Gheorghe Barbu

Gheorghe Barbu (born November 3, 1951) is a Romanian politician. A member of the Democratic Liberal Party (PD-L), he represented Hunedoara County in the Chamber of Deputies from 2000 to 2008, and served as Labor Minister in the Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu cabinet from 2004 to 2007. Born in Strei village, Călan, Hunedoara County, he graduated in 1975 from the Metallurgy faculty of the Politehnica University of Bucharest, and in 1977 completed post-graduate studies in economic engineering at the Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies. He was an engineer at the Brașov tractor factory (1975-1981), at the Deva mining institute (1981-1986) and at the Deva spare parts and repair firm (1987-1996). In 1992, he joined the Democratic Party (PD), which evolved into the PD-L in 2008. From 1996 to 2000, he was president of the Hunedoara County Council. During 2000, he was a state secretary at the Defense Ministry. He was elected to Parliament in 2000 and re-elected in 2004. During that time, he was Labor Minister (December 2004 to April 2007) and head of the Chamber's labor committee (2007-2008). Barbu is married and has two children.