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Cătălin Cherecheș

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Cătălin Cherecheș (born July 7, 1978) is a Romanian politician, who was the mayor of Baia Mare from May 8, 2011 and November 29, 2023.[1] Cherecheș was charged with corruption in 2016, and arrested in Germany in November 2023.[2] He began serving his prison sentence in Aiud Prison in Romania in March 2024.[2]

Biography

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Between 2005 and 2007, Cherecheș was the vice president and spokesperson of the Maramureș County organization of the Social Democratic Party.[3]

Cherecheș was elected in 2008 to the Chamber of Deputies on the Social Democratic Party. He resigned the party in February 2010, becoming an independent member of Parliament[4] and in May 2010 joined the National Liberal Party.[5]

In May 2011, following the criminal conviction of mayor Cristian Anghel, a by-election was held in Baia Mare. Cherecheș was named candidate of the Social Liberal Union.[6] He won the elections from the first round, getting 18,298 votes (51,66%).[7] Following his election, he resigned from the Parliament.[8]

In 2011, the local administration built a 1.8 metres (5 ft 11 in) tall wall between the road Strada Horea and an area of social housing that houses 1,000 Roma people into one-room apartments, some without water or electricity.[9] According to Cherecheș, this wall was designed to "prevent traffic accidents",[10] while some civic organizations said it amounted to a "Roma wall" and "institutionalized racism".[10] Later in 2011, the national anti-discrimination council fined Cherecheș for building the wall and ordered it to be pulled down.[11]

During the 2012 Romanian local elections, again as the candidate of the Social Liberal Union, he was re-elected mayor of Baia Mare, receiving 44,239 votes (86.03%), far ahead of Democratic Liberal candidate Ștefan Pop, who received only 2,785 votes.[12]

In September 2013, Cherecheș joined the National Union for the Progress of Romania.[3]

On May 20, 2016, Cherecheș was charged with corruption.[2]

Nevertheless, on June 5, 2016 Cherecheș ran as a candidate of the local Coalition for Baia Mare and was re-elected mayor while detained with 70.28% of the votes counted, according to the partial election results,[13] a first in Romanian politics.[14]

Shortly before being sentenced, Cherecheș fled to Germany in November 2023, but was caught just four days later.[2] Cherecheș awaited extradition until March 2024, when he began serving his prison sentence in Aiud Prison, back in Romania.[2] As of September 2024, he remains incarcerated at Aiud Prison, and is eligible for parole in August 2026.[2]

References

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  1. ^ "Prefectul de Maramureș a emis ordinul de încetare de drept a mandatului lui Cătălin Cherecheș". Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Mureșan, Ionuț (2024-09-03). "Cătălin Cherecheș se plânge că nu e lăsat să părăsească celula până la 5 ore pe zi. Ce face în pușcărie fostul primar din Baia Mare". Libertatea (in Romanian). Retrieved 2025-03-10.
  3. ^ a b "Primarul din Baia Mare, Cătălin Cherecheş, s-a înscris în UNPR". Mediafax.ro. 2013-09-17. Retrieved 2015-09-19.
  4. ^ "Deputatul Cătălin Cherecheş a demisionat din PSD". Mediafax.ro. 2015-02-24. Retrieved 2015-09-19.
  5. ^ "Cătălin Cherecheş s-a înscris în PNL". Mediafax. 2010-05-19. Retrieved 2015-09-19.
  6. ^ "Cătălin Cherecheş va fi candidatul USL la primăria municipiului Baia Mare". Mediafax.ro. 2011-04-11. Retrieved 2015-09-19.
  7. ^ "Candidatul USL Cătălin Cherecheş a câştigat alegerile pentru postul de primar în Baia Mare". Mediafax.ro. 2011-05-09. Retrieved 2015-09-19.
  8. ^ "Locul de deputat al lui Cătălin Cherecheş, validat primar al oraşului Baia Mare, declarat vacant". Mediafax.ro. 2011-05-30. Retrieved 2015-09-19.
  9. ^ Estrin, James (November 5, 2012). "Breaking Through Walls of Bias". New York Times. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  10. ^ a b "Romanian town erects wall by Roma neighborhood". Reuters. 1 July 2011.
  11. ^ "Romanian mayor fined over 'Roma wall'". Euronews. November 18, 2011. Archived from the original on 9 May 2013. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  12. ^ "Cătălin Cherecheş (USL), reales primar la Baia Mare cu 86,03 la sută din voturi - rezultate finale". Mediafax.ro. 2015-06-11. Retrieved 2015-09-19.
  13. ^ "Cătălin Cherecheş câştigă Primăria Baia Mare din arest, cu peste 70%". Digi24 (in Romanian). 6 June 2016. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
  14. ^ "France-Presse - Premieră în România: un primar aflat în arest preventiv a fost reales în funcţie" (in Romanian). Mediafax. 6 June 2016. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
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