Ştefan Andrei

Ştefan Andrei (Romanian pronunciation: [ʃteˈfan anˈdrej]; born March 29, 1931) is a former Romanian communist politician who, among others, served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Romania (1978-1985). He was arrested after the 1989 overthrow of the Nicolae Ceauşescu regime.

Early life

Andrei was born to a very poor family in Oltenia, where the Romanian communist leader Nicolae Ceauşescu was from too. While a child he was a shepherd but willing to continue his education, he eventually made his way to leadership of the Central Committee of the Romanian Communist Party. His doctoral thesis at the university covered the subject of international communist movements and was later used as reference in the central committee.^[1] In one of his articles on socialism he had published a few days before official visit of General Secretary of the CP of China, Hu Yaobang, he said:

"The socialist character of one country or another cannot be denied; the socialism built in one country cannot be opposed to the socialism of other countries or to the socialism to be constructed in the future."^[2]

Andrei was often considered a very literate and benevolent man, a famous book collector enriching his collection from his trips abroad. He was also seen as a good husband and family man.^[3] He is married to Romanian movie actress Violeta Andrei.^[4]

Political career

Andrei was first appointed Deputy Chief of International Section of the Central Committee encouraged to develop ties with foreign communist governments and movements around the world and in April 1972, he became the Secretary for Foreign Relations of the Central Committee and in November 1974, he rose to membership of Permanent Bureau of the Political Executive Committee of Romania. On March 8, 1978 he was eventually appointed the Minister of Foreign Affairs.^[1] As a Minister, Andrei has tried to decrease dependence of Romania on Soviet Union by directing its foreign policy towards developing ASEAN countries of Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand while also enhancing trade, economic and educational exchange with African countries of Guinea, Gabon, Angola, Zambia, Mozambique, Burundi, Sudan and Zaire which also diversified Romania's energy imports.^[5] During his years in service to Ceauşescu regime, he was also a personal advisor to younger son of Nicolae Ceauşescu, Nicu Ceauşescu.^[6] His term as the Minister of Foreign Affairs ended on November 11, 1985^[7] when he was reportedly sacked by the First Lady Elena Ceauşescu who then appointed her protégé, Ilie Văduva to take over.^[8][9] Stefan Andrei was subsequently appointed the Secretary of the Central Committee in charge of economic matters.^[10]

After the Romanian Revolution of 1989, he was arrested and sentenced by a Romanian Military Court to two years and ten months in prison for supporting the bloody crackdown in 1989.^[11] He served at least part of his sentence at the Jilava prison hospital.^[12]

See also

• Romanian Communist Party
• Nicolae Ceauşescu
• Foreign relations of Romania

References