Ion Iliescu, Romania’s president following the collapse of communism, passed away on 5 August at 95, according to Euractiv.
His death concludes a deeply polarising political legacy that shaped the nation’s tumultuous transition to democracy. Elected in Romania’s first free polls in 1990 and serving three non-consecutive terms, Iliescu remained a significant influence within the Social Democratic Party despite retreating from public life in recent years due to failing health.
His death followed a lung cancer diagnosis confirmed in June 2025.
Iliescu co-founded the National Salvation Front (FSN), which established provisional governance with military backing amid the power vacuum. However, Iliescu’s actions during and after the revolution remain fiercely contested.
Critics allege he turned to the Soviet Union for military support on 23 December 1989, claims he consistently denied. Resentment over his Communist-era ties ignited mass anti-government protests in Bucharest’s University Square by April 1990. In response, Iliescu summoned miners from the Jiu Valley to suppress demonstrations, triggering the “Mineriada” crackdown.
In a landmark development, Iliescu and former Prime Minister Petre Roman were indicted in April 2024 for crimes against humanity relating to the June 1990 violence. Prosecutors documented a coordinated state assault resulting in four fatalities, two sexual assaults, over 1,300 injuries, and 1,200 unlawful detentions.
Despite the shadow of criminal proceedings, Iliescu retained a substantial support base. Admirers credit him with stabilising a fractured nation, initiating EU integration through the 1995 Snagov Declaration, and securing Romania’s NATO membership during his final presidency (2000-2004).
