Romanian Degree Certification Council: PM Victor Ponta Plagiarized PhD Thesis

However, acting education minister Liviu Pop said the decision is null and void, because it was adopted in the presence of only 13 of the 21 members, and the Council's bylaws state that quorum requires two thirds of the members to be present.

Also, Pop on Thursday issued an order to reorganize CNATDCU, arguing that the body has no jurisdiction over the matter, but that the issue can only be resolved by the National Ethics Council.

The Ethics Council, which on June 21 stated it had not been notified of any plagiarism by Ponta, is an advisory board subordinate to the National Authority for Scientific Research (ANCS).

Last week, German magazine Nature published an article alleging that more than half of Ponta's PhD thesis on the International Criminal Court copies other works without citing sources. Ponta did not deny the accusations and said he may have made a mistake by not citing his sources in footnotes.

In an interview with Spanish daily El Pais, the prime minister is quoted as having said he would take responsibility and resign if his thesis is proven to have been plagiarized.

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