Romanian Premier Ciuca Accused of Plagiarizing Doctoral Thesis

(Bloomberg) -- Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca faced accusations that he plagiarized parts of his doctoral thesis just two months after taking office, raising the prospect of fallout for a government that was meant to bring political turmoil to an end.  

Ciuca, a retired army general who is the country’s 10th premier in as many years, is accused of copying passages from two other papers without reference, according to investigative news website Pressone. The passages account for about a third of Ciuca’s 2003 doctoral text in military science, it said. 

The prime minister denies the accusations and asked the ethics committee of the National Defense University to verify his work. The university said it would fact-check the thesis. 

“As a member of the military, I have always fulfilled my duty by respecting the principles, laws and rules required by the Romanian army,” Ciuca said in a statement. “My doctoral thesis is based mostly on my personal experience, accumulated in missions abroad.” 

Ciuca is the latest high-ranking official in Romania to face plagiarism accusations, which have cropped up throughout eastern Europe over the past decade, including in Serbia, Hungary and Ukraine. 

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