Radu Marinescu cites the University of Craiova investigation into the plagiarism allegations

Radu Marinescu, nominated for the position of justice minister in the government of Luca Niculescu, was asked in Parliament on Tuesday about the plagiarism allegations concerning his doctoral thesis. He replied that the matter was “under investigation” and would be clarified “strictly from an academic perspective,” citing an earlier statement by Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan.

Marinescu said he meets all the legal and ethical requirements for holding the position and that the allegations do not affect his ability to serve as minister. He cited the fact that the thesis was defended nearly 20 years ago, under the academic rules in force at the time.

The investigation was opened by the Ethics Committee of the University of Craiova on January 16, 2026, following two complaints received on January 13 and 14. The inquiry has been ongoing for approximately nine months, making it the institution’s longest investigation of its kind, and the university has not yet published a report.

The allegations were made in a PressOne investigation. According to it, 140 of the 247 pages of the thesis defended in 2009 allegedly contain passages copied without citing the sources. During the parliamentary hearing, PNL MP Ciprian Dobre asked Marinescu to clarify the impact of the allegations on his reputation and his candidacy for the Ministry of Justice.