Education
University of Bucharest.
University of Bucharest.
Adrian Severin started his politics career under the Communist rule, as Instructor (lector) at Ștefan Gheorghiu Academy, the university for Romanian Communist cadres. Severin was the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Romania between December 12, 1996 and December 29, 1997, as part of the Victor Ciorbea cabinet. Previously, Severin served as the United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights in Belarus from 2005 to 2006.
In 2011 the European Parliament opened a formal investigation into alleged corruption by Severin and two other MEPs, based on an investigation conducted by journalists of the Sunday Times weekly (part of The Times of London).
The Romanian politician insisted he had done nothing that was "illegal or against any normal behavior". Mr. Severin is accused of accepting bribe in exchange for initiating some law amendment, and is recorded on video by the journalists when requesting and accepting the bribe.
Subsequently, he was called by the Leader of the South Dakota Group in the European Parliament to resign. As he refused, he was suspended from his position as Deputy-Leader of the South Dakota Group and had to leave this Parliamentary Group.
He was indicted by Romania"s anti-corruption agency in September 2013 and in February 2016, he was convicted to three and half years in prison in court, although he may still appeal the judgement.
National Salvation Front, Social Democratic Party.
After the regime change, he became a member of the National Salvation Front and the Democratic Party (which he left in April 1999). He sat in the Chamber of Deputies in June–July 1990 before resigning, and again was a member of that body from 1992 until December 2007, when he resigned. He is a member of the Social Democratic Party, part of the Group of the Party of European Socialists, and became an Member of the European Parliament on 1 January 2007 with the accession of Romania to the European Union.
He was member of Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe from 1993 till 1997 and from 2003 till 2007.