Costin Murgescu
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Costin Ion Murgescu (, birth name Constantin Ion Murgescu;Vasile (2018), p. 586 October 27, 1919 – August 30, 1989) was a Romanian economist, jurist, journalist and diplomat. A supporter of
fascism Fascism ( ) is a far-right, authoritarian, and ultranationalist political ideology and movement. It is characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural social hie ...
during his youth, he switched to
communism Communism () is a political sociology, sociopolitical, political philosophy, philosophical, and economic ideology, economic ideology within the history of socialism, socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a ...
by the end of World War II, and became an editor of the Communist Party daily organ, ''
România Liberă Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to the east, and the Black Sea t ...
''. He taught at the
University of Bucharest The University of Bucharest (UB) () is a public university, public research university in Bucharest, Romania. It was founded in its current form on by a decree of Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza to convert the former Princely Academy of Bucharest, P ...
and worked for the Institute of Economic Conjecture. Having campaigned for
multilateralism In international relations, multilateralism refers to an alliance of multiple countries pursuing a common goal. Multilateralism is based on the principles of inclusivity, equality, and cooperation, and aims to foster a more peaceful, prosperous, an ...
in world affairs as early as 1944, he helped to distance Romania from the
Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
after 1964, and later represented his country at the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
. He wrote extensively, publishing works on the effects of
land reform Land reform (also known as agrarian reform) involves the changing of laws, regulations, or customs regarding land ownership, land use, and land transfers. The reforms may be initiated by governments, by interested groups, or by revolution. Lan ...
and
industrialization Industrialisation (British English, UK) American and British English spelling differences, or industrialization (American English, US) is the period of social and economic change that transforms a human group from an agrarian society into an i ...
, on the history of economic thought, and on Romania's relations with the
Comecon The Council for Mutual Economic Assistance, often abbreviated as Comecon ( ) or CMEA, was an economic organization from 1949 to 1991 under the leadership of the Soviet Union that comprised the countries of the Eastern Bloc#List of states, Easter ...
and the
First World The concept of the First World was originally one of the " Three Worlds" formed by the global political landscape of the Cold War, as it grouped together those countries that were aligned with the Western Bloc of the United States. This groupin ...
. An innovator among the Romanian communist intellectual and professional elite, Murgescu spent his final decades questioning the assumptions of
Marxian economics Marxian economics, or the Marxian school of economics, is a heterodox school of political economic thought. Its foundations can be traced back to Karl Marx's critique of political economy. However, unlike critics of political economy, Marxian ...
. At the Institute for World Economy, which later became a branch of the
Romanian Academy The Romanian Academy ( ) is a cultural forum founded in Bucharest, Romania, in 1866. It covers the scientific, artistic and literary domains. The academy has 181 active members who are elected for life. According to its bylaws, the academy's ma ...
, he trained a new generation of like-minded economists. Shortly before his death, he was involved in dissidence against the
Nicolae Ceaușescu Nicolae Ceaușescu ( ; ;  – 25 December 1989) was a Romanian politician who was the second and last Communism, communist leader of Socialist Romania, Romania, serving as the general secretary of the Romanian Communist Party from 1965 u ...
regime. Although he did not live long enough to witness the 1989 Revolution, he played an indirect part in shaping the economic policies to which the country turned in post-communism. The estranged son of Lieutenant Colonel Murgescu, a convicted war criminal, Costin Murgescu was married to Ecaterina Oproiu, a Romanian writer and social commentator. He was survived by his nephew and disciple, historian Bogdan Murgescu.


Biography


Early life and fascist militancy

Born in
Râmnicu Sărat Râmnicu Sărat (also spelled ''Rîmnicu Sărat'', , or ''Rebnick''; ) is a municipiu, city in Buzău County, Romania, in the historical region of Muntenia. It was first attested in a document of 1439, and raised to the rank of ''municipiu'' in ...
,Laurențiu Guțescu, Ion Bold, Marius Băcescu, ''Oameni de seamă: economiști''. Editura Mica Valahie, 2013, , pp. 365–366''Costin Murgescu''
at the Bank Deposit Guarantee Fund site
the future economist was the son of a
Romanian Land Forces The Romanian Land Forces () is the army of Romania, and the main component of the Romanian Armed Forces. Since 2007, full professionalization and a major equipment overhaul have transformed the nature of the Land Forces. The Romanian Land Force ...
officer, Ion C. Murgescu. Young Murgescu was originally interested in jurisprudence, and entered the law faculty of the University of Bucharest. His beginnings were as a literary critic, with an essay on the literary and artistic life of
Balcic Balchik ( ; , ) is a List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, town and seaside resort on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast in the Southern Dobruja area of northeastern Bulgaria. It is in Dobrich Province, 35 km southeast of Dobrich and 42 km no ...
. It was picked up by the magazine '' Familia'', and deemed "interesting, but insufficient" by chroniclers at ''
Revista Fundațiilor Regale ''Revista Fundațiilor Regale'' ("The Review of Royal Foundations") was a monthly literary, art and culture magazine published in Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and ...
''. Aged nineteen, Murgescu wrote a historical work, about the trial of the
Transylvanian Memorandum The ''Transylvanian Memorandum'' () was a petition sent in 1892 by the leaders of the Romanians of Transylvania to the Austro-Hungarian Emperor-King Franz Joseph, asking for equal ethnic rights with the Hungarians, and demanding an end to perse ...
signatories.Isărescu, p. 32 Around that time, he was also a staff writer for the
Oradea Oradea (, , ; ; ) is a city in Romania, located in the Crișana region. It serves as the administrative county seat, seat of Bihor County and an economic, social, and cultural hub in northwestern Romania. The city lies between rolling hills on ...
literary newspaper, ''Noua Gazetă de Vest'', where he conducted a questionnaire survey on the state of cultural life in the provinces of
Greater Romania Greater Romania () is the Kingdom of Romania in the interwar period, achieved after the Great Union or the related pan-nationalist ideal of a nation-state which would incorporate all Romanian speakers.Irina LivezeanuCultural Politics in Greate ...
. During the first years of World War II, Murgescu was a supporter of the fascist
Iron Guard The Iron Guard () was a Romanian militant revolutionary nationalism, revolutionary Clerical fascism, religious fascist Political movement, movement and political party founded in 1927 by Corneliu Zelea Codreanu as the Legion of the Archangel M ...
and, in his own definition, a theoretician of "
totalitarian Totalitarianism is a political system and a form of government that prohibits opposition from political parties, disregards and outlaws the political claims of individual and group opposition to the state, and completely controls the public sph ...
" politics. He began a collaboration with the newspaper ''
Universul ''Universul'' was a mass-circulation newspaper in Romania. It existed from 1884 to 1953, and was run by Stelian Popescu from 1914 to 1943 (with a two-year break during World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 No ...
'', where, as later recounted by his colleague
Ștefan Baciu Ștefan Aurel Baciu (, ; October 29, 1918 – January 6, 1993) was a Romanian and Brazilian poet, novelist, publicist and academic who lived his later life in Hawaii. A precocious, award-winning, young author in interwar Romania, he was involved ...
, he was one of the three staff writers who showed up for work wearing the Guard's green-colored shirts. He was also allegedly involved in brawls at the university. These pitted him against students such as Dan Amedeo Lăzărescu, who had defaced portraits of the Guard's founding father,
Corneliu Zelea Codreanu Corneliu Zelea Codreanu (; 13 September 1899 – 30 November 1938), born Corneliu Zelinski and commonly known as Corneliu Codreanu, was a far-right Romanian politician, the founder and charismatic leader of the Iron Guard or ''The Legion of ...
. Starting in August 1940, a full month before the Guard proclaimed its National Legionary regime, Murgescu published a series of political musings in ''Universul'', as well as in periodicals such as ''
Buna Vestire ''Buna Vestire'' (English: "The Annunciation") was a far-right Romanian newspaper affiliated with, and later published by, the Iron Guard. It was published daily from 1937 to 1938, and again under the National Legionary State in 1940–1941. It ...
''. These were soon after collected as a brochure, ''Note pentru Statul Totalitar'' ("Notes on the Totalitarian State").
Constantin Fântâneru Constantin Fântâneru (January 1, 1907–March 21, 1975) was a Romanian poet, prose writer and literary critic. Born in Budișteni, Argeș County, his parents were Costache Fântâneru and Zoe (''née'' Cârstoiu), peasants. After attending ...
, "Cronica literară. Costin I. Murgescu, ''Note pentru Statul Totalitar''", in ''
Universul Literar ''Universul'' was a mass-circulation newspaper in Romania. It existed from 1884 to 1953, and was run by Stelian Popescu from 1914 to 1943 (with a two-year break during World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 Nov ...
'', Issue 45/1940, p. 2
The general conclusion of the work, partly based on direct quotations from ''
Mein Kampf (; ) is a 1925 Autobiography, autobiographical manifesto by Nazi Party leader Adolf Hitler. The book outlines many of Political views of Adolf Hitler, Hitler's political beliefs, his political ideology and future plans for Nazi Germany, Ge ...
'', was that totalitarianism, moving beyond authoritarian regimes and their "everyday ephemera", was centered on the promise of a "new man"—whose creation would both rehabilitate humanity and change history "for eternity".Nicolae Ciuceanu, "''Țara'' culturală. ''Note pentru Statul Totalitar''", in ''Țara'', December 16, 1941, p. 2 As a literary chronicler at ''Universul'',
Constantin Fântâneru Constantin Fântâneru (January 1, 1907–March 21, 1975) was a Romanian poet, prose writer and literary critic. Born in Budișteni, Argeș County, his parents were Costache Fântâneru and Zoe (''née'' Cârstoiu), peasants. After attending ...
saw in Murgescu "that model of an author who will win people over to a doctrine simply by outlining clearly its ideas." In the official newspaper ''Țara'', Nicolae Ciuceanu noted: "With this work, Mr Costin Murgescu has won himself a leading position in Romanian journalism, and this accomplishment is all the more important, given that the writer is presently just 24 years of age." The brochure quoted at length from the speeches of
Benito Mussolini Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who, upon assuming office as Prime Minister of Italy, Prime Minister, became the dictator of Fascist Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 un ...
and Iron Guard leader
Horia Sima Horia Sima (3 July 1906 – 25 May 1993) was a Romanian fascist politician, best known as the second and last leader of the fascist paramilitary movement known as the Iron Guard (also known as the Legion of the Archangel Michael). Sima was a ...
."Note", in ''Preocupări Literare. Revista Societății Prietenii Istoriei Literare'', Issue 11/1940, pp. 697–698 Envisaging the "new man" as "strong, lively, and immaculate", it called for a non-violent "moral revolution" to bring Romania into the "
New European Order The New European Order (NEO) was a neo-fascist, Europe-wide alliance set up in 1951 to promote pan-European nationalism. The NEO, led by René Binet and Gaston-Armand Amaudruz, was a more radical splinter group that broke away from the Europea ...
". It sought to rebuild culture around the Guard's "Legionary spirit", and promised artistic freedom "only to ethnic Romanians." In his ''Universul'' chronicles, Murgescu offered his praise to both Codreanu and the military ''
Conducător ''Conducător'' (, meaning 'Leader') was the title used officially by Romanian dictator Ion Antonescu during World War II, also occasionally used in official discourse to refer to Carol II and Nicolae Ceaușescu. History The word is derived from ...
'',
Ion Antonescu Ion Antonescu (; ; – 1 June 1946) was a Romanian military officer and Mareșal (Romania), marshal who presided over two successive Romania during World War II, wartime dictatorships as Prime Minister of Romania, Prime Minister and ''Conduc ...
. Moreover, he penned warnings against the Guard's enemies: "those who have martyred this People—no mercy for them. They should expect a terrible punishment." He still had contributions as a literary critic, such as a short introduction to
Japanese poetry Japanese poetry is poetry typical of Japan, or written, spoken, or chanted in the Japanese language, which includes Old Japanese, Early Middle Japanese, Late Middle Japanese, and Modern Japanese, as well as poetry in Japan which was written in th ...
. Murgescu remained active in the press after the Guard fell from power in the violent purge of early 1941. With Antonescu as the uncontested dictator, Romania became involved in the anti-Soviet war as an ally of
Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...
. Murgescu was drafted into the Romanian Land Forces, but continued to write (including an unpublished novel and war diary) and was allowed to pass his examinations at the university. With his journalistic work, he moved to the more mainstream review, '' Vremea'', where he contributed analytical essays about the war effort. In one such piece, on October 25, 1942, just before the crushing of Romanian forces, he predicted that the
Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...
was too exhausted and famished to mount an offensive. By 1943, his articles in ''Vremea'' and ''Revista Fundațiilor Regale'' were turning toward economics and
economic history Economic history is the study of history using methodological tools from economics or with a special attention to economic phenomena. Research is conducted using a combination of historical methods, statistical methods and the Applied economics ...
, citing
Victor Slăvescu Victor Slăvescu ( – 24 September 1977) was a Romanian economist and politician. He was a professor of economics at the Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies The Bucharest University of Economic Studies (, abbreviated ASE) is a public ...
as a model and inspiration. Murgescu's father, Ion, had "strong pro-Nazi sympathies"Balas, p. 336 and was a willing participant in Antonescu's war crimes. By September 1942, the elder Murgescu was the commandant of
Vapniarka Vapniarka (), also known as Vapniarca, Vapnyarka, Wapnjarka or Wapniarka, is a Populated places in Ukraine#Rural settlements, rural settlement in Tulchyn Raion, Vinnytsia Oblast, Ukraine, known since 1870 as a railroad station. Its name from the U ...
, a concentration camp for Jewish deportees, ordering them to be fed on
grass pea Grass pea is a common name for several plants, and may refer to: *''Lathyrus nissolia'' *''Lathyrus sativus ''Lathyrus sativus'', also known as grass pea, cicerchia, blue sweet pea, chickling pea, chickling vetch, Indian pea, white pea and white ...
, which caused an outbreak of
lathyrism Lathyrism is a condition caused by eating certain legumes of the genus ''Lathyrus''. There are three types of lathyrism: ''neurolathyrism'', ''osteolathyrism'', and ''angiolathyrism'', all of which are incurable, differing in their symptoms and ...
and resulted in several deaths and many more crippling infirmities."Maiorul Murgescu confruntat cu victimele din lagărul Vapniarca. 'Ați intrat sănătoși și veți ieși in cârje de aci' le spune maiorul Murgescu victimelor", in ''
Timpul ''Timpul'' (Romanian for "The Time") is a literary magazine published in Romania. Originally a political newspaper, it was the official platform of the Conservative Party between 1876 and 1914. The publication is still active (2018) and publish ...
'', April 5, 1945, p. 1


Communist turn and ''România Liberă''

In a 1987 article, L. Eșanu argues that Murgescu's participation in the left-wing resistance to Antonescu was already visible in January 1943, the alleged date at which the underground newspaper ''
România Liberă Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to the east, and the Black Sea t ...
'' had been set up. Eșanu includes Murgescu on a list of its founders. As noted by historian
Lucian Boia Lucian Boia (born 1 February 1944) is a Romanian historian. He is mostly known for his debunking of historical myths about Romania, for purging mainstream Romanian history of deformations arising from ideological propaganda, and as a fighter ag ...
, he had fully renounced his "juvenile totalitarian illusions" by January 1944, with Romania facing the possibility of a Soviet invasion. Finding himself in open conflict with his own father, Murgescu became a contributor to ''Ecoul'', the semi-legal newspaper. It published his essays against Antonescu's economic policies and the New Order, which argued, with a noted "
dialectical Dialectic (; ), also known as the dialectical method, refers originally to dialogue between people holding different points of view about a subject but wishing to arrive at the truth through reasoned argument. Dialectic resembles debate, but the c ...
" tinge, in favor of
multilateralism In international relations, multilateralism refers to an alliance of multiple countries pursuing a common goal. Multilateralism is based on the principles of inclusivity, equality, and cooperation, and aims to foster a more peaceful, prosperous, an ...
and an "international
division of labor The division of labour is the separation of the tasks in any economic system or organisation so that participants may specialise (Departmentalization, specialisation). Individuals, organisations, and nations are endowed with or acquire specialis ...
". His ''Vremea'' articles, arranged for print by the antifascist editor
George Ivașcu George Ivașcu (most common rendition of Gheorghe I. Ivașcu;"Partea I B: Dispozițiuni și publicațiuni care nu au caracter normativ: Deciziuni. Ministerul Informațiilor", in ''Monitorul Oficial'', Issue 112/1947, p. 3980 July 22, 1911 – ...
, looked forward to a new era of peace, shaped by
international cooperation In international relations, multilateralism refers to an alliance of multiple countries pursuing a common goal. Multilateralism is based on the principles of inclusivity, equality, and cooperation, and aims to foster a more peaceful, prosperous, an ...
. According to Boia, he may have been encouraged to explore the subject by the Propaganda Ministry, which was sending out signals that some dignitaries were willing to sue for peace. During or immediately after the August 23 Coup which toppled Antonescu, Murgescu involved himself with left-wing political circles, including the
Romanian Communist Party The Romanian Communist Party ( ; PCR) was a communist party in Romania. The successor to the pro-Bolshevik wing of the Socialist Party of Romania, it gave an ideological endorsement to a communist revolution that would replace the social system ...
(PCR) and the Union of Patriots. The latter's newspaper, ''Tribuna Poporului'', had him as an economic columnist from its first issue, on October 16. As a display of his loyalty to the new regime, he volunteered for war against the Nazis, fought in
Northern Transylvania Northern Transylvania (, ) was the region of the Kingdom of Romania that during World War II, as a consequence of the August 1940 territorial agreement known as the Second Vienna Award, became part of the Kingdom of Hungary (1920-1946), Kingdom ...
, and was badly wounded. Virgil Lazăr
"RL, 135 de ani. Prima femeie la cârma ''României Libere''"
in ''
România Liberă Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to the east, and the Black Sea t ...
'', March 6, 2012
He was a personal witness to the recapture of
Târgu Mureș Târgu Mureș (, ; ; German language, German: ''Neumarkt am Mieresch'') is the seat of Mureș County in the historical region of Transylvania, Romania. It is the list of cities and towns in Romania, 16th-largest city in Romania, with 116,033 ...
in October 1944, writing a ''România Liberă'' reportage on this subject. His piece on the taking on
Cluj Cluj-Napoca ( ; ), or simply Cluj ( , ), is a city in northwestern Romania. It is the second-most populous city in the country and the seat of Cluj County. Geographically, it is roughly equidistant from Bucharest (), Budapest () and Belgrade ( ...
appeared in 1945, as part of a reportage collection curated by architect George Matei Cantacuzino. From 1944 to 1952, that is to say during the early stages of the Romanian communist regime, Murgescu was editor of ''România Liberă'', which had been taken over by the PCR. In this capacity, Murgescu, who generally used the pen name "V. Borcea", helped organize a bureau of national and international correspondents, as well as its
agitprop Agitprop (; from , portmanteau of ''agitatsiya'', "agitation" and ''propaganda'', "propaganda") refers to an intentional, vigorous promulgation of ideas. The term originated in the Soviet Union where it referred to popular media, such as literatu ...
section. Virgil Lazăr
"Planul Valev, făcut praf de ''România Liberă''"
in ''
România Liberă Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to the east, and the Black Sea t ...
'', February 3, 2011
He contributed various articles on national affairs and international relations, praising the 1945 visit to Moscow of the PCR
Minister of Transport A ministry of transport or transportation is a ministry responsible for transportation within a country. It usually is administered by the ''minister for transport''. The term is also sometimes applied to the departments or other government a ...
Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej (; 8 November 1901 – 19 March 1965) was a Romanian politician. He was the first Socialist Republic of Romania, Communist leader of Romania from 1947 to 1965, serving as first secretary of the Romanian Communist Party ...
as "a momentous start" in Soviet–Romanian relations. His own far-right engagement in the 1930s was the object of scrutiny by ''
Dreptatea ''Dreptatea'' was a Romanian newspaper that appeared between 17 October 1927 and 17 July 1947, as a newspaper of the National Peasants' Party. It was re-founded on February 5, 1990, as a publication of the Christian-Democratic National Peasants' ...
'' daily put out by the opposition
National Peasants' Party The National Peasants' Party (also known as the National Peasant Party or National Farmers' Party; , or ''Partidul Național-Țărănist'', PNȚ) was an Agrarianism, agrarian political party in the Kingdom of Romania. It was formed in 1926 throu ...
. In April 1946 its correspondent, George Păun, listed Murgescu, George Macovescu and
Dumitru Corbea Dumitru Corbea (born Dumitru Cobzaru; September 6, 1910 – March 26, 2002) was a Romanian poet and prose writer. Born in Sârbi, Botoșani County, his parents Dumitru Cobzaru and Ecaterina (''née'' Filipescu) were peasants. After completing ...
as communist propagandists who had previously served the fascist cause. In late 1945, Murgescu was employed by the communized Propaganda Ministry and the ''
Siguranța ''Siguranța'' was the generic name for the successive secret police services in the Kingdom of Romania. The official title of the organization changed throughout its history, with names including Directorate of the Police and General Safety () ...
'' detectives, the latter of whom vetted him as a regime loyalist, noting his friendship with PCR activists such as Simion Oeriu and Grigore Preoteasa. Invited by the Fatherland Front in neighboring
Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...
, Murgescu witnessed first-hand the Bulgarian legislative elections on October 27, 1946; he was part of a journalists' delegation that also comprised
Aurel Baranga Aurel Baranga (born Aurel Leibovici; June 20, 1913 – June 10, 1979) was a Romanian playwright and poet. Born into a Jewish family in Bucharest, his parents were company clerk Jean Leibovici and his wife Paulina. He graduated from Matei Basa ...
,
Paul Georgescu Paul Georgescu (; November 7, 1923 – October 15, 1989) was a Romanian literary critic, journalist, fiction writer and Communism, communist political figure. Remembered as both a main participant in the imposition of Socialist Realism in its Soc ...
,
Ștefan Tita Ștefan Tita (born Teodor Solomon; 14 August 1905 – 1 September 1977) was a Romanian left-wing activist and writer in multiple genres. He had his poetic debut as a teenager in 1919, after which he became noted first for his pacifist prose, and ...
, and Gheorghe Zaharia. Ahead of Romania's own elections in November, Murgescu played down Peasantist concerns about vote-rigging and intimidation, and declared such claims to be part of a ploy against the leftist parties in government. His statements were polemically reviewed by ''Dreptatea'', which introduced him as ''bine cunoscutul legionar'' ("that notorious Guardist"). He was also a prominent contributor to the communist literary magazine, ''
Contemporanul ''Contemporanul'' (''The Contemporary'') was a Romanian literary magazine published in Iaşi, Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukrain ...
'', where he praised the party for its "consolidation of democracy". His first theoretical work appeared in 1947, outlining his belief that the new economic regime would be based on the development of
heavy industry Heavy industry is an industry that involves one or more characteristics such as large and heavy products; large and heavy equipment and facilities (such as heavy equipment, large machine tools, huge buildings and large-scale infrastructure); o ...
. In August 1948, ''Veac Nou'' magazine, put out by the
Romanian Society for Friendship with the Soviet Union Romanian may refer to: *anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania **Romanians, an ethnic group **Romanian language, a Romance language ***Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language **Romanian cuisine, traditional ...
, featured his article on Soviet–Romanian economic cooperation, rendering his belief that Soviet backing was crucial for both Romania's industrial development and her consolidation as a " people's democracy". Around 1950, Murgescu married Ecaterina Oproiu, a fellow ''România Liberă'' journalist who went on to establish the official film magazine, ''Cinema''. She later achieved fame in her own right, as Romania's first-ever television critic and a promoter of
socialist feminism Socialist feminism rose in the 1960s and 1970s as an offshoot of the feminist movement and New Left that focuses upon the interconnectivity of the patriarchy and capitalism. However, the ways in which women's private, domestic, and public roles ...
. Following the country's change of orientation, Murgescu's father had found himself arrested, and appeared before the
Romanian People's Tribunals The two Romanian People's Tribunals (), the Bucharest People's Tribunal and the Northern Transylvania People's Tribunal (which sat in Cluj) were set up by the post-World War II government of Romania, overseen by the Allied Control Commission to try ...
in April 1945. He was initially sentenced to death, and some authors believe that he was executed. However, his sentence was commuted to life imprisonment with hard labor on June 1, 1945. Passing through the notorious
Aiud prison Aiud Prison is a prison complex in Aiud, Alba County, located in central Transylvania, Romania. It is infamous for the treatment of its political inmates, especially during World War II under the rule of Ion Antonescu, and later under the Communi ...
, he may have still been alive during the mid-1950s.


ICE research

Expelled from ''România Liberă'' following an inquiry into his social origins, and having to explain his attitude toward his father the war criminal,Vasile (2018), p. 587 Murgescu focused entirely on his work in economics. From 1953 to 1956, he was a scientific researcher in the
political economy Political or comparative economy is a branch of political science and economics studying economic systems (e.g. Marketplace, markets and national economies) and their governance by political systems (e.g. law, institutions, and government). Wi ...
department of the University of Bucharest. He later joined the team of economists and statisticians at the Institute of Economic Conjecture (ICE), located in
Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...
. This institution was headed by
Gogu Rădulescu Gheorghe "Gogu" Rădulescu (5 September 191424 May 1991) was a Romanian journalist, economist, and high-ranking figure of the Socialist Republic of Romania, communist regime. Of mixed Romani people in Romania, Romani and Russian heritage, he be ...
, a disgraced and sidelined PCR activist. Rădulescu appointed Murgescu head of the National Economy Section, and deputy ICE Director. At the time, the ICE also offered employment to the formerly repressed scholar
Gheorghe Zane Gheorghe Zane (April 11, 1897 – May 22, 1978) was a Romanian economist and historian. Born in Galați, he attended Vasile Alecsandri National College before enrolling in the law faculty of the University of Iași. He graduated from that instit ...
, who was protected by the PCR eminence
Alexandru Bârlădeanu Alexandru Bârlădeanu (or ''Bîrlădeanu''; 25 January 1911 – 13 November 1997) was a Romanian Marxian economist and statesman who was prominent during the communist regime until being sidelined in 1968. In his later years, following the col ...
and who, as Murgescu put it, was thus allowed to continue his interwar research, with input from "dialectical materialism".
Virgil Cândea Publius Vergilius Maro (; 15 October 70 BC21 September 19 BC), usually called Virgil or Vergil ( ) in English, was an ancient Roman poet of the Augustan period. He composed three of the most famous poems in Latin literature: the ''Eclogues'' ( ...
, "G. Zane, de la economie la istorie", in ''
Flacăra ''Flacăra'' (Romanian for "The Flame") is a weekly literary magazine published in Bucharest, Romania. History and profile ''Flacăra'' was started in 1911. The first issue was published on 22 October 1911. The founder was Constantin Banu and t ...
'', Issue 36/1980, p. 20
Murgescu himself was assigned to work on an economic overview of the 1945 land reform, which he published in 1956 at
Editura Academiei The Romanian Academy ( ) is a cultural forum founded in Bucharest, Romania, in 1866. It covers the scientific, artistic and literary domains. The academy has 181 active members who are elected for life. According to its bylaws, the academy's mai ...
. Writing at the time, Marxist philosopher
Ernő Gáll Ernő or Erno is a Finnish and Hungarian masculine given name. Notable people with the name include: * Ernő Balogh (1897-1989), Hungarian pianist, composer, editor, and educator * Ernő Bánk (1883-1962), Hungarian painter and teacher * Ernő B ...
suggested that Murgescu's tract offered "rich and convincing material" about the pauperization of Romania's peasant class before and during World War II. As noted in 2009 by scholars Dorin Dobrincu and Constantin Iordachi, the study, written "during the
Stalinist Stalinism (, ) is the totalitarian means of governing and Marxist–Leninist policies implemented in the Soviet Union (USSR) from 1927 to 1953 by dictator Joseph Stalin and in Soviet satellite states between 1944 and 1953. Stalinism in ...
years", has "limited analytical value", but still stands out as the only land reform monograph in "domestic historical writing" under communism. As noted by historian Cristian Vasile, Murgescu's work was politicized, and presented praise of Gheorghiu-Dej, now the regime leader, voiced in terms similar to his earlier panegyrics for Codreanu. In his private conversations with a colleague, G. Iosub, he "complain dthat the executive power never took his forecasts into account, that no minister would even glance over them." By the end of the 1950s, with a slight relaxation of communist censorship, he tried to promote a reevaluation of interwar Romanian sociology, and organized at the ICE work-groups that were basing themselves on
Dimitrie Gusti Dimitrie Gusti (; 13 February 1880 – 30 October 1955) was a Romanian sociologist, ethnologist, historian, and voluntarist philosopher; a professor at the University of Iași and the University of Bucharest, he served as Romania's Minister ...
's sociological research teams. Iulia Popovici,
Zoltán Rostás Zoltán () is a Hungarian masculine given name. The name days for this name are 8 March and 23 June in Hungary, and 7 April in Slovakia. "Zoli" is the short version of Zoltán. "Zoli" is commonly used. Zoltána is the feminine version. The name i ...

"Gusti nu era anticomunist, nici antilegionar. Era prevăzător" (I)
in ''
Observator Cultural ''Observator Cultural'' (meaning "The Cultural Observer" in English) is a weekly literary magazine based in Bucharest, Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast ...
'', Issue 520, April 2010
These rural expeditions, recounted by Murgescu's articles in ''Contemporanul'' (August 1957), allowed for a discussion of
collectivization Collective farming and communal farming are various types of "agricultural production in which multiple farmers run their holdings as a joint enterprise". There are two broad types of communal farms: agricultural cooperatives, in which member- ...
, which they presented as a relevant success (particularly so in the model regions of
Constanța Constanța (, , ) is a city in the Dobruja Historical regions of Romania, historical region of Romania. A port city, it is the capital of Constanța County and the country's Cities in Romania, fourth largest city and principal port on the Black ...
and
Hunedoara Hunedoara (; ; ) is a municipiu, city in Hunedoara County, Transylvania, Romania. It is located in southwestern Transylvania near the Poiana Ruscă Mountains, and administers five villages: Boș (''Bós''), Groș (''Grós''), Hășdat (''Hosdát ...
). Also in ''Contemporanul'', Murgescu published an essay that sought to rehabilitate Gusti, but his effort was smothered by the Communist Party in 1959. At the ICE in 1958, he came into conflict with his superior
Miron Constantinescu Miron Constantinescu (13 December 1917 – 18 July 1974) was a Romanian communist politician, a leading member of the Romanian Communist Party (PCR, known as PMR for a period of his lifetime), as well as a Marxist sociologist, historian, academic ...
, and was afterward demoted to department head. According to fellow economist
Egon Balas Egon Balas (June 7, 1922 in Cluj, Romania – March 18, 2019) was an applied mathematician and a professor of industrial administration and applied mathematics at Carnegie Mellon University. He was the Thomas Lord Professor of Operations Research ...
, Murgescu was also able to use political censorship for his own gains, "manufacturing a conflict" with Constantinescu, who was a somewhat dissenting communist, and obtaining his ousting. As a result of this intrigue, Murgescu became sole editor of the ICE academic journal, ''Revista Economică'', in 1958. He also resumed his position as second director, but was placed under tight surveillance by
Securitate The Department of State Security (), commonly known as the Securitate (, ), was the secret police agency of the Socialist Republic of Romania. It was founded on 30 August 1948 from the '' Siguranța'' with help and direction from the Soviet MG ...
agents in 1959; according to Vasile, he was most likely recruited as a Securitate informant (code name "Barbu Rîmniceanu"), and tasked with reporting on the activities of former fascists such as Bucur Țincu and Ion Veverca. His position at the Institute mirrored that of Ion Rachmuth—an unusual situation in which a former Guardist and a Jewish man, once exposed to racial persecution, had to report to each other on a daily basis. Making occasional returns to the field of Marxist economic history, Murgescu wrote propaganda works, accusing the deposed
Romanian royal family The Romanian royal family () constitutes the Romanian subbranch of the Swabian branch of the House of Hohenzollern (also known as the ''House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen''), and was the ruling dynasty of the Kingdom of Romania, a constitutional ...
, and in particular
Carol II Carol II (4 April 1953) was King of Romania from 8 June 1930, until his forced abdication on 6 September 1940. As the eldest son of Ferdinand I of Romania, King Ferdinand I, he became crown prince upon the death of his grand-uncle, King Carol I, ...
, of having organized a "plunder" of Romanian assets. In 1960, the anticommunist
Romanian diaspora The Romanian diaspora is the Romanians, ethnically Romanian population outside Romania and Moldova. The concept does not usually include the ethnic Romanians who live as natives in nearby states, chiefly those Romanians who live in Ukraine, Hun ...
stood accused by the communists of covering up for fascism. In reply, the Paris-based magazine ''La Nation Roumaine'' published ample revelations about the fascist past of Murgescu,
Mihai Ralea Mihai Dumitru Ralea (also known as Mihail Ralea, Michel Raléa, or Mihai Rale;Straje, p. 586 May 1, 1896 – August 17, 1964) was a Romanian social scientist, cultural journalist, and political figure. He debuted as an affiliate of Poporanism, th ...
,
Mihu Dragomir Mihu Dragomir (pen name of Mihail Constantin Dragomirescu; April 24, 1919 – April 9, 1964) was a Romanian poet, prose writer and translator. A native of Brăila on the Bărăgan Plain, he was heavily influenced by the worldview of an older novel ...
, and various other figures of the new regime. Also in 1960, Murgescu and N. N. Constantinescu were editors of a major economic history tract, ''Contribuții la istoria capitalului străin în Romînia'' ("Contributions to the History of Foreign Capital in Romania"). This work, also put out by Editura Academiei, was revisited some 20 years later by historian Vasile Bogza, who noted that, despite some flawed interpretations, it remained one of the "thorough studies" in the field. A University of Bucharest professor, Murgescu was received as a corresponding member of the
Romanian Academy The Romanian Academy ( ) is a cultural forum founded in Bucharest, Romania, in 1866. It covers the scientific, artistic and literary domains. The academy has 181 active members who are elected for life. According to its bylaws, the academy's ma ...
in 1963, earning a doctorate in economics from the
Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies The Bucharest University of Economic Studies (, abbreviated ASE) is a public university in Bucharest, Romania. Founded in 1913 as the ''Academy of Higher-level Commercial and Industrial Studies'' (''Academia de Înalte Studii Comerciale și Indu ...
in 1964.Isărescu, p. 33 He also served the
Institute of South-East European Studies An institute is an organizational body created for a certain purpose. They are often research organisations (research institutes) created to do research on specific topics, or can also be a professional body. In some countries, institutes ca ...
as an academic supervisor for its ''Revue des Études Sud-est Européenes''.


National communism

By 1963, Murgescu was called upon by the regime to inform the world about Romania's economic ideology, which was increasingly de-satellized, and altogether different from Soviet policies. That year, he denounced the
Comecon The Council for Mutual Economic Assistance, often abbreviated as Comecon ( ) or CMEA, was an economic organization from 1949 to 1991 under the leadership of the Soviet Union that comprised the countries of the Eastern Bloc#List of states, Easter ...
's "pseudo-theories" on industrialization, which seemed to offer Romania a subservient economic position within the common market. In 1964, the PCR leadership called upon Murgescu to publish an even more virulent official reply against the Soviets and the Comecon. By advancing a " Valev Plan", the Soviets had suggested that Romania become an agricultural
hinterland Hinterland is a German word meaning the 'land behind' a city, a port, or similar. Its use in English was first documented by the geographer George Chisholm in his ''Handbook of Commercial Geography'' (1888). Originally the term was associated wi ...
for the more industrialized socialist countries. Murgescu's selection by the regime was an implicit recognition of his scholarly authority;Vasile (2018), p. 595 his critique of the Valev proposal also announced a new political stage, of
national communism National communism is a term describing various forms in which Marxism–Leninism and socialism has been adopted and/or implemented by leaders in different countries using aspects of nationalism or national identity to form a policy independent ...
. Cristian Vasile
"Cartea nevrozelor"
in ''
Revista 22 ''Revista 22'' (''22 Magazine'') is a Romanian weekly magazine, issued by the Group for Social Dialogue and focused mainly on politics and culture. History and profile ''Revista 22'' was started in 1990. The first edition of the magazine was prin ...
'', Issue 1183, November 2012
His articles called for a reform of the Comecon, and, defying the
Sino-Soviet split The Sino-Soviet split was the gradual worsening of relations between the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) during the Cold War. This was primarily caused by divergences that arose from their ...
, suggested the accession of China. With the inauguration of
Nicolae Ceaușescu Nicolae Ceaușescu ( ; ;  – 25 December 1989) was a Romanian politician who was the second and last Communism, communist leader of Socialist Romania, Romania, serving as the general secretary of the Romanian Communist Party from 1965 u ...
as Party Secretary, and later
President of Romania The president of Romania () is the head of state of Romania. The president is directly elected by a two-round system, and, following a modification to the Romanian Constitution in 2003, serves for five years. An individual may serve two ter ...
, Murgescu had more opportunities to expand on his economic theories. Serving only as ICE department head from 1965, he continued to edit ''Revista Economică'' to 1968, then ''Revista Română de Relații Internaționale'' (from 1968 to 1970). In parallel, he was taken on as an adviser by
Ion Gheorghe Maurer Ion Gheorghe Maurer (; 23 September 1902 – 8 February 2000) was a Romanian communist politician and lawyer, and the 49th Prime Minister of Romania. He is the longest serving Prime Minister in the history of Romania (having served for 12 ...
, who was serving as
President of the Council of Ministers The president of the Council of Ministers (sometimes titled chairman of the Council of Ministers) is the most senior member of the cabinet in the executive branch of government in some countries. Some presidents of the Council of Ministers are ...
. In 1967, he declared his new interest in exploring "national specificity", commending the old-regime intellectuals Zane and
Petru Comarnescu __NOTOC__ Petru Comarnescu (23 November 1905 – 27 November 1970) was a Romanian literary and art critic and translator. Born in Iași into a family that was related to the metropolitan bishop , he studied law at the University of Bucharest (degr ...
for their work in that field. He also partook in the effort to reassess
Mihail Manoilescu Mihail Manoilescu (; December 9, 1891 – December 30, 1950) was a Romanian journalist, engineer, economist, politician and memoirist, who served as Foreign Minister of Romania during the summer of 1940. An active promoter of and contributor to ...
as the interwar doctrinaire of
economic nationalism Economic nationalism or nationalist economics is an ideology that prioritizes state intervention in the economy, including policies like domestic control and the use of tariffs and restrictions on labor, goods, and capital movement. The core bel ...
, and is regarded by economist Dan Popescu as Manoilescu's intellectual heir. From June 1969, he had a Tuesday evening show on Radio Romania, as part of the series ''Tableta de Seară'', which also featured, among others, actor
Radu Beligan Radu Beligan (; 14 December 1918 – 20 July 2016) was a Romanian actor, director, and essayist, with an activity of over 70 years in theatre, film, television, and radio. On 15 December 2013, confirmed by Guinness World Records, the actor receiv ...
, mathematician
Grigore Moisil Grigore Constantin Moisil (; 10 January 1906 – 21 May 1973) was a Romanian mathematician, computer pioneer, and list of members of the Romanian Academy, titular member of the Romanian Academy. His research was mainly in the fields of mathemati ...
, writer
Marin Sorescu Marin Sorescu (; 29 February 1936 – 8 December 1996) was a Romanian poet, playwright, and novelist. His works were translated into more than 20 countries, and the total number of his books that were published abroad rises up to 60 books. He h ...
, and literary scholar Edgar Papu. Murgescu moved from ICE to the Institute for World Economy (IEM), where he worked from 1970 until his death, and was for a while its director. In 1976, he was elected vice president of the International Marketing Federation. The Romanian position regarding the Comecon was given expression in a 1969 tract ''România socialistă și cooperarea internațională'' ("Socialist Romania and International Cooperation"), which came out at Editura Politică with Murgescu,
Mircea Malița Mircea is a Romanian masculine given name, a form of the South Slavic name Mirče (Мирче) that derives from the Slavic word ''mir'', meaning 'peace'. It may refer to: People Princes of Wallachia * Mircea I of Wallachia (1355–1418), ...
and Gheorghe Surpat as the three authors. In 1971, the same venue put out Murgescu's tract on team management within the socialist economy, which he theorized as a function of
democratic centralism Democratic centralism is the organisational principle of most communist parties, in which decisions are made by a process of vigorous and open debate amongst party membership, and are subsequently binding upon all members of the party. The co ...
. In 1974, he published, at Editura Meridiane, the French-language introduction ''L'economie socialiste en Roumanie'' ("Romania's Socialist Economy"). It explained the regime's policy of cooperating with the West in industrial development and scientific research, noting that socialist economies had to catch up with capitalism before the latter could experience a
final crisis "Final Crisis" is a crossover storyline that appeared in comic books published by DC Comics in 2008, primarily the seven-issue miniseries of the same name written by Grant Morrison. Originally DC announced the project as being illustrated solely ...
. According to Canadian economist Jeanne Kirk Laux, Murgescu was trying to reconcile Romania's relations with
multinational corporation A multinational corporation (MNC; also called a multinational enterprise (MNE), transnational enterprise (TNE), transnational corporation (TNC), international corporation, or stateless corporation, is a corporate organization that owns and cont ...
s with Ceaușescu's "national sovereignty obsession". Indirectly, the book documents the regime's efforts to compensate for the high price of Western technology by proposing various methods of counter trade (methods which, Kirk Laux notes, Murgescu claimed as original Romanian contributions to the theory of international trade). Murgescu was particularly interested in Romanian economic history in relation to the global economy, and a pioneer of
interdisciplinarity Interdisciplinarity or interdisciplinary studies involves the combination of multiple academic disciplines into one activity (e.g., a research project). It draws knowledge from several fields such as sociology, anthropology, psychology, economi ...
.Isărescu, p. 36 In 1967, he returned to sociology by contributing to a collective study on "the effects of industrialization on
social mobility Social mobility is the movement of individuals, families, households or other categories of people within or between social strata in a society. It is a change in social status relative to one's current social location within a given socie ...
". He was again focused on exposing the old monarchic system as a vehicle for economic fraud—his 1970 tract about the royal family's role in
market manipulation In economics and finance, market manipulation occurs when someone intentionally alters the supply or demand of a security to influence its price. This can involve spreading misleading information, executing misleading trades, or manipulating ...
was welcomed by Alexandru Puiu in the communist paper ''
Scînteia Tineretului ''Scînteia Tineretului'' ("Youth Spark"; originally spelled ''Scânteia Tineretului'') was a central organ of the Union of Communist Youth (UTC), which was itself a youth branch of the Romanian Communist Party (PCR). Appearing daily between Novemb ...
''. As argued by Puiu, the book was one of "irreproachable scientific standing", though also a minute exposé of a robbery "in all its ugliness." In 1972, Murgescu put out a "biography of ideas" for
David Ricardo David Ricardo (18 April 1772 – 11 September 1823) was a British political economist, politician, and member of Parliament. He is recognized as one of the most influential classical economists, alongside figures such as Thomas Malthus, Ada ...
, analyzed within the larger context of the
Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution, sometimes divided into the First Industrial Revolution and Second Industrial Revolution, was a transitional period of the global economy toward more widespread, efficient and stable manufacturing processes, succee ...
. During early 1977, the
School of International and Public Affairs The School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) is the List of schools of international relations in the United States, international affairs and public policy school, public policy school of Columbia University, a private Ivy League univers ...
in
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
played host to a delegation of Romanian historians, including Murgescu,
Virgil Cândea Publius Vergilius Maro (; 15 October 70 BC21 September 19 BC), usually called Virgil or Vergil ( ) in English, was an ancient Roman poet of the Augustan period. He composed three of the most famous poems in Latin literature: the ''Eclogues'' ( ...
,
Constantin C. Giurescu Constantin C. Giurescu (; 26 October 1901 – 13 November 1977) was a Romanian historian, member of the Romanian Academy, and professor at the University of Bucharest. Born in Focșani, son of historian Constantin Giurescu, he completed his ...
,
Ștefan Pascu Ștefan is the Romanian language, Romanian form of Stephen, used as both a given name and a surname. For the English language, English version, see Stefan (given name), Stefan. Some better known people with the name Ștefan are listed below. For a ...
, and the President's brother,
Ilie Ceaușescu Ilie Ceaușescu (8 June 1926 – 1 October 2002) was a Romanian army general and communist politician who was Deputy Defence Minister of Communist Romania during the rule of his older brother, Nicolae Ceaușescu. Ilie's military and political car ...
. Their lectures were picketed by protestors who argued that national communism was a form of Stalinism, and that it directly threatened the community life of
Hungarians in Romania The Hungarian minority of Romania (, ; ) is the largest Minorities of Romania, ethnic minority in Romania. As per the 2021 Romanian census, 1,002,151 people (6% of respondents) declared themselves Hungarian, while 1,038,806 people (6.3% of ...
. With Damian Hurezeanu, Murgescu was a guest of the 15th
International Congress of Historical Sciences The International Committee of Historical Sciences / Comité international des Sciences historiques (ICHS / CISH) is the international association of historical scholarship. It was established as a non-governmental organization in Geneva on May 1 ...
(Bucharest, 1980), where they presented a new synthesis of land reform policies in interwar Romania. A Romanian Ambassador to the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
in the early 1980s, Murgescu also served for a while as
ECOSOC The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) is one of six principal organs of the United Nations, responsible for coordinating the economic and social fields of the organization, specifically in regards to the fifteen specialized ...
President. He published his notes on the
New International Economic Order The New International Economic Order (NIEO) is a set of proposals advocated by developing countries to end economic colonialism and dependency through a new interdependent economy. The main NIEO document recognized that the current international e ...
in ''Partners in East-West Economic Relations'', a collection of studies edited by Zoltán Fallenbüchl and C. H. McMillan for
Pergamon Press Pergamon Press was an Oxford-based publishing house, founded by Paul Rosbaud and Robert Maxwell, that published scientific and medical books and journals. Originally called Butterworth-Springer, it is now an imprint of Elsevier. History The c ...
. They outlined Romania's support for the
New International Economic Order The New International Economic Order (NIEO) is a set of proposals advocated by developing countries to end economic colonialism and dependency through a new interdependent economy. The main NIEO document recognized that the current international e ...
and her critique of the Soviet Union. As Murgescu argued, the Soviet economy was to be taxed the same as a capitalist
developed country A developed country, or advanced country, is a sovereign state that has a high quality of life, developed economy, and advanced technological infrastructure relative to other less industrialized nations. Most commonly, the criteria for eval ...
when contributing to the
United Nations Development Programme The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is a United Nations agency tasked with helping countries eliminate poverty and achieve sustainable economic growth and human development. The UNDP emphasizes on developing local capacity towar ...
.


Dissidence, death, and legacy

Murgescu followed up with several studies of his own. In 1980, he put together Zane's complete works, with his own preface. His effort was praised by Cândea, who recommended that Murgescu expand his contribution into a Zane monograph. The series also includes his signature work, ''Mersul ideilor economice la români'' ("The Development of Economic Ideas among the Romanians"), appearing as two volumes—in 1987 and 1990, respectively. The initial volume was welcomed by literary critic Mihai Ungheanu as a contribution to the "necessary recovery of Romanian values in social and economic thinking"—alongside contributions by Ilie Bădescu and Ion Ungureanu. The work was instead met with criticism by the literary sociologist
Zigu Ornea Zigu Ornea (; born Zigu Orenstein Andrei Vasilescu"La ceas aniversar – Cornel Popa la 75 de ani: 'Am refuzat numeroase demnități pentru a rămâne credincios logicii și filosofiei analitice.' ", in Revista de Filosofie Analitică', Vol. II, N ...
, sparking a debate which was to be Murgescu's last.
Zigu Ornea Zigu Ornea (; born Zigu Orenstein Andrei Vasilescu"La ceas aniversar – Cornel Popa la 75 de ani: 'Am refuzat numeroase demnități pentru a rămâne credincios logicii și filosofiei analitice.' ", in Revista de Filosofie Analitică', Vol. II, N ...
, "Amintirea unui cărturar", in ''
România Literară ''România Literară'' is a cultural and literary magazine from Romania. In its original edition, it was founded on 1 January 1855 by Vasile Alecsandri and published in Iași until 3 December 1855, when it was suppressed. The new series appeared ...
'', Issue 36/1989, p. 9
Upon accessing Murghescu's Securitate file in the 2010, historian Narcis Tulbure concluded that the ICE doubled as a Securitate hub, providing operation cover to spies of the Foreign Intelligence Directorate. He notes that most of these, including Isărescu, were not trained in
econometrics Econometrics is an application of statistical methods to economic data in order to give empirical content to economic relationships. M. Hashem Pesaran (1987). "Econometrics", '' The New Palgrave: A Dictionary of Economics'', v. 2, p. 8 p. 8 ...
, and that their expertise needs to be treated with "great caution"; Tulbure also proposes that more genuine economic experts could be found among
Manea Mănescu Manea Mănescu (; 9August 191627February 2009) was a Romanian communist politician who served as Prime Minister for five years (27February 197429March 1979) during Nicolae Ceaușescu's Communist regime. His father was a Communist Party veteran f ...
's associates at the Cybernetics Faculty, but also that these had been sidelined, on Ceaușescu's orders, after 1977. Isărescu himself reports that Murgescu spent the last stage of his life as a dissident, in latent conflict with President Ceaușescu. At the IEM, he helped organize debates about politics and economics, introduced Romanian students to the core notions of
supply-side economics Supply-side economics is a Macroeconomics, macroeconomic theory postulating that economic growth can be most effectively fostered by Tax cuts, lowering taxes, Deregulation, decreasing regulation, and allowing free trade. According to supply- ...
, and made hints about the need for profound change. Murgescu's 1982 work on the
Japanese economic miracle The Japanese economic miracle () refers to a period of economic growth in the post–World War II Japan. It generally refers to the period from 1955, around which time the per capita gross national income of the country recovered to pre-war leve ...
was done from personal observations from his extended trip there; overall, he concluded that Japanese companies had fully focused on technological innovation, and had planned ahead with a focus on such changes. It was a Romanian best-seller. Allegedly, Murgescu had come to believe that the Valev Plan was a consistent form of economic integration, and that national communism was essentially flawed.
Foreign Minister In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and relations, diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral r ...
Ștefan Andrei Ștefan Andrei (; 29 March 1931 – 31 August 2014) was a Romanian communist politician who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Romania from 1978 to 1985. He was arrested after the 1989 overthrow of the Nicolae Ceaușescu regime. E ...
shielded Murgescu from Ceaușescu's anger, and allowed him to maintain a link with the West through contacts with
Reuters Reuters ( ) is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide writing in 16 languages. Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world. The agency ...
. Another inner-PCR dissident and former diplomat,
Silviu Brucan Silviu Brucan (born Saul Bruckner; 18 January 1916 – 14 September 2006) was a Romanian communist politician. He became a critic of the dictatorship of Nicolae Ceaușescu. After the Romanian Revolution, Brucan became a political analyst. Ear ...
, indicated Murgescu as one of his main sources for critical reports which were sent to foreign ambassadors in Romania. Murgescu died a few months before the anti-communist Revolution of December 1989. Bogdan Murgescu, "Cuvânt înainte", in ''Țările Române între Imperiul Otoman și Europa creștină'',
Polirom Polirom or Editura Polirom ("Polirom" Publishing House) is a Romanian publishing house with a tradition of publishing classics of international literature and also various titles in the fields of social sciences, such as psychology, sociology, and ...
, Iași, 2012, , p. 11
He was buried at
Bellu Cemetery Șerban Vodă Cemetery (commonly known as Bellu Cemetery) is the largest and most famous cemetery in Bucharest, Romania. It is located on a plot of land donated to the local administration by Baron Barbu Bellu. It has been in use since 1858. T ...
on September 2. Obituary pieces included one by Ornea. He quoted Murgescu's letter to him, in which the economist had applauded any constructive debate between "men of culture". Murgescu had left several unpublished texts, including parts of a sequel to ''Mersul ideilor'', but also ''Drumul oilor'' ("The Sheep's Road"), which detailed the economic history of sheep farming in Romania. The latter text was carried in a December 1990 issue of ''Academica'' journal, with an introduction by Mircea Măciu (in turn criticized in ''Contemporanul'' for stretching Murgescu's conclusions, and for using the "
wooden language Wooden language is language that uses vague, ambiguous, abstract or pompous words in order to divert attention from the salient issues.Caparini, Marina; Fluri, Philipp (2006). ''Civil Society and the Security Sector: Concepts and Practices in New D ...
" of official Marxism). Murgescu was survived by his wife, Ecaterina Oproiu, who went on to serve as a Presidential appointee on a visual media regulatory agency, the
National Audiovisual Council The National Audiovisual Council (Romanian: Consiliul Național al Audiovizualului, CNA) is the official regulatory agency for the audio-visual market (radio, television) in Romania. Television broadcasts and cable television, frequency allocati ...
, between 1992 and 2000. Murgescu's nephew, Bogdan Murgescu, also trained in economic history, and achieved notoriety for his analysis of economic backwardness. He credits Costin Murgescu as an early influence on his own work. ''Mersul ideilor'', reissued by the
National Bank of Romania The National Bank of Romania (, BNR) is the central bank of Romania and was established in April 1880. Its headquarters are located in the capital city of Bucharest. The National Bank of Romania is responsible for the issue of the Romanian le ...
presses in 1994, was complemented by the posthumous ''Drumurile unității românești'' ("The Paths of Romanian Unity", 1996). As a learning institution, the IEM was the alma mater of economists who rose to political prominence after 1989, among them
Eugen Dijmărescu Eugen is a masculine given name which may refer to: * Archduke Eugen of Austria (1863–1954), last Habsburg Grandmaster of the Teutonic Order from 1894 to 1923 * Prince Eugen, Duke of Närke (1865–1947), Swedish painter, art collector, and pa ...
,
Mugur Isărescu Constantin Mugur Isărescu (; born 1 August 1949) is the governor of the National Bank of Romania, a position he has been holding since September 1990, with the sole exception of a period of time of one year (22 December 1999 to 28 December 2000 ...
,
Napoleon Pop Napoleon Pop (3 February 1945 – 4 September 2023) was a Romanian economist and politician. A member of the National Liberal Party, he served in the Chamber of Deputies The chamber of deputies is the lower house in many bicameral legislatur ...
, and
Victor Babiuc Victor Babiuc (; 3 April 1938 – 25 February 2023) was a Romanian jurist and politician. A former member of the Democratic Party (PD), and of the National Liberal Party (PNL), he was a member of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies for Bucharest i ...
. Iulian Anghel
"Bogdan Murgescu, istoric al economiei: Adevărata provocare va fi când România va atinge 60% din PIB-ul UE, nu acum când are 43%"
in ''
Ziarul Financiar ''Ziarul Financiar'' is a daily financial newspaper published in Bucharest, Romania. Aside from business information, it features sections focusing on careers and properties, as well as a special Sunday newspaper. ''Ziarul Financiar'' also publish ...
'', March 17, 2011
In 1990, it was renamed the "Costin Murgescu Institute of World Economy", becoming part of the Romanian Academy network.Eugen Străuțiu, "Economical Think-tanks in Romania", in ''Revista Economică'', Issues 1–2/2010, p. 14 According to Isărescu: "At the Institute for World Economy, professor Costin Murgescu was able to fulfill his calling on many levels. Constantly preoccupied with establishing a Romanian school of economic research, he turned he IEMinto a veritable creative workshop." As noted in 2010 by sociologist
Zoltán Rostás Zoltán () is a Hungarian masculine given name. The name days for this name are 8 March and 23 June in Hungary, and 7 April in Slovakia. "Zoli" is the short version of Zoltán. "Zoli" is commonly used. Zoltána is the feminine version. The name i ...
, Murgescu's "sinuous youth" was "hardly mentioned", "but ewas nearly sanctified by the elite of economists who are now in their sixties."


Notes


References

*
Egon Balas Egon Balas (June 7, 1922 in Cluj, Romania – March 18, 2019) was an applied mathematician and a professor of industrial administration and applied mathematics at Carnegie Mellon University. He was the Thomas Lord Professor of Operations Research ...
, ''Will to Freedom: A Perilous Journey through Fascism and Communism'',
Syracuse University Press Syracuse University Press, founded in 1943, is a university press that is part of Syracuse University. It is a member of the Association of University Presses. Domestic distribution for the press is currently provided by the University of North ...
, Syracuse, 2000, *
Lucian Boia Lucian Boia (born 1 February 1944) is a Romanian historian. He is mostly known for his debunking of historical myths about Romania, for purging mainstream Romanian history of deformations arising from ideological propaganda, and as a fighter ag ...
, ''Capcanele istoriei. Elita intelectuală românească între 1930 și 1950''.
Humanitas (from the Latin , "human") is a Latin noun meaning human nature, civilization, and kindness. It has uses in the Enlightenment, which are discussed below. Classical origins of term The Latin word corresponded to the Greek concepts of (loving ...
, Bucharest, 2012, *
Zbigniew Brzezinski Zbigniew Kazimierz Brzeziński (, ; March 28, 1928 – May 26, 2017), known as Zbig, was a Polish-American diplomat and political scientist. He served as a counselor to Lyndon B. Johnson from 1966 to 1968 and was Jimmy Carter's National Securi ...
, ''The Soviet Bloc, Unity and Conflict'',
Harvard University Press Harvard University Press (HUP) is an academic publishing house established on January 13, 1913, as a division of Harvard University. It is a member of the Association of University Presses. Its director since 2017 is George Andreou. The pres ...
, Cambridge, 1967, *
Mugur Isărescu Constantin Mugur Isărescu (; born 1 August 1949) is the governor of the National Bank of Romania, a position he has been holding since September 1990, with the sole exception of a period of time of one year (22 December 1999 to 28 December 2000 ...
, ''Reflecții economice. Piețe, bani, bănci'', Centrul Român de Economie Comparată și Consens, Bucharest, 2006, *Jeanne Kirk Laux, "La Roumanie et les multinationales", in ''Revue d'Études Comparatives Est-Ouest'', Vol. 12, Issue 4, 1981, pp. 61–89. *Geza Kornis, "Fragmente din ''Memorii (Din viaṭa mea și vremurile mele)''", in Smaranda Vultur, Adrian Onică (eds.), ''Memoria salvată II'',
West University of Timișoara The West University of Timișoara (; abbreviated UVT) is a public higher education institution located in Timișoara. Classified by the Ministry of National Education as a university of education and scientific research, UVT is one of the nine ...
, 2009, , pp. 213–238. *Narcis Tulbure, "Profesii ale riscului. Economiști, statisticieni și ciberneticieni în perioada socialistă", in Cristian Vasile (ed.), ''"Ne trebuie oameni!". Elite intelectuale și transformări istorice în România modernă și contemporană''
Nicolae Iorga Institute of History The Nicolae Iorga Institute of History (; abbreviation: IINI) is an institution of research in the field of history under the auspices of the Romanian Academy. The institute is located at 1 Bulevardul Aviatorilor in Sector 1 of Bucharest, Romania. ...
& Editura Cetatea de Scaun, Târgoviște, 2017, , pp. 337–376. *Cristian Vasile, "Institutul de Cercetări Economice al Academiei RPR, 1952–1965: între analiză științifică și propagandă ideologică", in ''Revista Istorică'', Vol. XXIX, Issues 5–6, 2018, pp. 577–600. {{DEFAULTSORT:Murgescu, Costin 1919 births 1989 deaths 20th-century Romanian economists Political economists Marxian economists Management scientists Supply-side economists Fascist writers Romanian Marxist historians Historians of Romania 20th-century Romanian philosophers Romanian political philosophers Romanian sociologists Economic sociologists 20th-century Romanian essayists Romanian male essayists Romanian newspaper editors Romanian magazine editors Romanian columnists Academic journal editors 20th-century Romanian biographers Romanian male biographers 20th-century Romanian diarists 20th-century Romanian novelists Romanian male novelists Romanian literary critics Romanian writers in French People from Râmnicu Sărat Matei Basarab National College alumni University of Bucharest alumni Romanian jurists Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies alumni Academic staff of the University of Bucharest Corresponding members of the Romanian Academy Members of the Iron Guard Romanian Communist Party politicians Romanian Marxist journalists Romanian propagandists Romanian radio presenters Romanian Land Forces personnel Romanian military personnel of World War II Romanian war correspondents of World War II 20th-century Romanian civil servants Securitate informants Permanent representatives of Romania to the United Nations Romanian dissidents Former Marxists Burials at Bellu Cemetery