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 in the early 21st century.

The incumbent head of state, as of 26 October 2023, 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.

United Principalities (1859–1881)

Denotes Regent

Domnitor				Reign			Claim
No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	House	Reign start	Reign end	Duration	Claim
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	Princely Lieutenancy
—		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)

Denotes Regent

Denotes Conducător

King				Reign			Claim
No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	House	Reign start	Reign end	Time in office	Claim
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)	—		8 June 1930 (Resigned)	2 years, 323 days
—		Gheorghe Buzdugan 1867–1929 (Lived: 62 years)			7 October 1929 (Died)	2 years, 79 days
—		Constantin Sărățeanu 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

Denotes acting Head of State

Head of State			Term of office				Political party	Position(s)
No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Election	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Political party	Position(s)
1		Constantin Ion Parhon 1874–1969 (Lived: 94 years)	1947	30 December 1947	13 April 1948	105 days	PMR	President of the Provisional Presidium of the Republic
1		Constantin Ion Parhon 1874–1969 (Lived: 94 years)	1948	13 April 1948	12 June 1952	4 years, 60 days	PMR	President of the Presidium of the Great National Assembly
2		Petru Groza 1884–1958 (Lived: 73 years)	1952	12 June 1952	7 January 1958 (Died)	5 years, 209 days	FP (1952–1953) Independent (1953–1958)	President of the Presidium of the Great National Assembly
—		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)	—	7 January 1958	11 January 1958	4 days	PMR
3		Ion Gheorghe Maurer 1902–2000 (Lived: 97 years)	1958	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	President of the State Council
6		Nicolae Ceaușescu 1918–1989 (Lived: 71 years)	1974 1980 1985	28 March 1974	22 December 1989 (Deposed)	15 years, 269 days	PCR	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	Position(s)
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
1		Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej 1901–1965 (Lived: 63 years)	21 February 1948	19 April 1954	8 years, 185 days	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
3		Nicolae Ceaușescu 1918–1989 (Lived: 71 years)	24 July 1965	22 December 1989 (Deposed)	24 years, 275 days	General Secretary of the Romanian Communist Party

Contemporary Romania (1989–present)

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.

Status

Denotes ad interim (i.e. acting) President

Head of State			Term of office				Political party	Position(s)
No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Election	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Political party	Position(s)
—		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 (93 years old)	—	26 December 1989[3]	6 February 1990	42 days	FSN	President of Council of the National Salvation Front
			1990	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
			1990	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 (83 years old)	1996	29 November 1996	20 December 2000	4 years, 21 days	PNȚCD
(2)		Ion Iliescu Born 1930 (93 years old)	2000	20 December 2000	20 December 2004	4 years	PDSR
4		Traian Băsescu Born 1951 (71 years old)	2004	20 December 2004	20 April 2007 (Impeached)	2 years, 121 days	PD
—		Nicolae Văcăroiu Born 1943 (79 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 (71 years old)	2009	23 May 2007 (Reinstated)	10 July 2012 (Impeached)	5 years, 48 days	PD	President of Romania
—		Crin Antonescu Born 1959 (64 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 (71 years old)	—	27 August 2012 (Reinstated)	21 December 2014	2 years, 116 days	PDL	President of Romania
5		Klaus Iohannis Born 1959 (64 years old)	2014 2019	21 December 2014	Incumbent	8 years, 309 days	PNL	President of Romania

Timeline

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

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[1] Valentina Pop (17 November 2014). "Romanians elect first ethnic German president". EUobserver.

[2] "Countries QR". rulers.org.

[3] "Rulers.org".