceded byNicolae Cernomaz
Succeeded byVictor Bodiu (2009)
Personal details
Born
Vladimir Filat

(1969-05-06) 6 May 1969
Lăpușna, Moldavian SSR, Soviet Union
(now Moldova)
Citizenship Moldova
 Romania
Political partyDemocratic Party (1997–2007)
Liberal Democratic Party (2007–2016), (2020-present
Other political
affiliations		Alliance for Democracy and Reforms (1998–1999)
Alliance for European Integration (2009–present)
Spouse(s)Sanda Filat (Divorced 2012)
Angela Gonța (2014–2016)
Children3
Alma materUniversity of Iași

Vladimir Filat (born 6 May 1969), commonly referred to as Vlad Filat (pronounced [vlad fiˈlat]), is a Moldovan businessman and politician, founder of Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova. He was the Prime Minister of Moldova from 25 September 2009 to 25 April 2013. He also was appointed as the Interim President of Moldova for a brief period of time in 2010.[1] Following his conviction on charges of accepting bribes, Filat was released from jail in December 2019, 6 years earlier than his initial sentence.

Education and early career

Vlad is the second child of Maria and Vasile Filat and was born on May 6, 1969, in Lăpușna, a commune in the Moldavian SSR. Alongside his two sisters (Ala and Valentina) and brother Ion, Vlad grew up in a part of Lăpușna called "Talcioc". In 1986, he graduated from high school in his hometown. Between 1986 and 1987, he worked at the school radio station until he was called up for military service. He carried out his compulsory military service in the Soviet Army (May 8, 1987 – August 15, 1989), in Simferopol and Sevastopol. He served in the KGB's Border Troops, holding the rank of private first class and being decorated by his KGB superiors.[2]

From 1989 to 1990, he studied at the Cooperation College (Kooperativny technikum) of Chișinău, going on to study law at the University of Iași (1990–1994). As a student, he was the leader of the "League of students from Bessarabia in Romania", an organization formed by Moldovan students in Romania. In Iași, among his classmates was Alexandru Tănase. While he was a student in Iași, he met his wife Sanda in the autumn of 1991; they dated for only three months before they married.

Between 1994 and 1998, Vlad Filat initiated and conducted more business in Romania. He was general director of "RoMold Trading SRL" in Iași (1994–1997) and the president of the Administrative Council of "Dosoftei" company in Iași (1997–1998).

Early political activity

Filat was a member of the Democratic Party of Moldova (PDM) from 1997, when the party was founded, until 2007. Having returned to Moldova for good in 1998, he was appointed general director of the Department of Privatization and State Property Administration from the Ministry of Economy and Reform of the Government of the Republic of Moldova (1998–1999).

He was a State minister in the Ion Sturza cabinet of Alliance for Democracy and Reforms from 12 March 1999, to 12 November 1999. In 2000, Filat was elected Vice-President of the Democratic Party (PDM). In the 2005 parliamentary election, he became a member of the Moldovan Parliament. Until March 2009, he was Vice-President of the Parliamentary Commission for Security, Public Order, and Defense. He was also a member of the EU-Moldova Parliamentary Cooperation Committee.

He ran for Mayor of Chișinău in the 2007 local election and won 8.32% of the vote, in fourth place. Soon after the local election, in September 2007, he left the Democratic Party after ten years of political activity inside the party. Filat has been the President of the Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova since December 2007.

Moldovan parliamentary election, 2009

In the April 2009 parliamentary election, his party won 15 seats and in the July 2009 parliamentary election PLDM became the second party in the country with 18 seats and the first party within the Alliance For European Integration (AIE).

Alliance for European Integration

After the July 2009 parliamentary election, alongside Mihai Ghimpu, Marian Lupu, and Serafim Urechean, Vlad Filat signed the Alliance For European Integration (AIE) in a press-conference on August 8, 2009. Towards the end of August 2009, he became the candidate of the Alliance For European Integration (AIE) for the position of Prime Minister of Moldova.

Prime Minister

The Constitutional Court of Moldova confirmed earlier on September 17, 2009 the legitimacy of Mihai Ghimpu's position as Acting President of Moldova, which gave him the right to nominate a prime minister. On the same day, Ghimpu signed a decree nominating Filat for the office of prime minister. Earlier on September 17, the parliament approved a new government structure; according to the draft structure, the number of ministries remains unchanged at 16 but their names and responsibilities have been changed.[3]

The Alliance for European Integration gave a vote of confidence to the new government headed by PM Vladimir Filat at a plenary meeting on September 25, 2009.

On March 8, 2013 Filat was dismissed by motion of censure following charges of corruption, abuse of power and influence peddling.[4] In spite of this, President Nicolae Timofti decreed that members of the government should continue to exert their public duties until a new government were to be formed.[5]

Subsequently, on April 10, 2013 the President nominated Vlad Filat as a candidate for Prime Minister, authorizing him with the mission of forming a new government. However, on April 22, 2013, the Constitutional Court ruled that this decree is unconstitutional, stating that a Prime Minister ousted by vote of no confidence following suspicions of corruption cannot further perform this duty and that the President has the constitutional obligation to appoint in the interim capacity a member of the government whose integrity was not affected.[6]

The President appointed Iurie Leancă as Acting Prime Minister on April 25, 2013.

Arrest and accusations of corruption

Filat was stripped of his immunity and handcuffed in parliament on October 15, 2015.[7] He was investigated for the 2014 Moldovan bank fraud scandal and accused of having taken bribes of about $250 million from Ilan Shor, who was chairman of the board at Savings Bank from April to November 28, 2014.

Filat has denied wrongdoing and said the allegations against him are politically motivated.[8]

On June 27, 2016, Vlad Filat was sentenced to 9 years in prison.[9]

In February 2019, Filat's son was ordered to pay nearly half a million pounds after an investigation by the UK National Crime Agency found that he had paid £390,000 up front for a lavish apartment in the Knightsbridge area of London and £200,000 for a Bentley Bentayga. With no registered income in the UK, three bank accounts belonging to his son were frozen under Criminal Finances Act 2017.[10]

Honours

Personal life

Filat divorced Sanda Filat in August 2012, a psychologist. They have two children.[14]

In January 2014, Vlad Filat married former Pro TV Chișinău presenter[15] Angela Gonța.[16][17][18] In June 2014[19] Vlad Filat and Angela Gonța became parents with birth of their daughter.[20][21][22][23]

References

  1. ↑ "Guvernul Filat a fost investit cu votul a 53 de deputaţi AIE. Şeful SIS a fos demis de către Parlament. Noul director este Mihai Gheorghe". 2009-09-25. Retrieved 2013-05-10.
  2. ↑ "Vladimir (Vlad) Filat, premierul Moldovei, recrut fruntas in trupele KGB".
  3. ↑ "Parlamentul Republicii Moldova a aprobat structura noului Guvern: Vlad Filat, noul premier".
  4. ↑ Moțiune de cenzură asupra activității Guvernului
  5. ↑ Decretul nr. 534-VII, privind demisia Guvernului
  6. ↑ "Menţinerea în funcţie a Prim-ministrului unui Guvern demis pentru motive de corupţie este neconstituţională". 22 April 2013.
  7. ↑ Alexander Tanas (15 October 2015). "Moldova detains former PM in parliament over $1 billion fraud". Reuters.
  8. ↑ "Moldova's Ex-PM Detained After Parliament Lifts His Immunity". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. 15 October 2015.
  9. ↑ "Moldovan court jails ex-PM for nine years for abuse of power". Reuters. 27 June 2016.
  10. ↑ "National Crime Agency - Son of Moldova's ex-PM renting £1000 per day Knightsbridge apartment forced to hand over nearly half a million pounds". www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk. Retrieved 2019-02-08.
  11. ↑ "Vlad Filat a fost decorat cu "Ordinul Republicii"". PUBLIKA.MD. 17 June 2015. Retrieved 17 June 2015.
  12. ↑ "Președintele Băsescu le-a acordat DISTINCȚII lui Vlad Filat, deputatei Maria Ciobanu și scriitorului Iulian Filip". ziarulnational.md. Retrieved 17 June 2015.
  13. ↑ "Vlad Filat a fost decorat de Saakașvili". Timpul - Știri din Moldova. 27 November 2013. Retrieved 17 June 2015.
  14. ↑ "La brat cu cei doi copii ai sai. Cum a aparut Sanda Filat la ceremonia de lansare a fundatie Bach". ProTV.md. 2014-03-21. Retrieved 2014-03-28.
  15. ↑ Angela Gonta se retrage de la pupitrul stirilor. Vedeta PRO TV se marita cu Vlad Filat, Pro TV Chișinău, 15.12.2013 19:51
  16. ↑ "Vlad Filat și Angela Gonța au fost cununați la Mănăstirea Curchi de Mitropolitul Vladimir". adevarul.ro. Retrieved 17 June 2015.
  17. ↑ Vlad Filat și Angela Gonța s-au cununat
  18. ↑ "Vlad Filat si Angela Gonta s-au casatorit! Anuntul facut de politician: Cine le-au fost nasi". Inprofunzime.md. 2013-12-27. Retrieved 2014-02-06.
  19. ↑ Angela Gonța a NĂSCUT, ziarulnational.md
  20. ↑ "Facebook". facebook.com. Retrieved 17 June 2015.
  21. ↑ "Poarta numele unei sfinte! Iata cum o cheama pe fiica Angelei Gonta si a lui Vlad Filat". perfecte.md. Retrieved 17 June 2015.
  22. ↑ "Angela Gonța și Vlad Filat au dezvăluit prenumele copilului! Iată cum se numește fetița!". ea.md. Retrieved 17 June 2015.
  23. ↑ "Cum și-a numit Angela Gonța fetița! Jurnalista a scris un mesaj emoționant pe Facebook". kankan. Retrieved 17 June 2015.
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