Gigi Becali

George Becali MEP

Member of the European Parliament
for Romania
Born June 25, 1958 (1958-06-25) (age 52)
Zagna, Vădeni, Brăila County, Romania
Nationality Romanian
Political party New Generation – Christian Democrat Party
Residence Voluntari, Ilfov County
Occupation Entrepreneur and politician
Religion Orthodox Christian
Nickname(s) Gigi

George Becali (commonly known in Romania as Gigi Becali, born 25 June 1958) is a controversial Romanian politician and businessman, mostly known for his involvement in the Steaua Bucureşti football club.

He is a Member of the European Parliament since June 2009.

Contents

Biography

He was born in Zagna, Vădeni, Brăila County, as his family was deported to the Bărăgan by the Communist authorities because of their associations with the pre-WWII fascist Iron Guard.

His cousins, Victor Becali and Ioan Becali, are also involved in Romanian football. In 1994, he married Luminiţa, 11 years his junior; the couple have three daughters: Teodora (b. 1995), Alexandra (b. 1996) and Cristina (b. 2001).

After the 2005 floods, he used $4 million of his personal money to fund the reconstruction of about 200 houses in the Vulturu village (Vulturu commune, Vrancea county) that was destroyed by the overflow of the Siret river. However, he is still the legal owner of the 200 houses. Subsequently the villagers wanted to rename it Vulturu Becali (Becali Vulture) in his honor.

Entrepreneurship

Real estate business

Becali became a millionaire through an exchange of land with the Romanian Army, dubbed by the Romanian press as suspicious, as the Army did not need the land it received and the land he received was worth much more.

The deal consisted in Becali giving the army a 21.5 ha plot in Ştefăneştii de Jos (about 15 km from Bucharest) in exchange for a 20.9 ha plot in Băneasa-Pipera, in Northern Bucharest.[1] As the real estate prices skyrocketed in the capital, he sold the land to some companies which built residential areas.

In 2007, it was revealed that in 1998, when Becali sent the offer to the Romanian Army, he was not the owner of the property in Ştefăneştii de Jos, buying it only after it was clear that the deal would be signed. Also, the Army was not legally allowed to give away the Pipera plot, because it was claimed by former owners.[2]

The affair was investigated in 2006 by the National Anticorruption Directorate (NAD).[3] In July 2007, the NAD started to investigate a transaction between Becali and the daughter of Defence Minister Victor Babiuc, involving land in Pipera which was sold for $300/sqm.[4]

Ownership of Steaua

Becali joined the General Shareholders' Council of the Steaua Bucureşti football team at the end of the 1990s, during the presidency of businessman Viorel Păunescu. Step by step, he tried to eliminate other possible candidates and gather all the Club's shares. He obtained 51% of the shares on 6 February 2003 and he bought another 15% toward the end of the year 2003.[5]

On October 17, 2005, his entire fortune was impounded by the National Fiscal Authority (ANAF) for debts totaling US$ 11,000,000. However, Becali sued the ANAF and won the trial, and subsequently the order of seizure was lifted.[6] He was however able to avoid paying the taxes by transferring the assets of Steaua to a newly-formed company, AFC Steaua Bucureşti, allowing the old association to go bankrupt.[7] As of 2007, Becali detains no official link to the club, as he gradually renounced his shares in favour of his nephews.[8]

In 2005, the papers wrote that he commissioned a painting inspired by Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper, in which he holds the place of Jesus, while the eleven players and the coach hold the place of the disciples.[9] Becali denied the story, claiming that he received the painting from an admirer.

Other business activities

Becali announced in 2008 that he intends to open his own bank, named "Becali Bank", intended to be used "only by millionaires", with an initial investment of 30 million euro. Nevertheless, the Administration Council of the National Bank of Romania rejected the plan of creation without giving a public reason.[10] Cotidianul notes that the National Bank can reject the creation of a new bank if they suspect that the new bank would not respect the laws or that they won't have solid and prudent investment policies.[11]

In reply to this decision, Becali named Mugur Isărescu, the governor of the National Bank, "a buffoon, a frustrated and envious person" and announced that he intends to sue him.[11]

Political career

At the 2000 Romanian legislative election, Becali was a candidate of the "League of Italian Communities in Romania" for the seat in the Chamber of Deputies reserved for the Italian minority. He received 16,266 votes (0.15%) countrywide, of which 7,677 in Ilfov County. Nevertheless, he lost to Ileana Stana-Ionescu, who got only 2,943 votes in one constituency. Becali contested the results, but according to Romanian election law, for national minorities, it is not the total number of votes that matters; the individual who gains the largest percentage in one constituency wins the seat reserved for that national minority.[12]

He has led the New Generation – Christian Democrat Party (PNG-CD) since January 2004, being its candidate in the 2004 presidential election, receiving 1.77% of votes cast (184,560 votes).[13]

In his 2004 electoral campaign, Becali used clips of the "Mihai Viteazul" movie (directed by Sergiu Nicolaescu), whose main character was played by Amza Pellea. Amza's daughter, Oana Pellea, sued Becali for using Amza Pellea's image without permission and won 35,000 RON (about $12,000) in damages.[14]

He often had disputes with Corneliu Vadim Tudor, another extremist politician. These disputes, usually consisted of exchanges of insults between the two.[15] He had another dispute with Prime Minister Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu whom he named a "cockroach-politician" and a "Very Important Papagal" (papagal means "parrot" in Romanian and is regarded as an insult).[16]

In December 2006, he promised that his party would generate a "Cultural revolution" in Romania.[17]

At the elections for the European Parliament, held in November 2007, his party (PNG-CD) obtained 4,86% of the popular vote, little under the 5% needed for admission in the EU governing body. Same happened at the elections from December 2008, as a surprise to many people.

At the June 2009 European Parliament election, Becali ran on Vadim's Greater Romania Party ticket and won a seat in the European Parliament[18]. However, on June 9, Romanian judges upheld a travel ban on Becali for the duration of an illegal incarceration investigation by police, banning him from taking his seat in the EP; Becali retorted that he intended to take his seat in Brussels and dared the justice system to arrest him in Belgium.[19] Eventually, the Romanian supreme court lifted all restrictions on him.[20]

He also ran in the 2009 presidential elections where he got 1.91% of the vote.[21]

Political positions

His political views are extreme nationalistic; he declared himself a follower of the Pre-WWII Romanian Legionnaire Movement and called for the canonization of Corneliu Zelea Codreanu.[22]

His 2004 electoral slogan "I, Gigi Becali, swear to all Romanians and to God that I'll make Romania shine like the holy sun of the sky" ("Eu Gigi Becali, jur în faţa tuturor românilor şi în faţa lui Dumnezeu că voi face ca România să strălucească precum soarele sfânt de pe cer!") is taken from the testament of Ion Moţa, one of the founders of the Iron Guard.

In 2005, Dan Pavel resigned from his job as Becali's adviser because of Becali's links with Noua Dreaptă, a neofascist organization. Pavel claims that a few months after, Becali gave up those links.[23]

Rapport with Băsescu and PD-L

Becali and the party he is leading are allied with the Democratic Liberal Party in Bucharest's local council. The PD-L leaders announced they don't want a National Liberal vice-mayor, but they would rather support one from Becali's party.[24]

Views on homosexuality

In line with his conservative Orthodox Christian views, Becali has often made inflammatory remarks in the press regarding LGBT people. During his 2004 presidential campaign one of the main themes of his rhetoric was opposition to sexual minorities, which he voiced over and over in interviews and TV appearances.

On May 26, 2006, Becali's personal foundation, the "George Becali Christian Foundation", along with the Romanian Orthodox Church and 22 NGOs, signed a protest letter calling on the government and the courts to ban the Bucharest GayFest 2006 parade, focussed that year on the theme of same-sex unions. A few days later, the Bucharest Court of Appeals ruled, however, that the parade was legal, and it was ensured significant police protection. Becali justified his opposition to the pride parade by stating that he "doesn't discriminate against homosexuals" but that, "They abuse their rights. This is proselytism. They can do what they want in their homes, but not on the streets. I call on the Romanian Orthodox Church to defend the Christian faith and morals".[25] Becali declared that he intended to pay for a referendum on same-sex marriage, which he believed 99% of people would vote against. He was also widely criticized in the media for asking, "Why [are there] so many homosexuals? I'll give two or five million dollars [for a referendum], so we can finish off all homosexuals in the country."[26]

The media commentator Dan Tapalagă, in an editorial at the Cotidianul newspaper, criticized the Romanian Orthodox Church for its coalition with Becali, and its opposition to the gay pride parade, which he sarcastically termed as "the sin of the Becalised Church".[27]

In an opinion piece written after Becali's inflammatory declaration, journalist Radu Călin Cristea quoted Cristian Pârvulescu, a Romanian political analyst, who described Becali as a "populist who practices a superficial form of legionarism", referring to the fascist Iron Guard movement which took place in 1930s Romania and whose members were named "legionnaires" (legionari). Cristea also warned that society and the political class should stop regarding Becali as an "inoffensive and amusing clown".[28]

In October 2006, Gigi Becali was awarded the LGBT community's "black ball" for the most homophobic personality in Romania, as part of the 2006 Gay Awards Gala which took place during the Gay Film Nights Festival of Cluj-Napoca.[29]

During Bucharest's annual GayFest in June 2007, Becali seemed to have tempered his homophobic stance. He declared in an interview that "I love them [homosexuals] in the same way that I love all other people. They can marry at the City Hall, every day, 10 of them if they want to. But in church, they don't have a place."[30] When questioned about homosexuality in another interview conducted during the 2007 GayFest, he stated, "They can do what they want... marry... I don't have anything against that". On the question of whether he would accept a gay person in the New Generation Party of which he is president, Becali replied "But why would I have a problem with that? Who knows how many there already are?"[31]

In September 2007, he resumed his homophobic speech, stating that if he becomes president of Romania, he will "get rid of all homosexual and lesbian clubs" and create special neighbourhoods for homosexuals and lesbians, so that "they can stay there and leave us [alone]". He also referred to gays as "sinners" and said that "they should go to the priest if they have problems in their head".[32] The secretary-general of the New Generation Party, Cătălin Dâncu, later appeared to distance himself from Becali's comments, declaring that, "As long as EU principles clearly state that minority rights must be respected, Romania as a member-state must respect them". Romania's National Council for Combating Discrimination is investigating whether Becali's comments breach anti-discrimination and hate speech laws, stating that he could be fined up to 8000 lei (~€2500).[33]

Controversies

Xenophobia

Some of Becali's remarks have been considered xenophobic; for instance, in May 2008, the National Audovisual Council fined the OTV channel for allowing Becali's "aggressive and xenophobic speech", which "instigated to hate against the Hungarian minority in Romania" to go on live, without any intervention from Dan Diaconescu, the talk show host.[34] He also believes in a conspiracy of the "Hungarian Freemasons", claiming that it is them who are financing Steaua's adversary, CFR Cluj.[35]

In November 2001, Becali and his bodyguards insulted and physically abused Malonga Parfait, the host of a satirical football TV Show, "Fotbal la Maxx". Becali called Parfait a "monkey" allegedly because the latter is of African origin.[36]

There have been numerous controversies with the violent declarations linked with the Steaua football team, including the use of slurs against the Roma and other minorities by fans and employees of Becali. He also sang in April 2005 a manea which included a racial slur against the Roma.[37]

Antisemitism

Becali has also made some antisemitic statements, like calling George Copos a 'jidan', which in Romanian is a negative name given to the Jews. Iuliu Muresan, the chairman of Romanian football club CFR Cluj has also accused Becali of antisemitism.[38]

Violence

In February 2002, Becali cursed and threatened Cristian Tudor Popescu, a well-known journalist, in a café, after the latter had written the article "O statuie pentru Puiu Paşcu" ("A Statue for Puiu Paşcu" - a former Minister of Defense in the Social Democratic Party cabinet of Adrian Năstase) in Adevărul about the controversial land swap with the Army and the assault on Malonga Parfait. Becali told Popescu that he should have been shot and that the journalists destroyed Romania.[39]

In 2005, Becali provoked controversy by using extremely vulgar language in an interview, insulting the reporter and the channel he worked for (Antena 1).

In July 2005, in a restaurant, Becali cursed, spat and spilled a glass of wine on Şerban Huidu, the creator of the satirical TV show "Cronica Cârcotaşilor". Becali got the nickname "Ioan Botezătorul" (John the Baptist) after this incident.[40]

Following a match of Steaua Bucureşti in April 2006, his bodyguards used violence against a female reporter of Realitatea TV after Becali asked them to "take her away from that place".[41]

He currently is one of the favorite subjects of the Romanian media, due to his frequent slips of the tongue and inflammatory remarks. For example, in July 2005, a reporter called Becali to ask him some questions related to the Steaua Bucureşti football club. Becali used this opportunity to unleash a flurry of curses addressed to Antena 1 and Dan Voiculescu. He himself said in the dialogue that "he is not a civilized man".

In 2008, he admitted that when he lost money in a casino, he lost his temper and began throwing chairs toward the windows, breaking them.[42]

On April 2, 2009 George Becali was arrested over illegally holding 3 people against their will, because he suspected they were involved in stealing his car. He was arrested for 29 days, but he got out of jail after 15 days. Four other people, his bodyguards, Cătălin Zmărăndescu, Ştefan Dediu, Nicolae Dumitraşcu and Dumitru Beciual, who were also involved in the incident, were issued arrest warrants as well. Becali announced his candidacy for the European Parliament from his prison cell. Nick Thorpe, the BBC's correspondent to Romania, says that many Romanians see him as a victim of crime rather than a perpetrator, and that sympathy about the case undoubtedly helped Becali win a seat in Brussels for the nationalist Greater Romania Party. Romanian judges initially barred Becali from taking his MEP seat due to ongoing police investigation.[19] Eventually, the Romanian Supreme Court lifted all bans and Becali was allowed to take his Brussels seat. Becali spent three week in jail during the investigation.[20]

Various

In September 2007, Becali sparked controversy when he insulted parliamentarian Lavinia Sandru, stating that she should "go and become a candidate for the beltway, not for the European Parliament", a veiled reference to prostitution.[43] He has also remarked that a woman "has no more value" after she has given birth to a child. This led to a group of twenty-six women reporting Becali to the National Council for Combating Discrimination for contravening Romania's anti-discrimination laws. On October 6, the Council ruled that Becali's comments were discriminatory towards women and "affected the dignity of women", Becali being fined 500 lei.[44]

Becali has also been sued various times, mostly over slander, by the football coach Anghel Iordănescu, politician Radu Berceanu and a Divizia A referee, Cristian Balaj.

References

  1. ↑ Evenimentul Zilei, "Gigi Becali revine la mahala", 2 March 2005
  2. ↑ România Liberă, "Cum şi-a făcut Becali averea", 14 March 2007
  3. ↑ Gândul, "Scandalul schimbului de terenuri dintre Gigi Becali şi Ministerul Apărării Naţionale s-a mutat la DNA", June 17, 2006
  4. ↑ Evenimentul Zilei, "Ciubuc pentru Babiuc", 4 July 2007
  5. ↑ Evenimentul Zilei, "Gigi Becali deţine 66 la sută din FC Steaua SA" 5 January 2004
  6. ↑ Cronica Română, "Gigi Becali a câştigat procesul cu ANAF", May 20, 2006
  7. ↑ Chican, Marius; Focşeneanu, Dorin. "Românii plătesc datoriile Stelei". Evenimentul Zilei. http://www.evz.ro/article.php?artid=268867. Retrieved 2007-09-06. 
  8. ↑ "Gigi Becali si-a vandut toate actiunile de la Steaua nepotilor sai". http://www.hotnews.ro/articol_34128-Gigi-Becali-si-a-vandut-toate-actiunile-de-la-Steaua-nepotilor-sai.htm. Retrieved 2007-09-06. 
  9. ↑ Gazeta Sporturilor, "Stîna cea de taină"
  10. ↑ "Isărescu ingroapa Becali Bank", in Ziua, 11 August 2008
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Becali: Isărescu este un măscărici!", in Cotidianul, 11 August 2008
  12. ↑ Romanian Chamber of Deputies, "Şedinţa Camerei Deputaţilor din 15 decembrie 2000"
  13. ↑ Biroul Electoral Central, "Proces Verbal privind rezultatul pentru alegerea Preşedintelui României"
  14. ↑ Evenimentul Zilei, "Gigi Becali a fost învins de Oana Pellea", 14 March 2006
  15. ↑ Evenimentul Zilei, "Vadim îl face pe Becali handicapat" 3 September 2004.
  16. ↑ Bucharest Daily News, "Becali says the PM is a 'cockroach-politician'", 16 April 2006
  17. ↑ Cotidianul, "Gigi Becali promite o revoluţie culturală";, 16 December 2006
  18. ↑ (Romanian) "Becali: 'Eu ştiu engleza, o simt în mine, o mai repet puţin, cam o lună, şi gata'" ("Becali: 'I Know English, I Feel It in Me, I'll Practice a Little More, about a Month, and That's It'"), Cotidianul, 8 June 2009; accessed June 8, 2009
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 BBC News, 9 June 2009, Romanian judges bar populist MEP
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Mediafax, 30 Oct 2009, Romanian Supreme Court Lifts All Bans For MEP Gigi Becali
  21. ↑ http://www.bec2009p.ro/Documente%20PDF/Rezultate/Rezultate%20provizorii%20finale/Date%20provizorii%20P.pdf
  22. ↑ Profile: Gigi Becali, at RFE/RL
  23. ↑ Evenimentul Zilei, "Gigi Becali, legionarii şi neonaziştii"
  24. ↑ "PD-L nu vrea viceprimar liberal, ci unul din partidul lui Becali", Ziua, 20 June 2008
  25. ↑ Mihai Niculescu, Războinicul luminii, în cruciada anti-homosexuali ("The militant of light, in an anti-homosexual crusade"), Ziarul, 26 May 2006
  26. ↑ Becali: 'Dau câteva milioane de dolari şi îi terminăm pe homosexuali!' (Becali: "I'll give a few million dollars and we'll finish off the homosexuals"), 9AM.ro, 2 June 2006
  27. ↑ Dan Tapalagă, Editorial - Păcatul bisercii becalizate ("Editorial: The sin of the Becalised Church"), Cotidianul, 4 June 2006
  28. ↑ Radu Călin Cristea, Gigi Becali şi circul groazei ("Gigi Becali and the circus of horror"), Cotidianul
  29. ↑ Gala Premiilor Gay 2006 (The Gay Awards Gala 2006), GayOne.ro, 4 October 2006.
  30. ↑ (Romanian) Homosexualii şi lesbienele îi critică pe Vanghelie, Iliescu şi Becali!, ProTV, 7 June 2007
  31. ↑ (Romanian) Gigi Becali a încheiat conferinţa OSCE printr-un discurs, ProTV, 8 June 2007
  32. ↑ "Europeanul" Becali vrea sa-i izoleze pe homosexuali (The "European" Becali wants to isolate homosexuals), Evenimentul Zilei, 24 September 2007
  33. ↑ (Romanian) Gigi Becali vrea „strada bulangiilor“, Cotidianul, 24 September 2007
  34. ↑ National Audiovisual Council of Romania, "Decizia nr. 420 din 20.05.2008"
  35. ↑ "Îi fac pe unguri!", in Gazeta Sporturilor, 12 February 2008
  36. ↑ "Gigi Becali l-a bătut pe Malonga Parfait!", in Evenimentul Zilei 5 November 2001
  37. ↑ Pro Sport, Gigi Becali a devenit interpret de manea..., 27 April 2005
  38. ↑ [1]
  39. ↑ Evenimentul Zilei, Pentru că a <<îndrăznit>> să scrie despre afacerile sale, Gigi Becali l-a ameninţat cu moartea pe Cristian Tudor Popescu ("Because he <<dared>> write about his deals, Gigi Becali threatened death to Cristian Tudor Popescu"), February 5, 2002
  40. ↑ Evenimentul Zilei, "Huidu nu vrea bani de la Gigi Becali", 20 July 2005
  41. ↑ Evenimentul Zilei, "Jurnalistă de la Realitatea TV agresată de gărzile lui Becali", 28 April 2006
  42. ↑ "Gigi Becali: “Am luat scaunul şi am spart toate vitraliile din cazinou”", Cotidianul, 16 September 2008
  43. ↑ (Romanian) Basescu si Becali, "frati" de discriminare (Băsescu and Becali, brothers in discrimination), ROL Ştiri, 15 September 2007
  44. ↑ (Romanian) Becali, amendat cu 500 de lei pentru discriminare (Becali, fined 500 lei for discrimination), Cotidianul, 6 October 2007

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