List_of_heads_of_state_of_Romania
This is a list consisting of all the heads of state of modern and contemporary Romania, from the establishment of the United Principalities in 1859 to the present day.
The incumbent head of state, as of 25 April 2024, is President Klaus Iohannis, a former longtime leader of the Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania (FDGR/DFDR) for 12 years between 2001 and 2013 and, briefly, of the National Liberal Party (PNL) in 2014 as well.
In addition, Iohannis is the first Romanian president to stem from an ethnic minority of the country, as he is a Transylvanian Saxon, therefore part of the very small German minority still left in Romania.[1] His second term will normally end in December 2024 and cannot be renewed, therefore being his last.
More information Domnitor, Reign ...
| Domnitor | Reign | Claim | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
House | Reign start | Reign end | Duration | |
| 1 |  |
Alexandru Ioan Cuza (1820–1873) |
Cuza | 24 January 1859 | 22 February 1866 (Abdicated) |
7 years, 29 days | Previously ruled as Prince of Wallachia and Moldavia (in a personal union from 1859 until official unification in 1862) |
| — |  |
Lascăr Catargiu (1823–1899) |
— | 22 February 1866 | 20 April 1866 | 57 days |  Princely Lieutenancy [ro] |
| — |  |
General Nicolae Golescu (1810–1877) | |||||
| — |  |
Colonel Nicolae Haralambie (1835–1908) | |||||
| 2 |  |
Carol I (1839–1914) |
Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen | 20 April 1866 | 15 March 1881 | 14 years, 329 days | 1866 Referendum |
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More information King, Reign ...
| King | Reign | Claim | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
House | Reign start | Reign end | Time in office | |
| (2) | Carol I (1839–1914) |
Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen | 15 March 1881 | 10 October 1914 | 33 years, 209 days | Previously ruled as Domnitor | |
| 3 | Ferdinand I (1865–1927) |
Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen | 10 October 1914 | 20 July 1927 | 12 years, 283 days | Nephew of Carol I | |
| 4 | Michael I (1921–2017) |
Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen | 20 July 1927 | 8 June 1930 (Deposed) |
2 years, 323 days | Grandson of Ferdinand I | |
| — | Prince Nicholas (1903–1978) |
Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen | 20 July 1927 | 8 June 1930 (Resigned) |
2 years, 323 days |  Regency Council For Michael I | |
| — | Patriarch Miron Cristea (1868–1939) |
— | |||||
| — | Gheorghe Buzdugan (1867–1929) |
7 October 1929 (Died) |
2 years, 79 days | ||||
| — | Constantin Sărățeanu [ro] (1862–1935) |
9 October 1929 | 8 June 1930 (Resigned) |
242 days | |||
| 5 | Carol II (1893–1953) |
Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen | 8 June 1930 | 6 September 1940 (Abdicated) |
10 years, 90 days | Son of Ferdinand I | |
| (4) | Michael I (1921–2017) |
Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen | 6 September 1940 | 30 December 1947 (Abdicated) |
7 years, 115 days | Son of Carol II | |
| — | Marshal Ion Antonescu (1882–1946) |
— | 6 September 1940 | 23 August 1944 (Deposed) |
3 years, 352 days | Conducător With Michael I | |
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- Title
- 1947–1948: President of the Provisional Presidium of the Republic
- 1948–1961: President of the Presidium of the Great National Assembly
- 1961–1974: President of the State Council
- 1974–1989: President of Romania
- Status
More information No., Portrait ...
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
Term of office | Election | Political party | Position(s) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Time in office | ||||||
| 6 | Constantin Ion Parhon (1874–1969) |
30 December 1947 | 13 April 1948 | 105 days | 1947 | PMR | President of the Provisional Presidium of the Republic | |
| 13 April 1948 | 12 June 1952 | 4 years, 60 days | 1948 | President of the Presidium of the Great National Assembly | ||||
| 7 | Petru Groza (1884–1958) |
12 June 1952 | 7 January 1958 (Died) |
5 years, 209 days | 1952 | FP (1952–1953) Independent (1953–1958) | ||
| — | Mihail Sadoveanu (1880–1961) |
7 January 1958 | 11 January 1958 | 4 days | — | PMR | Acting presidents of the Presidium of the Great National Assembly | |
| — | Anton Moisescu (1913–2002) |
PMR | ||||||
| 8 | Ion Gheorghe Maurer (1902–2000) |
11 January 1958 | 21 March 1961 | 3 years, 69 days | 1958 | PMR | President of the Presidium of the Great National Assembly | |
| 9 | Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej (1901–1965) |
21 March 1961 | 19 March 1965 (Died) |
3 years, 363 days | 1961 | PMR | President of the State Council | |
| — | Ion Gheorghe Maurer (1902–2000) |
19 March 1965 | 24 March 1965 | 5 days | — | PMR | Acting presidents of the State Council | |
| — | Ștefan Voitec (1900–1984) |
PMR | ||||||
| — | Avram Bunaciu (1909–1983) |
PMR | ||||||
| 10 | Chivu Stoica (1908–1975) |
24 March 1965 | 9 December 1967 (Resigned) |
2 years, 260 days | 1965 | PMR PCR |
President of the State Council | |
| 11 | Nicolae Ceaușescu (1918–1989) |
9 December 1967 | 28 March 1974 | 22 years, 13 days | 1967 | PCR | ||
| 28 March 1974 | 22 December 1989 (Deposed) |
1974 1980 1985 |
President of Romania | |||||
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General Secretary of the Romanian Workers' Party/Romanian Communist Party
More information Portrait, Name (Birth–Death) ...
| Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
Term of office | Position(s) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Time in office | ||||
| Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej (1901–1965) |
16 October 1945 | 19 April 1954 | 8 years, 185 days | General Secretary of the Romanian Communist Party | ||
| 21 February 1948 | General Secretary of the Romanian Workers' Party | |||||
| Gheorghe Apostol (1913–2010) |
19 April 1954 | 30 September 1955 | 1 year, 164 days | First Secretary of the Romanian Workers' Party | ||
| Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej (1901–1965) |
30 September 1955 | 19 March 1965 (Died) |
9 years, 170 days | |||
| Nicolae Ceaușescu (1918–1989) |
22 March 1965 | 22 December 1989 (Deposed) |
24 years, 275 days | |||
| 24 July 1965 | General Secretary of the Romanian Communist Party | |||||
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The Constitution of Romania prohibits the President to be a member of any political party while in office. The parties listed below represent the political affiliation before the 1991 Constitution was adopted and the party affiliation of the ad interim (i.e. acting) presidents, for whom such a restriction is not explicitly stipulated in the law.
- Title
- 1989–1989: Council of the National Salvation Front (collective)
- 1989–1990: President of the Council of the National Salvation Front
- 1990 : President of the Provisional National Unity Council
- 1990–present: President of Romania
- Status
More information No., Portrait ...
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
Term of office | Election | Political party | Government(s)(Term) | Position(s) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Time in office | |||||||
| — | Council of the National Salvation Front[2]Spokesman: Ion Iliescu | 22 December 1989 | 26 December 1989 | 4 days | — | FSN | Itself(1989) | Collective Head of State | |
| Ion Iliescu (born 1930) [lower-alpha 1] |
26 December 1989[3] | 20 June 1990 | 6 years, 339 days | Feb 1990 | FSN (1989–1992) FDSN (1992) PDSR (1992–1996) |
Roman I–II–III (1989–1991)Stolojan(1991–1992)Văcăroiu(1992–1996) | President of the Council of the National Salvation Front | ||
| President of the Provisional National Unity Council | |||||||||
| 20 June 1990 | 29 November 1996 | May 1990 1992 |
President of Romania | ||||||
| 12 | |||||||||
| 13 | Emil Constantinescu (born 1939) |
29 November 1996 | 20 December 2000 | 4 years, 21 days | 1996 | PNȚCD | Ciorbea(1996–1998)Vasile(1998–1999)Isărescu(1999–2000) | ||
| 14 | Ion Iliescu (born 1930) |
20 December 2000 | 20 December 2004 | 4 years | 2000 | PDSR | Năstase(2000–2004) | ||
| 15 | Traian Băsescu (born 1951) [lower-alpha 2] |
20 December 2004 | 21 December 2014 | 10 years, 1 day | 20042009 | PD (2004–2007) PDL (2007–2014) |
Tăriceanu I–II(2004–2008)Boc I–II(2008–2012)Ungureanu(2012)Ponta I–II–III–IV(2012–2014) | ||
| — | Nicolae Văcăroiu (born 1943) [lower-alpha 3] |
20 April 2007 | 23 May 2007 | 33 days | — | PSD | Tăriceanu II(2007–2008) | ad interim President of Romania (as President of the Senate) | |
| — | Crin Antonescu (born 1959) [lower-alpha 4] |
10 July 2012 | 27 August 2012 | 48 days | — | PNL | Ponta I(2012) | ad interim President of Romania (as President of the Senate) | |
| 16 | Klaus Iohannis (born 1959) |
21 December 2014 | Incumbent | 9 years, 126 days | 2014 2019 |
PNL | Ponta IV(2014–2015)Cioloș(2015–2017)Grindeanu(2017)Tudose(2017–2018)Dăncilă(2018–2019)Orban I–II(2019–2020)Cîțu(2020–2021)Ciucă(2021–2023)Ciolacu(2023–present) | President of Romania | |
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Further information: Lifespan timeline of heads of state of Romania
Further information: List of presidents of Romania
Further information: List of presidents of Romania by time in office
- Valentina Pop (17 November 2014). "Romanians elect first ethnic German president". EUobserver.
- "Countries QR". rulers.org.
- Iliescu served as President of Council of the National Salvation Front until 6 February 1990, as President of the Provisional National Unity Council from 6 February 1990 to 20 June 1990, and then as President of Romania until 29 November 1996.
- Băsescu was impeached twice during his presidency. His powers and duties were suspended during the impeachment processes from 20 April 2007 to 23 May 2007 and from 10 July 2012 to 27 August 2012.
- Văcăroiu acted as President during Băsescu's first impeachment until the latter was reinstated by referendum.
- Antonescu acted as President during Băsescu's second impeachment until the latter was reinstated by referendum.
- Bulei, Ion, O istorie a românilor, Editura Meronia, București, 2007, pg. 266–267