Editing History of Romania (section)

== Transition to free market (1990–2004) ==
{{Main|History of Romania since 1989}}
{{Undue weight section|date=January 2022}}

After the fall of Ceaușescu, the [[National Salvation Front (Romania)|National Salvation Front]] (FSN) led by Iliescu introduced partial multi-party democratic and free market measures.<ref>{{Citation| last=Carothers| first= Thomas |title= Romania: The Political Background |url= http://www.idea.int/publications/country/upload/Romania,%20The%20Political%20Background.pdf |quote= This seven-year period can be characterized as a gradualistic, often ambiguous transition away from communist rule towards democracy.}}</ref><ref>{{Citation| work=Transitions World Politics |volume=50 |number=2 |date=January 1998 |pages=203–234| last=Hellman| first=Joel| title= Winners Take All: The Politics of Partial Reform in Postcommunist}}</ref> A university professor with family roots in the Communist Party, [[Petre Roman]], was named prime minister of the new government, which mostly consisted of former communist officials. The government initiated modest free market reforms. Several major political parties of the pre-war era, the [[Christian Democratic National Peasants' Party|National Christian Democrat Peasant's Party]] (PNȚ-CD), the [[National Liberal Party (Romania)|National Liberal Party]] (PNL), and the [[Romanian Social Democratic Party (1990–2001)|Romanian Social Democratic Party]] (PSDR), were reconstituted.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Thomas |first=Carothers |title=ROMANIA: THE POLITICAL BACKGROUND |url=https://aceproject.org/ero-en/regions/europe/RO/Romania,%20the%20political%20background.pdf |access-date=March 5, 2022 |website=aceproject.org}}</ref>

From April to June 1990, a series of anti-government protests known as the [[Golaniad]] took place in Bucharest's [[University Square, Bucharest|University Square]], against the FSN consisting of several former Communists and [[Securitate]] officials.<ref name="Deletant">{{Cite book|last=Deletant |first=Dennis |chapter=The Security Services since 1989: Turning over a new leaf |year=2004 |editor-last=Carey |editor-first=Henry F. |title=Romania since 1989: politics, economics, and society |publisher=Lexington Books |location=Oxford |page=507 |url=http://d.yimg.com/kq/groups/21010417/803473086/name/Carey_final.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105090207/http://d.yimg.com/kq/groups/21010417/803473086/name/Carey_final.pdf|archive-date=November 5, 2012}}</ref> General elections were held on 20 May 1990, the first free ones since [[1937 Romanian general election|1937]].<ref>[https://www.chicagotribune.com/1990/03/30/romanians-hope-free-elections-mark-revolutions-next-stage/ Romanians Hope Free Elections Mark Revolution's Next Stage]. ''[[Chicago Tribune]]''. 30 March 1990.</ref> Benefitting from the FSN's tight media control, Iliescu won the presidency with 85% of the vote, whilst the FSN secured two-thirds of the seats in Parliament. Although most protesters left University Square after the elections, a minority deemed the results illegitimate and demanded the exclusion from political life of the former high-ranking Communist Party members. The peaceful demonstrations degenerated into violence; some of the protesters attacked the police headquarters, national television station, and the Foreign Ministry. After the police failed to bring the demonstrators to order, Iliescu called on the "men of good will" to defend the state institutions in Bucharest.<ref>{{Citation| last=Bohlen | first=Celestine |title = Evolution in Europe; Romanian miners invade Bucharest|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE6D6113DF936A25755C0A966958260 |quote=Responding to an emergency appeal by President Ion Iliescu, thousands of miners from northern Romania descended on the capital city today | work=The New York Times | date=15 June 1990 | access-date=2010-05-04}}</ref><ref>{{Citation| title= Romania, Human Rights Developments|url= https://www.hrw.org/reports/1990/WR90/HELSINKI.BOU-02.htm| quote=The most dramatic example was then President-elect Iliescu's call on 13 June for miners to come to Bucharest to restore order}}</ref>

Various worker groups from Romania's industrial platforms responded, some of them engaged in altercations with the protesters. The coal miners of the [[Jiu River|Jiu Valley]], thousands of whom arrived in Bucharest on 14 June, were the most visible and politically influential. According to the miners, most of the [[June 1990 Mineriad#Inquiry into potential involvement of the Romanian Intelligence Service|violence was perpetrated by government agents]] who were agitating the crowds.<ref name="Deletant" /><ref name="Baleanu">{{cite web|url=https://fas.org/irp/world/romania/g43.html |author=Baleanu, V G.|title=The Enemy Within: The Romanian Intelligence Service in Transition.|date=January 1995|publisher=Conflict Studies Research Centre, The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst: Camberley, Surrey GU15 4PQ. |access-date=2015-08-25}}</ref> Some of the counter-protesters attacked the headquarters and private residences of opposition leaders. Later parliamentary inquiries showed members of the government intelligence services were involved in the instigation and manipulation of both the protesters and the miners, and in June 1994, a Bucharest court found two former Securitate officers guilty of ransacking and stealing $100,000 from the house of a leading opposition politician.<ref name="Deletant" /><ref name="Baleanu" /> Roman's government fell in late September 1991, when the miners returned to Bucharest to demand higher salaries.{{citation needed|date=January 2022}} A [[technocrat]], [[Theodor Stolojan]], was appointed to head an interim government until new elections could be held.{{citation needed|date=January 2022}}

=== 1991 constitution ===

In the [[1991 Romanian constitutional referendum|first referendum]] in post-Decembrist Romania, a [[Constitution of Romania|new constitution]] was adopted in 1991,<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Gherghina |first1=Sergiu |date=August 2019 |title=Hijacked Direct Democracy |url=http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/167694/ |journal=East European Politics and Societies |volume=33 |issue=3 |pages=778–797 |doi=10.1177/0888325418800553 |s2cid=158726014 |access-date=2022-12-01}}</ref> being revised in [[2003 Romanian constitutional referendum|2003]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=CONSTITUTION OF ROMANIA |url=http://www.cdep.ro/pls/dic/site.page?id=371 |access-date=2022-04-28 |website=www.cdep.ro}}</ref> In [[2018 Romanian constitutional referendum|2018]], 93.4% of the electorate voted in favor of amending the constitution definition of family in order to prohibit [[same-sex marriage]], although the change was not implemented due to an only 21% voter turnout.<ref>[http://referendum2018.bec.ro/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/prezenta_16.01.pdf Referendumul naţional pentru revizuirea Constituţiei din 6 și 7 octombrie 2018]</ref>

In March 1992, the FSN split into two groups: the [[Social Democratic Party (Romania)|Democratic National Front]] (FDSN), led by Iliescu and the [[Democratic Party (Romania)|Democratic Party]] (PD), led by Roman. Iliescu won the presidential elections in September 1992 and his FDSN won the general elections held at the same time. [[Red Quadrilateral|With parliamentary support]] from the nationalist [[Romanian National Unity Party]] (PUNR), [[Greater Romania Party]] (PRM), and the ex-communist Socialist Workers' Party (PSM), a new government was formed in November 1992 under Prime Minister [[Nicolae Văcăroiu]]. The FDSN changed its name to [[Party of Social Democracy in Romania]] (PDSR) in July 1993.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Romania - Political Stability, Economic Reforms, and Corruption Trials {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Romania/New-constitution |access-date=2023-05-24 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref>

The subsequent disintegration of the National Salvation Front (FSN) produced the Party of Social Democracy in Romania (PDSR) (later [[Social Democratic Party (Romania)|Social Democratic Party]], PSD), the [[Democratic Party (Romania)|Democratic Party]] (PD),<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=225. Romania's First Post-Communist Decade: From Iliescu to Iliescu {{!}} Wilson Center |url=https://www.wilsoncenter.org/publication/225-romanias-first-post-communist-decade-iliescu-to-iliescu |access-date=2022-04-28 |website=www.wilsoncenter.org |date=7 July 2011 |language=en}}</ref> and the ApR ([[List of political parties in Romania#Post−1989 parties|Alliance for Romania]]).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Teodor Melescanu implineste 70 de ani |url=https://ziare.com/teodor-melescanu/pnl/teodor-melescanu-implineste-70-de-ani-1080641 |access-date=2022-04-28 |website=Ziare.com |language=ro}}</ref> The PDSR party governed Romania from 1990 until 1996 through several coalitions and governments with Iliescu as head of state.{{citation needed|date=January 2022}}
[[Emil Constantinescu]] of the [[Romanian Democratic Convention|Democratic Convention]] (CDR) won the second round of the 1996 presidential election and replaced Iliescu as head of state.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Popescu|first=Liliana|date=April 1997|title=A Change of Power in Romania: The Results and Significance of the November 1996 Elections|url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/government-and-opposition/article/change-of-power-in-romania-the-results-and-significance-of-the-november-1996-elections/3227BF839545F4CE61B82155866733E0#|journal=Government and Opposition|language=en|volume=32|issue=2|pages=172–186|doi=10.1111/j.1477-7053.1997.tb00156.x|s2cid=146186773 |issn=0017-257X}}</ref> The PDSR won the largest number of seats but failed to form a viable coalition. Constituent parties of the CDR joined the Democratic Party (PD) and the [[Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania]] (UDMR/RMDSZ) to form a centrist coalition government, holding 60% of the seats.<ref>{{cite web |title=ROMANIA Parliamentary Chamber: Camera Deputatilor |url=http://archive.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/arc/2261_96.htm |website=IPU |access-date=25 October 2022}}</ref> This coalition implemented several critical reforms. The new coalition government, under prime minister [[Victor Ciorbea]] remained in office until March 1998, when [[Radu Vasile]] (PNȚ-CD) took over as prime minister. The former governor of the National Bank, [[Mugur Isărescu]], eventually replaced [[Radu Vasile]] as head of the government.{{citation needed|date=January 2022}}

The [[2000 Romanian general election|2000 election]] brought Iliescu's PDSR, known as [[Social Democratic Party (Romania)|Social Democratic Party]] (PSD) after the merger with the PSDR, back to power.<ref name=":0" /> Iliescu won a third term as the country's president. [[Adrian Năstase]] became the prime minister of the newly formed government.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Profile: Adrian Nastase |url=https://www.rferl.org/a/1056361.html |access-date=2022-04-28 |newspaper=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |date=8 April 2008 |language=en|last1=Shafir |first1=Michael }}</ref>

In 2004, [[Traian Băsescu]] was elected president with an electoral coalition called [[Justice and Truth Alliance]] (DA).<ref name="nytimes.com">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/13/international/europe/romanians-elect-mayor-of-bucharest-as-new-president.html|title = Romanians Elect Mayor of Bucharest as New President|newspaper = The New York Times|date = 13 December 2004|last1 = Dempsey|first1 = Judy}}</ref> The government was formed by a larger coalition which also included the [[Conservative Party (Romania)|Conservative Party]] (PC) and the [[Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania]] (UDMR).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Refugees |first=United Nations High Commissioner for |title=Refworld {{!}} Freedom in the World 2010 – Romania |url=https://www.refworld.org/docid/4c1a1ea10.html |access-date=2022-04-28 |website=Refworld |language=en}}</ref>