List of heads of state of Romania

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This is a list of all the persons that have served as heads of state of Romania since 1859. This includes both monarchic and republican heads of state, as well as the members of the two regencies (1866 and 1927–1930).

United Principalities/Principality of Romania (1859–1881)

Non-dynastic (1859–1866)

Nº	Nº	Picture	Name	Born-Died	Reign start	Reign end	Notes
1	1		Alexandru Ioan Cuza	1820–1873	24 January 1859	23 February 1866	First Domnitor of the United Principalities; deposed in 1866.
—	—		Princely Lieutenancy	—	23 February 1866	22 May 1866	Lascăr Catargiu gen. Nicolae Golescu col. Nicolae Haralambie

House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen (1866–1881)

Nº	Nº	Picture	Name	Born-Died	Reign start	Reign end	Notes
2	1		Carol I	1839–1914	22 May 1866	26 March 1881	Second Domnitor of the United Principalities; became first King of the Romanians in 1881.

Kingdom of Romania (1881–1947)

House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen (1881–1947)

Nº	Nº	Picture	Name	Born-Died	Reign start	Reign end	Notes
(2)	1		Carol I	1839–1914	26 March 1881	10 October 1914	First King of the Romanians
3	2		Ferdinand I	1865–1927	10 October 1914	20 July 1927	Became King of Greater Romania in 1922.
4	3		Michael I	1921–	20 July 1927	8 June 1930	First reign, with Prince Nicholas, Miron Cristea, and Gheorghe Buzdugan (replaced after his death by Constantin Sărăţeanu) as Regents
5	4		Carol II	1893–1953	8 June 1930	6 September 1940	Abdicated in 1940.
(4)	(3)		Michael I	1921–	6 September 1940	30 December 1947	Second reign with Ion Antonescu as Conducător until 1944. Abdicated in 1947 under Communist pressure.

Romanian People's Republic/Socialist Republic of Romania (1947–1989)

Nº	Nº	Picture	Name	Born-Died	Term start	Term end	Party	Position(s)
6	—		Constantin Ion Parhon	1874–1969	30 December 1947	13 April 1948	Romanian Workers' Party	President of the Provisional Presidium of the Republic
	1				13 April 1948	12 June 1952		President of the Presidium of the Great National Assembly
7	2		Petru Groza	1884–1958	12 June 1952	7 January 1958	Romanian Workers' Party	President of the Presidium of the Great National Assembly
8	3		Ion Gheorghe Maurer	1902–2000	11 January 1958	21 March 1961	Romanian Workers' Party	President of the Presidium of the Great National Assembly
9	1		Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej	1901–1965	21 March 1961	19 March 1965	Romanian Workers' Party	President of the State Council
10	2		Chivu Stoica	1908–1975	24 March 1965	9 December 1967	Romanian Workers' Party renamed in 1965 to Communist Party of Romania	President of the State Council
11	3		Nicolae Ceaușescu	1918–1989	9 December 1967	28 March 1974	Communist Party of Romania	President of the State Council
	1				28 March 1974	22 December 1989		President of Romania

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 sush restriction is not explicitly stipulated in the law.

Nº	Nº	Picture	Name	Born-Died	Term start	Term end	Party	Position(s)
—	—		Council of the National Salvation Front	—	22 December 1989	26 December 1989	National Salvation Front	Collective Head of State
12	—		Ion Iliescu	1930–	26 December 1989	6 February 1990	National Salvation Front	President of Council of the National Salvation Front
					6 February 1990	20 June 1990		President of the Provisional National Unity Council
	2				20 June 1990	7 April 1992		President of Romania
	(2)				7 April 1992	11 October 1992	Democratic National Salvation Front
	(2)				11 October 1992	29 November 1996	Independent
13	3		Emil Constantinescu	1939–	29 November 1996	20 December 2000	Independent	President of Romania
(12)	(2)		Ion Iliescu	1930–	20 December 2000	20 December 2004	Independent	President of Romania
14	4		Traian Băsescu	1951–	20 December 2004	20 April 2007	Independent	Suspended in the period from 20 April 2007 until 23 May 2007.
15	—		Nicolae Văcăroiu	1943-	20 April 2007	23 May 2007	Social Democratic Party	ad interim President of Romania as President of the Senate
(14)	(4)		Traian Băsescu	1951–	23 May 2007	21 December 2009	Independent	Resumed the office of President of Romania after the Referendum rejected the impeachment
					21 December 2009	10 July 2012		Reelected as President of Romania for a second term; Suspended for a second time from 6 July 2012 until 28 August 2012
16	—		Crin Antonescu	1959–	10 July 2012	27 August 2012	National Liberal Party	ad interim President of Romania as President of the Senate
(14)	(4)		Traian Băsescu	1951–	27 August 2012	Incumbent	Independent	Resumed the office of President of Romania after the Referendum was declared invalid due to insufficient turnout.

Living former heads of state

Name	Term/Reign	Office	Date of birth
Michael I	1927-1930/1940-1947	King of Romania	25 October 1921
Ion Iliescu	1989-1996/2000-2004	President of Romania	3 March 1930
Emil Constantinescu	1996-2000	President of Romania	19 November 1939
Nicolae Văcăroiu	20.04.2007-23.05.2007	Interim President	5 December 1943
Crin Antonescu	10.07.2012-27.08.2012	Interim President	21 September 1959

Timeline

See also

• Domnitor
• King of the Romanians
• President of Romania

Footnotes and references

• Bulei, Ion, O istorie a românilor, Editura Meronia, Bucureşti, 2007, pg. 266-267