Cold War Files: All Units: People: Ion Iliescu

Ion Iliescu

Ion Iliescu
b. March 3, 1930
President of Romania 1990-1992, 1992-1996, 2000-2004.

Ion Iliescu was the President of Romania. He was the first elected President of Romania following the death of Nikolai Ceauşescu.

His third term expired in December 2004. Iliescu previously held the presidency of Romania for two terms: 1990-1992 and 1992-1996. The Constitution of Romania specifies that presidents can be elected for a maximum of 2 terms, but the Constitution was adopted in 1991, the first elections under the new constitution were held in 1992.

Iliescu was a member of Romanian Communist Party (PCR) and held state office before the Communist fall in 1989. He was a founding member of the National Salvation Front (FSN: Frontul Salvării Naţionale), and followed it in its vagaries: FDSN (Frontul Democrat al Salvării Naţionale), then the Social Democratic Party of Romania (PDSR) followed by the Social-Democratic Party (PSD).