The fortune of the former blonde from the Cotroceni has always been debated in the press, but it has never drawn the attention of prosecutors. In the ten years since Traian Basescu has been the President of Romania, Elena Udrea’s accounts have rounded out from controversial business deals. From the Dalli parking company to in real estate properties and the Alro scandal, Elena Udrea’s wealth grew as fast as her political ascent. She entered politics with nothing but handbags and heels, and now she holds millions of lei, 27 land plots, two houses and jewelry worth thousands of euros. Basescu’s protégée is now aspiring to become president of the country and to continue the practices of the regime.
Elena Udrea has entered public life almost 10 years ago. In the same year she resigned as head of the Presidential Chancellery because of media revelations about the business deals of Dorin Cocos, her husband at the time.
Cocos’s company, Dalli Exim, held a parking monopoly in Bucharest from 1995 to 2009 when they were taken over by the City Hall. Elena Udrea was shareholder with 50% stake. The Court found in 2006 that the company did not report to City Hall the detailed records of income so as not have to pay the fee of the City Hall, National Journal writes.
The same Dorin Cocos appeared in transcripts of the Alro case file as the one who would have intervened so that Stolojan would discuss and help the Alro bosses to purchase energy at extremely low prices.
The Alro case file was opened in 2007 on suspicion of undermining the national economy, but the case was closed in January 2010 by the DIICOT prosecutors. Elena Udrea's name appears in other corruption cases too. One of them involves also the former PDL deputy, Dan Păsat.
Elena Udrea’s time in the office as minister also counted several charges of corruption. In the fall of 2009, a parliamentary investigation committee investigated the way the Minister of Tourism managed the funds meant for tourism promotion, investments and infrastructure. The committee charged Elena Udrea of office abuse, negligence and instigation to office abuse against public interests as well as conflict of interests.
The prosecutors however did not investigate that. So Elena Udrea has minded her business and politics. After her divorce from Dorin Cocos, her wealth has increased considerably. Today she owns 27 land plots in Bucharest, Calarasi and two houses in the Capital. In 2014, she sold two buildings and took 255,000 euros and gave loans of 2,217,360 lei and 380,000 euro, respectively. If 2013 she possessed 50,000 euro worth of jewelry, this year their value doubled. With the money came her entrepreneurial flair. In recent years, Udrea went into agriculture and tourism business. She is the sole shareholder of the Green Agro Nana and associate to other companies: Spa Boghiş LLC, Tim and Rail Operator Rail Cargo SRL Cereal SRL.