List of heads of state of Romania
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This is a list consisting of all the heads of the modern and contemporary Romanian state, from the establishment of the United Principalities in 1859 to the present-day in the early 21st century. The incumbent head of state, as of 9 February 2022, is President Klaus Iohannis, a former high-ranking member of the National Liberal Party (PNL). Iohannis is the first Romanian president to stem from an ethnic minority, as he is a Transylvanian Saxon, part of the broader German minority of Romania.[1]
United Principalities (1859–1881)[]
Domnitor | Reign | Claim | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
House | Reign start | Reign end | Duration | |
1 | ![]() |
Alexandru Ioan Cuza 1820–1873 (Lived: 53 years) |
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 (Lived: 75 years) |
— | 22 February 1866 | 20 April 1866 | 57 days | ![]() |
— | ![]() |
General Nicolae Golescu 1810–1877 (Lived: 67 years) | |||||
— | ![]() |
Colonel Nicolae Haralambie 1835–1908 (Lived: 72 years) | |||||
2 | ![]() |
Carol I 1839–1914 (Lived: 75 years) |
Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen | 20 April 1866 | 15 March 1881 | 14 years, 329 days | 1866 Referendum |
Kingdom of Romania (1881–1947)[]
King | Reign | Claim | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
House | Reign start | Reign end | Time in office | |
1 | ![]() |
Carol I 1839–1914 (Lived: 75 years) |
Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen | 15 March 1881 | 10 October 1914 | 33 years, 209 days | Previously ruled as Domnitor |
2 | ![]() |
Ferdinand I 1865–1927 (Lived: 61 years) |
Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen | 10 October 1914 | 20 July 1927 | 12 years, 283 days | Nephew of Carol I |
3 | ![]() |
Michael I 1921–2017 (Lived: 96 years) |
Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen | 20 July 1927 | 8 June 1930 (Deposed) |
2 years, 323 days | Grandson of Ferdinand I |
— | ![]() |
Prince Nicholas 1903–1978 (Lived: 74 years) |
Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen | 20 July 1927 | 8 June 1930 (Resigned) |
2 years, 323 days | Regency Council For Michael I |
— | Patriarch Miron Cristea 1868–1939 (Lived: 70 years) |
— | |||||
— | Gheorghe Buzdugan 1867–1929 (Lived: 62 years) |
7 October 1929 (Died) |
2 years, 79 days | ||||
— | 1862–1935 (Lived: 72 years) |
9 October 1929 | 8 June 1930 (Resigned) |
242 days | |||
4 | ![]() |
Carol II 1893–1953 (Lived: 59 years) |
Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen | 8 June 1930 | 6 September 1940 (Abdicated) |
10 years, 90 days | Son of Ferdinand I |
(3) | ![]() |
Michael I 1921–2017 (Lived: 96 years) |
Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen | 6 September 1940 | 30 December 1947 (Abdicated) |
7 years, 115 days | Son of Carol II |
— | ![]() |
Marshal Ion Antonescu 1882–1946 (Lived: 63 years) |
— | 6 September 1940 | 23 August 1944 (Deposed) |
3 years, 352 days | Conducător With Michael I |
Romanian People's Republic/Socialist Republic of Romania (1947–1989)[]
- Status
Head of State | Term of office | Political party | Position(s) | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
Election | Took office | Left office | Time in office | ||
1 | ![]() |
Constantin Ion Parhon 1874–1969 (Lived: 94 years) |
30 December 1947 | 13 April 1948 | 105 days | PMR | President of the Provisional Presidium of the Republic | |
13 April 1948 | 12 June 1952 | 4 years, 60 days | President of the Presidium of the Great National Assembly | |||||
2 | ![]() |
Petru Groza 1884–1958 (Lived: 73 years) |
12 June 1952 | 7 January 1958 (Died) |
5 years, 209 days | FP (1952–1953) Independent (1953–1958) | ||
— | ![]() |
Mihail Sadoveanu 1880–1961 (Lived: 80 years) |
— | 7 January 1958 | 11 January 1958 | 4 days | PMR | Acting Presidents of the Presidium of the Great National Assembly |
— | ![]() |
Anton Moisescu 1913–2002 (Lived: 88 years) |
PMR | |||||
3 | ![]() |
Ion Gheorghe Maurer 1902–2000 (Lived: 97 years) |
11 January 1958 | 21 March 1961 | 3 years, 69 days | PMR | President of the Presidium of the Great National Assembly | |
4 | ![]() |
Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej 1901–1965 (Lived: 63 years) |
1961 | 21 March 1961 | 19 March 1965 (Died) |
3 years, 363 days | PMR | President of the State Council |
— | ![]() |
Ion Gheorghe Maurer 1902–2000 (Lived: 97 years) |
— | 19 March 1965 | 24 March 1965 | 5 days | PMR | Acting Presidents of the State Council |
— | ![]() |
Ștefan Voitec 1900–1984 (Lived: 84 years) |
PMR | |||||
— | ![]() |
Avram Bunaciu 1909–1983 (Lived: 73 years) |
PMR | |||||
5 | ![]() |
Chivu Stoica 1908–1975 (Lived: 68 years) |
1965 | 24 March 1965 | 9 December 1967 (Resigned) |
2 years, 260 days | PMR renamed in 1965 to PCR |
President of the State Council |
6 | ![]() |
Nicolae Ceaușescu 1918–1989 (Lived: 71 years) |
1967 | 9 December 1967 | 22 December 1989 (Deposed) |
22 years, 13 days | PCR | |
1974 1980 1985 |
28 March 1974 | 15 years, 269 days | President of Romania |
General Secretary of the Romanian Workers' Party/Romanian Communist Party[]
General Secretary | Term of office | Position(s) | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
Took office | Left office | Time in office | |
1 | ![]() |
Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej 1901–1965 (Lived: 63 years) |
16 October 1945 | 19 April 1954 | 8 years, 185 days | General Secretary of the Romanian Communist Party |
February 1948 | General Secretary of the Romanian Workers' Party | |||||
2 | ![]() |
Gheorghe Apostol 1913–2010 (Lived: 97 years) |
19 April 1954 | 30 September 1955 | 1 year, 164 days | First Secretary of the Romanian Workers' Party |
(1) | ![]() |
Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej 1901–1965 (Lived: 63 years) |
30 September 1955 | 19 March 1965 (Died) |
9 years, 170 days | |
3 | ![]() |
Nicolae Ceaușescu 1918–1989 (Lived: 71 years) |
22 March 1965 | 22 December 1989 (Deposed) |
24 years, 275 days | |
24 July 1965 | General Secretary of the Romanian Communist Party |
Contemporary Romania (1989–present)[]
The Constitution of Romania prohibits the President to be a member of any 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 Presidents, for whom such a restriction is not explicitly stipulated in the law.
- Status
Head of State | Term of office | Political party | Position(s) | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
Election | 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 | Collective Head of State |
2 | ![]() |
Ion Iliescu Born 1930 (91 years old) |
— | 26 December 1989[3] | 6 February 1990 | 42 days | FSN | President of Council of the National Salvation Front |
6 February 1990 | 20 June 1990 | 134 days | President of the Provisional National Unity Council | |||||
1990 | 20 June 1990 | 7 April 1992 | 1 year, 292 days | President of Romania | ||||
7 April 1992 | 11 October 1992 | 187 days | FDSN | |||||
1992 | 11 October 1992 | 29 November 1996 | 4 years, 49 days | PDSR | ||||
3 | ![]() |
Emil Constantinescu Born 1939 (82 years old) |
1996 | 29 November 1996 | 20 December 2000 | 4 years, 21 days | PNȚ-CD | |
(2) | ![]() |
Ion Iliescu Born 1930 (91 years old) |
2000 | 20 December 2000 | 20 December 2004 | 4 years | PSD | |
4 | ![]() |
Traian Băsescu Born 1951 (70 years old) |
2004 | 20 December 2004 | 20 April 2007 (Impeached) |
2 years, 121 days | PD | |
— | ![]() |
Nicolae Văcăroiu Born 1943 (78 years old) |
— | 20 April 2007 | 23 May 2007 | 33 days | PSD | ad interim President of Romania (as President of the Senate) |
(4) | ![]() |
Traian Băsescu Born 1951 (70 years old) |
2009 | 23 May 2007 (Reinstated) |
10 July 2012 (Impeached) |
5 years, 48 days | PDL | President of Romania |
— | ![]() |
Crin Antonescu Born 1959 (62 years old) |
— | 10 July 2012 | 27 August 2012 | 48 days | PNL | ad interim President of Romania (as President of the Senate) |
(4) | ![]() |
Traian Băsescu Born 1951 (70 years old) |
— | 27 August 2012 (Reinstated) |
21 December 2014 | 2 years, 116 days | PDL | President of Romania |
5 | Klaus Iohannis Born 1959 (62 years old) |
2014 2019 |
21 December 2014 | Incumbent | 7 years, 50 days | PNL |
Living former heads of state[]
There are three living former Romanian Presidents:
Emil Constantinescu
(1996–2000)
November 19, 1939Traian Băsescu
(2004–2014)
November 4, 1951
Timeline[]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/timeline/6yhp65an8xxirow25ltkwll8gmdj10b.png)
See also[]
Footnotes and references[]
- ^ Valentina Pop (17 November 2014). "Romanians elect first ethnic German president". EUobserver.
- ^ "Countries QR". rulers.org.
- ^ "Rulers.org".
- Bulei, Ion, O istorie a românilor, Editura Meronia, București, 2007, pg. 266-267
External links[]
- Lists of heads of state
- Heads of state of Romania
- Kings of Romania
- Presidents of Romania
- Lists of political office-holders in Romania