Adrian Năstase facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Adrian Năstase
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Năstase in 2006
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| Prime Minister of Romania | |
| In office 28 December 2000 – 21 December 2004 |
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| President | Ion Iliescu |
| Preceded by | Mugur Isărescu |
| Succeeded by | Eugen Bejinariu (Acting) Călin Popescu Tăriceanu |
| President of the Chamber of Deputies | |
| In office 21 December 2004 – 15 March 2006 |
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| President | Traian Băsescu |
| Preceded by | Valer Dorneanu |
| Succeeded by | Bogdan Olteanu |
| In office 1 March 1992 – 6 May 1996 |
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| President | Ion Iliescu |
| Preceded by | Dan Marțian |
| Succeeded by | Ion Diaconescu |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
| In office 28 June 1990 – 18 November 1992 |
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| Prime Minister | Petre Roman Theodor Stolojan |
| Preceded by | Sergiu Celac |
| Succeeded by | Teodor Meleșcanu |
| President of the Social Democratic Party | |
| In office 20 December 2000 – 21 January 2005 |
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| Preceded by | Ion Iliescu |
| Succeeded by | Mircea Geoană |
| Member of the Chamber of Deputies | |
| In office 18 June 1990 – 20 June 2012 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 22 June 1950 Bucharest, Romanian People's Republic |
| Political party | Social Democratic Party (2001–present) |
| Other political affiliations |
Romanian Communist Party (Before 1989) National Salvation Front (1989–1992) Democratic National Salvation Front (1992–1993) Party of Social Democracy in Romania (1993–2001) |
| Spouses | Ilinca Preoteasa (Divorced) Dana Miculescu |
| Alma mater | University of Bucharest |
| Profession | Lawyer |
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Adrian Năstase (born 22 June 1950) is a Romanian lawyer, professor, and former politician. He served as the prime minister of Romania from December 2000 to December 2004.
In 2004, he ran for president as the candidate for the Social Democratic Party (PSD). However, he was defeated by Traian Băsescu.
He also served as the president of the Chamber of Deputies from December 2004 until March 2006. He resigned from this role due to some legal issues.
Even with the challenges he faced, many people, including his political rivals, consider Adrian Năstase to be one of Romania's most effective prime ministers after the communist era. He is often praised for his efforts to help Romania join important international groups like the European Union and NATO. He also worked to make Romania's economy stronger and more modern.
Contents
About Adrian Năstase
His Early Life
Adrian Năstase was born in Bucharest, the capital city of Romania. His family came from a village called Hanul de Pământ. His father, Marian Năstase, was an officer in the Royal Romanian Army. He also has a mother named Elena and a sister named Dana.
Education and Family
Adrian Năstase went to Nicolae Bălcescu High School, which is now known as Saint Sava National College. After high school, he studied at the University of Bucharest. He earned degrees in both Law and Sociology. During his career, he worked as a professor, a judge, and led several organizations focused on law and international relations.
In 1985, he married Dana Miculescu. They have two sons together: Andrei, born in 1986, and Mihnea, born in 1993.
His Political Journey
Adrian Năstase began his political career in 1990. He was first elected to the Chamber of Deputies of Romania as a member of the National Salvation Front. He then became the Minister of Foreign Affairs, serving in this role from 1990 to 1992.
In 1992, he was re-elected to the Chamber of Deputies. He became the President of the Chamber of Deputies, which is a very important leadership position in the Romanian Parliament. From 1993 to 1997, he also held a key leadership role within his political party, the Party of Social Democracy in Romania (PDSR).
When his party lost the elections in 1996, Năstase became the leader of the opposition group in Parliament. He also served as a vice-president of the Chamber of Deputies. He was part of Romania's group at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. There, he worked on legal and human rights issues.
After his party, the PDSR, won the elections in 2000, Adrian Năstase was chosen as the president of the party. The party later changed its name to the Social Democratic Party (PSD). He remained the PSD president until 2005. After that, he was elected as the PSD executive president, which is the second most important position in the party.
As Prime Minister of Romania
Adrian Năstase became the Prime Minister of Romania on 28 December 2000. He held this important position for four years. During his time as prime minister, Romania experienced a period of political stability and steady economic growth.
His government focused strongly on connecting Romania with Western countries. Romania joined NATO, a military alliance, and sent troops to support international efforts in places like the Balkans, Afghanistan, and Iraq.
His government also worked hard to help Romania join the European Union (EU). They passed many new laws and made reforms that were needed for EU membership. Romania officially joined the EU in 2007. His government also successfully worked to remove visa restrictions on Romanians traveling to EU countries.
During his term, the cost of living (inflation) went down, and the Romanian currency, the leu, became stronger. This was partly due to money sent back to Romania by Romanians working abroad. The country's economy, measured by its Gross Domestic Product (GDP), grew significantly each year. For example, in 2004, the economy grew by 8.3%, which was the highest in the region. Average wages also increased, though not as quickly as the economy grew.
However, there were still some big challenges. For example, a large number of Romanians still worked in agriculture, much more than in many other European countries. Critics also pointed out that the economic growth didn't help everyone equally, and many people, especially in rural areas, still lived in poverty.
While his government started some changes to improve the justice system, it faced criticism, including from the EU, for not doing enough to address widespread issues.
In 2002, Năstase was given a high honor, the Grand Cross of the Order of the Star of Romania. This honor was later removed in 2019 due to legal challenges he faced.
Running for President in 2004
The 2004 presidential election was important because President Ion Iliescu could not run again. The PSD chose Adrian Năstase as their candidate for president. His running mate, who would have become prime minister if Năstase won, was Mircea Geoană.
Before the election, many polls predicted that Năstase would win. He had strong support in rural areas and in smaller towns in the south and east of Romania. He was also popular among older people and workers. The PSD was the largest political party and had a strong network to encourage people to vote.
In the first round of the presidential elections on 28 November, Năstase was ahead. However, he didn't get more than 50% of the votes. This meant he had to go to a second round, called a run-off election, on 12 December. He competed against Traian Băsescu, the candidate from the center-right Justice and Truth Alliance.
Some independent groups reported issues during the first round of elections. They mentioned concerns about people voting multiple times.
On the night of the run-off election, initial results from polls showed a very close race between Năstase and Băsescu. However, Băsescu and his supporters believed he had won. Thousands of Băsescu's supporters gathered in University Square in Bucharest and other cities to celebrate. The next morning, the official results confirmed that Băsescu had won. Adrian Năstase received 48.77% of the total votes.
Năstase later said that his unexpected defeat was due to several reasons. He mentioned that some of his allies didn't campaign enough for him. He also pointed to the endorsement of Băsescu by another party leader. Other factors likely included Băsescu's strong performance in a TV debate and ongoing concerns about issues related to Năstase and his party.
Even though Năstase lost the presidential election, his party, the PSD, still won the most seats in Parliament in the legislative elections held at the same time. After the elections, the PSD managed to get enough support in Parliament to elect Năstase as the president of the Chamber of Deputies. He resigned as Prime Minister the day after Băsescu became president. Later, an investigation looked into claims of voting issues in the 2004 elections. It found no strong evidence of widespread problems.
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After Being Prime Minister
In recent years, Adrian Năstase has continued to offer advice to officials. He helps with state affairs and international relations. This includes working to solve disagreements between countries and making diplomatic and economic ties stronger.
See also
In Spanish: Adrian Năstase para niños
- List of heads of government of Romania
- List of corruption scandals in Romania
