Radu Ştefan Mazăre (born July 5, 1968) is a Romanian politician. His political activity began with his election to the lower house of the Parliament on the Democratic Party (PD) list, which he left in 1997 to serve as an independent. In 2000, he defeated all party-supported contestants to be elected mayor of Constanța, one of Romania's largest cities and its foremost seaport. Joining the Social Democratic Party (PSD) in 2003, he went on to win the following three elections with a comfortable majority. In 2015, during his fourth term, Mazăre resigned amid accusations of corruption, citing the unbearable stress caused by what he claimed to be politically motivated investigations. In 2017, he fled while under bail to Madagascar, claiming the right of asylum, but he was extradited back to Romania on 20 May 2019 to serve a 9-year sentence in prison. Education He is a graduate of the "Mircea cel Bătrân" Naval Academy (Electromechanics Department) in Constanța, class of 1991. Career Mazăre founded the Telegraf newspaper, the local Neptun TV channel and was a shareholder of the Conpress Holding. He joined the Democratic Party (PD) and was elected to the Chamber of Deputies in 1996. He later resigned due to "differences between electoral promises and [the] realities of government". Controversies He is considered one of the top 300 richest people in Romania and was accused of being a so-called "local baron" of the Social Democratic Party (PSD). In November 2008, The Diplomat reported that the National Anti-corruption Department had accused Mazăre, along with 36 other municipal employees, of corruption, abuse of public service, forgery, and criminal complicity. The group was charged with giving €114 million ($144 million) worth of state-owned land along the coast of the Black Sea and public beaches in Constanta and Mamaia to individuals, including Mazăre's family. Mazăre was awarded 5,000 Romanian Lei in damages after the Anti-corruption Department refused to provide information about the qualification of the experts. Another controversial event took place in July 2009 when, during a fashion show, Radu Mazăre participated wearing a Nazi Wehrmacht uniform, together with his son, who was also wearing a Nazi uniform. He explained that he "always liked this uniform, and admired the rigorous organization of the German army". According to Mazăre, "I checked it before I put it on but the swastika was very small and I didn't see it". Two days later he issued a