Ion Iliescu

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Ion Iliescu IO, OCTM, GOKT, OWE, OMRI
Iliescu in 2004
President of Romania
In office 26 December 1989 – 29 November 1996 Acting until 20 June 1990[a]
Prime Minister	Petre Roman Theodor Stolojan Nicolae Văcăroiu
Preceded by	Nicolae Ceaușescu (as president) National Salvation Front Council (interim government)
Succeeded by	Emil Constantinescu
In office 20 December 2000 – 20 December 2004
Prime Minister	Mugur Isărescu Adrian Năstase
Preceded by	Emil Constantinescu
Succeeded by	Traian Băsescu
Member of the National Salvation Front Council
In office 22 December 1989 – 13 February 1990
Member of the Senate of Romania
In office 22 November 1996 – 14 December 2008
Member of the Chamber of Deputies
In office 9 June 1990 – 27 September 1990
Co-Founding Leader of the National Salvation Front
In office 22 December 1989 – 7 April 1992 Serving with Petre Roman and Dumitru Mazilu[b]
Succeeded by	Petre Roman
Founding Leader of the Democratic National Salvation Front
In office 7 April 1992 – 11 October 1992[c]
Succeeded by	Oliviu Gherman
President of the Party of Social Democracy in Romania[d]
In office January 1997 – 20 December 2000[c]
Preceded by	Oliviu Gherman
Succeeded by	Adrian Năstase
Positions held during the Communist era Member of the State Council In office 1979–1980 Member of the Great National Assembly In office 1957–1961 In office 1965–1973 In office 1975–1985 Member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party In office 1965–1984 Minister of Youth and First Secretary of the Union of Communist Youth In office 11 December 1967 – 17 March 1971 Prime Minister Ion Gheorghe Maurer Preceded by Petru Enache (as First Secretary of the Union of Communist Youth) Succeeded by Dan Marțian President of the National Water Council In office 28 August 1979 – 16 March 1984 Prime Minister Ilie Verdeț Constantin Dăscălescu Preceded by Florin Ioan Iorgulescu Succeeded by Ion Badea President of Iași County Council In office 1974–1979 Vice-President of Timiș County Council In office 1971–1974
Personal details
Born	(1930-03-03) 3 March 1930 (age 94) Oltenița, Kingdom of Romania
Political party	Romanian Communist Party (1953–1989) National Salvation Front (1989–1992) Democratic National Salvation Front (1992) Independent politician (1992–1996; 2000–2004)[b] Party of Social Democracy in Romania (1996–2000) Social Democratic Party (2004–present)
Spouse	Nina Iliescu ​ (m. 1951)​
Parents	Alexandru Iliescu [ro] (father) Maria Dumitru Toma (mother)
Alma mater	Bucharest Polytechnic Institute Moscow State University
Known for	Romanian Revolution
Religion	Atheist
Signature

Ion Iliescu (Romanian pronunciation: [iˈon iliˈesku] ^ⓘ; born 3 March 1930) is a Romanian politician and engineer who served as President of Romania from 1989 until 1996 and from 2000 until 2004. Between 1996 and 2000 and also from 2004 to 2008, the year in which he retired, Iliescu was a senator for the Social Democratic Party (PSD), of which he is the founder and honorary president to this day.

Iliescu joined the Romanian Communist Party (PCR) in 1953 and became a member of its Central Committee in 1965. Beginning with 1971, he was gradually marginalized by Nicolae Ceaușescu. He had a leading role in the Romanian Revolution, becoming the country's president in December 1989. In May 1990, he became Romania's first freely elected head of state. After a new constitution was approved by popular referendum, he served a further two terms, firstly from 1992 to 1996 and then secondly from 2000 to 2004, separated by the presidency of Emil Constantinescu, who defeated him in 1996.

In 2004, during his presidency, Romania joined NATO. In April 2018, Iliescu was charged in Romania with committing crimes against humanity by "approving military measures, some of which had an evidently diversionary character" during the deadly aftermath of the country's 1989 revolution. In 2020, a judge rejected the case due to irregularities in the indictment.^[1][2] The indictment was remade and in 2023 the Court of Appeals decided that the trial can start.^[3] Iliescu is currently the oldest living former Romanian president.

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