List of presidents of Romania facts for kids

The president of Romania is the head of state for Romania. This important job was created in 1974 by the communist leader Nicolae Ceaușescu. After the Romanian Revolution and a new constitution in 1991, the role changed into what it is today. The current president of Romania is Klaus Iohannis, who started his term on December 21, 2014.

Romanian Presidents Through History

This section looks at the leaders who have served as president of Romania, from the communist era to today.

Presidents During the Socialist Republic (1974–1989)

The first president took office during the time when Romania was a socialist republic.

No.	Portrait	Name	Elected	Time in Office			Political Party
				Started	Ended	Total Time
1	Nicolae Ceaușescu	Nicolae Ceaușescu (1918–1989)	1974 1980 1985	28 March 1974	22 December 1989	15 years, 249 days	Romanian Communist Party (PCR)
				Nicolae Ceaușescu was the first president of Romania. Even though Romania was part of the Warsaw Pact, he recognized Israel. He also spoke out against the 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia. He and his wife, Elena Ceaușescu, were removed from power during the 1989 Romanian Revolution.

Presidents in Democratic Romania (1989–Present)

After the 1989 revolution, Romania became a democratic republic. Here are the presidents who have served since then.

No.	Portrait	Name	Elected	Time in Office			Political Party
				Started	Ended	Total Time
—	Ion Iliescu	Ion Iliescu (born 1930)	1990	26 December 1989	20 June 1990	176 days	National Salvation Front (FSN)
				Ion Iliescu was a key figure in the National Salvation Front during the 1989 Revolution. He served as the acting head of state for about six months. This was at the start of Romania's move towards a new economic system.
2			1990 1992	20 June 1990	29 November 1996	6 years, 161 days	National Salvation Front (FSN)
				Ion Iliescu was the first president chosen in free elections. He was an independent social democrat. During his first term, the current Constitution of Romania was put in place.
3	Emil Constantinescu	Emil Constantinescu (born 1939)	1996	29 November 1996	20 December 2000	4 years, 21 days	Christian Democratic National Peasants' Party (PNȚCD)
				Emil Constantinescu won the 1996 elections. This led to the first peaceful transfer of power in Romania after 1989. During his time as president, he worked to modernize the country. He also tried to privatize state-owned businesses, but this was a slow process.
(2)	Ion Iliescu	Ion Iliescu (born 1930)	2000	20 December 2000	20 December 2004	4 years	Social Democratic Party (PSD)
				Iliescu was elected for his third term in 2000. In March 2004, near the end of his term, Romania became a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
5	Traian Băsescu	Traian Băsescu (born 1951)	2004 2009	20 December 2004	21 December 2014	10 years, 1 day	Democratic Liberal Party (PDL)
				Traian Băsescu became president in 2004. He promised to fight against political corruption. During his first term, Romania joined the European Union (EU). He also publicly spoke out against the old communist government. He was suspended twice from his job, in 2007 and 2012. But both times, the Constitutional Court allowed him to return to office.
6	Klaus Iohannis	Klaus Iohannis (born 1959)	2014 2019	21 December 2014	Incumbent	10 years, 183 days	National Liberal Party (PNL)
				Klaus Iohannis won the 2014 presidential election. His campaign focused on fighting corruption and making the justice system independent. He is the first Romanian president from an ethnic minority, as he is of German origin. His first term saw many changes in prime ministers. There were also large protests against political corruption. His second term has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and political problems. In 2023, he faced a big strike by Romanian teachers.

Acting Presidents (2007; 2012)

Sometimes, an acting president steps in if the main president is temporarily unable to serve. This happened twice with Traian Băsescu.

No.	Portrait	Name	Time in Office			Political Party
			Started	Ended	Total Time
—	Nicolae Văcăroiu	Nicolae Văcăroiu (born 1943)	20 April 2007	23 May 2007	33 days	Social Democratic Party (PSD)
			Nicolae Văcăroiu was the president of the Senate. He served as acting president after Băsescu's first temporary suspension.
—	Crin Antonescu	Crin Antonescu (born 1959)	10 July 2012	27 August 2012	48 days	National Liberal Party (PNL)
			Crin Antonescu was also the president of the Senate. He served as acting president after Băsescu's second temporary suspension.

Timeline

See also

In Spanish: Presidente de Rumania para niños

• Domnitor
• King of Romania
• List of heads of state of Romania
• List of presidents of Romania by time in office