Nicolae Văcăroiu facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nicolae Văcăroiu
Văcăroiu in 2004
Acting President of Romania
In office 20 April 2007 – 23 May 2007
Prime Minister	Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu
Preceded by	Traian Băsescu
Succeeded by	Traian Băsescu
Prime Minister of Romania
In office 18 November 1992 – 12 December 1996
President	Ion Iliescu Emil Constantinescu
Preceded by	Theodor Stolojan
Succeeded by	Victor Ciorbea
President of the Senate of Romania
In office 20 December 2000 – 14 October 2008
Preceded by	Mircea Ionescu-Quintus
Succeeded by	Doru Ioan Tărăcilă (Acting)
President of the Romanian Court of Auditors
In office 14 October 2008 – 14 October 2017
Preceded by	Dan Drosu Șaguna [ro]
Succeeded by	Mihai Busuioc
Member of the Senate of Romania
In office 22 November 1996 – 20 October 2008
Constituency	Argeș County
Personal details
Born	(1943-12-05) 5 December 1943 (age 81) Cetatea Albă, Kingdom of Romania (now Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, Odesa Oblast, Ukraine)
Political party	Romanian Communist Party (before 1989) National Salvation Front (1989–1992) Democratic National Salvation Front (1992–1993) Party of Social Democracy in Romania (1993–2001) Social Democratic Party (2001–present)
Profession	Economist
Signature
a. During the first impeachment trial of former President Traian Băsescu in 2007.

Nicolae Văcăroiu (born December 5, 1943) is a Romanian politician. He was a member of the Social Democratic Party (PSD). He served as the Prime Minister from 1992 to 1996. Before 1989, he worked for the government's planning committee. He was also the President of the Senate of Romania for almost eight years. This was during two terms, from 2000 to 2008.

Nicolae Văcăroiu's Political Career

On November 20, 1992, Nicolae Văcăroiu became the Prime Minister of Romania. His time as prime minister started with some economic changes. These changes helped Romania's economy grow again from 1993. The country's GDP grew by 17.5% between 1993 and 1996. This was after a big drop in the years right after the Romanian Revolution. Industrial production also increased by 22% in the same period.

However, this growth was not very strong. Many state-owned businesses were not managed well. Also, not many foreign companies invested in Romania. The government did not want to sell off many industries. This caused Romania to face economic problems again later.

Romania's International Relations

During Văcăroiu's time, Romania worked to join the European Union. On February 1, 1993, Romania signed an agreement with the European Community. In June 1995, all political groups agreed that Romania should join the EU. Romania also asked to join NATO for the first time.

Relations with neighboring countries were sometimes difficult. Romania had issues with Moldova and Ukraine. This was because of old border disputes. Relations improved after visits to Chișinău and Kyiv in 1995. A treaty with Hungary was signed in September 1996. This treaty did not include special rights for the Hungarian minority.

Presidential styles of Nicolae Văcăroiu
Reference style	Președintele (President)
Spoken style	Președintele (President)
Alternative style	Domnia Sa/Excelența Sa (His Excellency)

In 2007, Nicolae Văcăroiu became the temporary President of Romania. This happened after the elected president, Traian Băsescu, was suspended. Văcăroiu was interim president from April 20 to May 23, 2007. During this time, he had most presidential powers. But he could not dissolve Parliament or hold a public vote.

On October 14, 2008, he was chosen to be the President of the Court of Audit. This is a body that checks how the government spends money.

Nicolae Văcăroiu's Professional Life

Nicolae Văcăroiu studied economics at the Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies. He graduated between 1964 and 1969.

• In 1969, he started working at the State Planning Committee. He moved up from economist to director of the Finance Department. He helped manage money, prices, and track economic performance.
• He became a Deputy Minister in the National Ministry of Economy. In 1990, he helped create a plan for Romania to become a market economy.
• As State Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, he led the process of freeing up prices in the economy. He also worked on tax reforms. These reforms aimed to match European Union laws.
• As Prime Minister from 1992 to 1996, his main goals were to help the economy grow. He also wanted to prepare Romania to join European groups.
  • Inside Romania: The country's economy grew. The GDP increased by 17.4%. Industrial production also went up by 21.7%. Exports increased from $3.4 billion in 1992 to $6.5 billion in 1996.
  • Prices were made free in May 1993. This meant the government stopped controlling many prices. This caused inflation to rise at first, but then it decreased. A new tax called Value Added Tax (VAT) was introduced in July 1993.
  • The government also worked to restore people's buying power. Salaries, pensions, and social benefits were increased.
  • In agriculture, efforts were made to return land to its owners. Irrigation systems were also improved. The government supported farmers by setting minimum prices for important products.
  • Investments were a priority. Money was spent on upgrading industries, communications, and roads. For example, over 1,000 km of national roads were improved.
• Outside Romania: The government worked to strengthen ties with the European Union and NATO.
  • On February 1, 1993, Romania signed a Free Trade Agreement with EFTA.
  • In June 1995, Romania officially applied to join the European Union.
  • Romania was the first country to sign the "Partnership for Peace" document with NATO in January 1994.
  • In October 1994, Romania became a full member of the Council of Europe.
  • Nicolae Văcăroiu signed a treaty with Hungary in September 1996. This treaty helped improve relations between the two countries.
• From 1996 to 1998, he was Vice President of the Romanian Commercial Bank. He helped modernize the bank.
• He was a Senator for Argeș County from 1996 to 2008. He was also the President of the Senate of Romania from 2000 to 2008.
  • During his time as Senate President, he worked to improve law-making. He also helped the Senate work well with other government bodies.
  • The Senate also focused on international cooperation. They worked with other European Senates. They supported Romania's integration into the EU and NATO.
  • He had many international meetings and official visits to other countries. These visits aimed to improve relations and attract foreign investments.
• He was the interim President of Romania from April 20 to May 23, 2007.
• He served as President of the Court of Accounts of Romania from 2008 to 2017. During his time, the Court celebrated its 150th anniversary. Many important people from Romania and other countries attended.

Teaching and Publications

From 1975 to 1984, Nicolae Văcăroiu was a professor. He taught at the Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies and the University of Bucharest. He also worked as a researcher. He wrote many articles on economic and financial topics. He co-wrote a book called "Romania, Games of Interest" in 1998.

Awards and Honors

Nicolae Văcăroiu has received many awards and honors.

Awards in Romania

• He received the Order of the Star of Romania, Officer rank, in 2014. This was for his work at the Court of Accounts.
• He also received the Knight rank of the Order of the Star of Romania in 2002.
• He was given the "University Merit with Virgil Madgearu Gold Medal" in 2017.
• He is an "Associate Researcher, 1st degree" of the National Institute of Economic Research.
• He received an honorary doctorate from Andrei Șaguna University in Constanța in 2007.
• He was named an "Honorary Member of the Senate of the University of Pitești" in 2000.
• He has received over 120 other awards and honors from various organizations.
• He has been named "Citizen of Honor" by 25 counties and cities.

International Awards

• He received the National Order of Merit, Grand Cross, from the President of Paraguay.
• He was awarded "The Renaissance Order, First Order" by the King of Jordan.
• He received the "Columbus Congress Order Grade Grand Extraordinary Cross" Gold Plated.
• He was given the "Gold Medal Pericles" by the President of the Hellenic Parliament.
• He also received the "Gold Medal of the French Senate".
• He was awarded the "Grand Decoration" by the Senate of Chile.
• He received an "Order of cultural merit, Knight rank" from the Brazilian Academy of Arts.

See also

In Spanish: Nicolae Văcăroiu para niños