Bucharest luxury mansion at core of PM – president quarrel, rented out to an embassy

A state-owned luxury mansion in Bucharest, which was at the core of the Prime Minister – President quarrel in 2012, has again made headlines. Prime Minister Victor Ponta announced the state had rented out the Dante villa to an embassy of a country which is "very friendly towards Romania". The PM did not confirm nor deny that the US Embassy was the new tenant in the villa. The Dante villa, located in the Northern area of Bucharest near the Herastrau lake, was to be rented out for some EUR 20,000 a month, according to earlier announcements, after being first moved from the state's public patrimony, to its private one, which allowed for its leasing. The villa has 936 sqm of built area, it has a pool and fitness room, an exit towards the lake and a 4,200 sqm surrounding plot. PM Victor Ponta and the Social Liberal Union (USL) accused Basescu of investing EUR 1 million in the Villa Dante between 2010 and 2011, a time when harsh austerity measures meant misery for millions of Romanians. The news broke just days before the presidential impeachment referendum on July 29, 2012, and the president denied the accusations. Back then, the PM organized an open doors day at the villa for the Romanian media, to show the luxurious interior of the mansion. The USL discovered the villa upgrade when trying to organize a meeting with EU states ambassadors in Bucharest. "This is the richest villa I have ever seen. The protection services told me this was the president's villa and that he comes there to swim in the pool and for other activities, having moved there his fitness and Jacuzzi equipment from his home. I have seen many sumptuous houses, but this is by far the most sumptuous I have ever seen. Workers told me Basescu came there himself to choose the furniture and the flooring," said Prime Minister Ponta in 2012. editor@romania-insider.com