in March 2007 Ungureanu was an assistant professor at the Alexandru Ioan Cuza University when he was recruited to the diplomatic service in 1998. He subsequently served as State Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1998–2000), and was a
Vienna-based representative of the
Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe (2000–2004). A member of the
National Liberal Party (PNL), part of the
Justice and Truth Alliance (DA), Ungureanu became foreign minister after the candidate supported by the alliance,
Traian Băsescu, won the presidential election. On February 2, 2007, Prime Minister
Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu requested Ungureanu's resignation because Ungureanu had failed to inform the government about the detention of two Romanian workers by
coalition forces in
Iraq. On February 4, Ungureanu confirmed his resignation, Popescu-Tăriceanu said that Ungureanu would continue to act as foreign minister until the swearing in of a successor. On March 12, President
Traian Băsescu signed a decree removing Ungureanu from his position.
Foreign Information Service tenure On November 27, 2007, Băsescu nominated Ungureanu to head the
Foreign Information Service (SIE), the directorship of which had been vacant since
Claudiu Săftoiu's March 19 resignation, related to the same scandal in Iraq. A joint session of Parliament confirmed Ungureanu in his new position on December 5, with 295 of 318 MPs present voting in favour.
Prime minister On February 6, 2012, Ungureanu was given a mandate by President
Traian Băsescu to form a new government, which the Romanian parliament approved on February 9, 2012. Ungureanu vowed to continue reforms and promote Romania's economic and political stability amid the country's political crisis. As prime minister, Ungureanu had become the
Democratic Liberal Party's probable candidate for the presidency when Băsescu's term expired in 2014, senior party members said, a move echoing
Russia's President
Boris Yeltsin's choice and promotion of
Vladimir Putin. After two and a half months, Ungureanu's cabinet failed to pass a no-confidence vote introduced by the
Social Liberal Union. Opposition leader
Victor Ponta on 7 May 2012 replaced him as prime minister.
After prime ministership in July 2012 The political activity of Ungureanu after the premiership was intensive. In July 2012, he founded the non-governmental organization of
Center-Right Civic Initiative (ICCD), together with PDL leaders
Cristian Preda and
Monica Macovei. He spoke about a political and electoral forces, without PNL. The alliance was founded in late August 2012 and include
Democratic Liberal Party (PDL),
Christian Democratic National Peasants' Party (PNȚCD),
New Republic Party and
Center-Right Civic Initiative. On 31 August, Ungureanu joined
Civic Force (FC).
Civic Force leadership Ungureanu was elected the Head of the party during The Civic Force party congress in September 2012. Civic Force Party (PFC) became the "electoral vehicle" of ICCD and replaced the ONG in
Right Romania Alliance (ARD) membership. After the election, Ungureanu started a European tournee for the accession of PFC to
European People's Party (EPP). On 11 September, he met with the Italian deputy and member of
The People of Freedom (PdL), Claudio Scajola, the Mayor of Rome and
Giovanni Battista Re, secretary of
Holy See. They welcomed the formation of "an alliance of right in the opposition of left attacks". Ungureanu reorganized the party, founding new branches of the PFC around the country. He has held discussions with the former Italian Prime Minister,
Silvio Berlusconi, the President of EPP,
Wilfried Martens, the Secretary-General of PdL,
Angelino Alfano, the Secretary-General of Union for a Popular Movement,
Jean-François Copé, and the leader of
EPP europarliamentary group,
Joseph Daul on the accession of Civic Force at EPP. According to him, the accession folder of the party was accepted and FC started the accession process. Ungureanu won a seat in the
Senate on ARD's party list in the 2012 elections. ==Personal life==