History of Romania (1989–present)

Following the Romanian Revolution which toppled Romania's hardline Communist government and the execution of dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu in December 1989, the National Salvation Front seized power, led by Ion Iliescu. The Front transformed itself into a political party in short time and overwhelmingly won the general election of May 1990, with Iliescu as president. The first half of 1990 was marked protests, some of them violent. Most notable was the brutal intervention of coal miners of the Jiu Valley, called in to suppress rioting in central Bucharest.

Subsequently, the Romanian government undertook a programme of free market economic reforms and privatization, following a gradualist line rather than shock therapy throughout the early and mid 1990s. Economic reforms have continued, although there was little economic growth until the 2000s. Social reforms soon after the revolution included easing of the former restrictions on contraception and abortion. Later governments implemented further social policy changes.

Political reforms have been based on a new democratic constitution adopted in 1991. The FSN split that year, beginning a period of coalition governments that lasted until 2000, when Iliescu's Social Democratic Party (then the Party of Social Democracy in Romania, PDSR, now PSD), returned to power and Iliescu again became President, with Adrian Năstase as Prime Minister. This government fell in the 2004 elections amid allegations of corruption, and was succeeded by further unstable coalitions which have been subject to similar allegations.

In recent years, Romania has become more closely integrated with Western institutions, becoming a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 2004 and of the European Union (EU) in 2007.

Following political instability in the wake of the cancellation of the 2024 presidential election due to alleged Russian interference favouring first round winner Călin Georgescu, a new election has held in May 2025 with Nicușor Dan assuming the presidency.

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