George Pruteanu

George Mihail Pruteanu (December 15, 1947 — March 27, 2008) was a Romanian literary critic, university professor, and politician.

His father, Paul Pruteanu, was a medical doctor and a university professor who researched the history of Moldavian medicine. His mother, Sofia Pruteanu, was an office worker. Born in Bucharest, George Pruteanu studied literature at the Universities of Iaşi and Bucharest and, starting in 1972, he wrote various columns for literary magazines such as "Convorbiri Literare", "Contemporanul", and "Cronica".

After the 1989 Revolution, he continued his work as journalist for newspapers such as "Expres" and "Evenimentul Zilei".

Between 1995 and 1999, he was also the host of a 5-minute daily TV programme on correct usage of the Romanian language ("Doar o vorbă săţ-i mai spun", a title containing a deliberate, provocative mistake), which was broadcast first by Tele 7 ABC (1995), then ProTV (1995-1996), TVR1 (1997-1999) and again TVR1 (2006-).

In 1996, he was elected to the Romanian Senate as a Constanţa County Senator on a National Peasants' Party ticket, but resigned in 1998 and in 2000 he was elected once again, this time in Bistriţa-Năsăud County as a member of the Social Democratic Party (PSD). In 2003, he resigned from PSD and joined the Greater Romania Party, running for the Senate in Suceava County in 2004.

Pruteanu introduced a bill in 1997, which became known as the "Pruteanu Bill", requiring all public notices (including ads) in foreign languages to have Romanian translations. A trimmed-down version of this bill was promulgated by President Ion Iliescu in 2004.

Pruteanu was also critical of the Romanian entertainment industry, especially of low-quality TV programmes and manele, which he calls "intellectual manure".

He died after suffering a heart attack on 27 March 2008.

Works

*"Petru Dumitriu: Pactul cu diavolul" (1995)
*"Partidul şi partida – atitudini politice" (2000)
*"Cronica unei mari dezamăgiri – O istorie mediatică" (2000)
*"Feldeinţa călinesciană – studiu monografic" (2001);
*"Elemente esenţiale de tehnică mediatică" (2002)
* translation of Dante's "The Divine Comedy" into Romanian

References

* [http://www.pruteanu.ro/105aprecieri.htm Literary critics about George Pruteanu]
* Adevărul, 19 November 2004. [http://www.9am.ro/revistapresei/Politica/457/Legea-Pruteanu-intra-in-vigoare-la-17-decembrie Legea "Pruteanu" intra in vigoare la 17 decembrie]
* Gardianul, 27 September 2003. [http://www.gardianul.ro/2006/04/11/politica-c7/george_pruteanu_pentru_ca_tin_cu_lefegiii_m_am_inscris_in_partidul_romania_mare-s26245.html George Pruteanu: Pentru ca tin cu lefegiii, m-am inscris in Partidul Romania Mare]
* Ziarul Tricolorul, 19 November 2004. [http://www.ziarultricolorul.ro/?module=displaystory&story_id=7767&edition_id=202&format=html Echipa lui Vadim - George Pruteanu]
* [http://www.pruteanu.ro/102curriculum+.htm Curriculum Vitae on his personal site] (accessed 6 December 2005)

External links

* [http://www.pruteanu.ro/ pruteanu.ro: George Pruteanu's official site] (includes his [http://www.pruteanu.ro/Dante/3CopertaDante-ind.htm translation of "The Divine Comedy"] )