1990 Romanian general election

1990 Romanian general election
	Presidential election
← 1985 1992 →
	Results by county; Iliescu: 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90%; Câmpeanu: 60–70% 70–80%
President before election; Ion Iliescu; FSN	Elected President ; Ion Iliescu; FSN
	Assembly of Deputies
← 1985 1992 →
	All 396 seats in the Assembly of Deputies
	Results by county
	Senate
1992 →
	All 119 seats in the Senate
	Results by county
Petre Roman; FSN	Petre Roman; FSN

General elections were held in Romania on 20 May 1990 to elect the President and members of Parliament.^[1] They were the first elections held after the overthrow of the communist regime six months earlier and the first free elections held in the country since 1937.^[2] It was also the first time the president had been directly elected,^[1] the position having been previously elected by the legislature since it was introduced in 1974.^[3]

The National Salvation Front (FSN), which had headed the interim government that took power after the overthrow of Nicolae Ceaușescu, won a decisive victory. Opposition parties performed well below expectations; none of them had the time or resources to present themselves as alternatives to the FSN.^[4] Interim President and FSN leader Ion Iliescu was elected for a full term with 85 percent of the vote. The 1990 Romanian presidential election was the first of its kind held in post-1989 Romania. The FSN also won large majorities in both houses of Parliament, with 263 of the 395 seats in the Assembly of Deputies and 91 of the 118 seats in the Senate.

The United States State Department expressed concerns about organised violence and polling irregularities, but concluded that they had had no effect on the outcome and pronounced the elections free and fair.^[5]

To date, this is the only time since direct presidential elections were introduced that a president has been elected without the need for a runoff. Iliescu's 85 percent vote share also remains the highest for a direct presidential election.

Presidential candidates

Name	Lifespan	Public Administration Experience	Affiliation and endorsements	Alma mater and profession	Candidacy Announcement dates
Ion Iliescu	Born: March 3, 1930 (age 60) Oltenița, Călărași County	Acting President of Romania: 1989–election day President of Water Surfaces Management Council (1979–1984) Member of the State Council (full member: 1979–1980, observative: 1974–1979) President of Iași County Council (1974–1979) Vice-president of Timiș County Council (1971–1974) Minister of Youth (1967–1971) Deputy (1957–1961, 1965–1973, 1975–1985)	Affiliation: FSN	Energy Institute, Moscow State University (1954) fluid mechanics engineer, publishing house manager	Official: April 8, 1990^[6] BEC filing: April 17, 1990^[7]
Radu Câmpeanu	Born: February 28, 1922 (age 68) Bucharest Died October 19, 2016, Bucharest		Affiliation: PNL Endorsed by UDMR and PER	Faculty of Law, University of Bucharest (1945) Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Bucharest (1947) economist	BEC filing: April 19, 1990^[8]
Ion Rațiu	Born: June 6, 1917 (age 72) Turda, Cluj County Died: January 17, 2000, London	Chancellor at Romanian Embassy in UK (1940)	Affiliation: PNȚCD Endorsed by: PSDR	Faculty of Law, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca (1938) Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge (1943) lawyer, economist, journalist	Official: April 6, 1990^[9] BEC filing: April 23, 1990

Results

President


Candidate		Party	Votes	%
	Ion Iliescu	National Salvation Front	12,232,498	85.07
	Radu Câmpeanu	National Liberal Party	1,529,188	10.64
	Ion Rațiu	Christian Democratic National Peasants' Party	617,007	4.29
Total			14,378,693	100.00

Valid votes			14,378,693	96.98
Invalid/blank votes			447,923	3.02
Total votes			14,826,616	100.00
Registered voters/turnout			17,200,722	86.20
Source: AEP

Ion Iliescu
Radu Câmpeanu
Ion Rațiu
Overview

Parliament

Senate



Party		Votes	%	Seats
	National Salvation Front	9,353,006	67.02	91
	Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania	1,004,353	7.20	12
	National Liberal Party	985,094	7.06	10
	Christian Democratic National Peasants' Party	348,687	2.50	1
	Ecological Movement of Romania	341,478	2.45	1
	Alliance for Romanian Unity	300,473	2.15	2
	Democratic Agrarian Party of Romania	221,790	1.59	0
	Ecologist Party of Romania	192,574	1.38	1
	Romanian Socialist Democratic Party	152,989	1.10	0
	Romanian Social Democratic Party	69,762	0.50	0
	Democratic Group of the Centre	65,440	0.47	0
	National Reconstruction Party	52,465	0.38	0
	Party of Free Change	46,247	0.33	0
	Democratic Party of Labour	44,360	0.32	0
	Liberal Union–Brătianu	35,943	0.26	0
	Party of Young Free Democrats	32,506	0.23	0
	Cooperatist Party	22,869	0.16	0
	Christian Democratic Union	21,210	0.15	0
	Democratic Union of the Roma of Romania	19,847	0.14	0
	Democratic Forum of Germans	19,105	0.14	0
	Liberal Party of Freedom of Romania	14,546	0.10	0
	Democratic Environmentalist Party	14,496	0.10	0
	Party of Democratic Unity	14,069	0.10	0
	Party of Democratic Unity of Moldova	13,111	0.09	0
	Party of Labour	11,397	0.08	0
	Republican Christian Party	11,045	0.08	0
	Grouping of the Centre 'New Romania'	9,405	0.07	0
	Humanistic Ecological Party - founded in Arad	8,888	0.06	0
	Turkish Muslim Democratic Union	8,489	0.06	0
	Union of the Ukrainians of Romania	8,310	0.06	0
	Party Christian Orthodox Union	7,324	0.05	0
	Democratic Union 'Tara Oasului'	7,181	0.05	0
	Party of Christian Union of Romania	7,045	0.05	0
	Romanian Christian Social Democratic Party	6,964	0.05	0
	Party of the Gypsies of Romania	5,565	0.04	0
	Party of Social Justice	5,344	0.04	0
	Party Alliance for Democracy	4,958	0.04	0
	Party of Labour and Social Justice of Romania	4,490	0.03	0
	Romanian Party for a New Society	3,860	0.03	0
	Romanian Peasant Party	3,547	0.03	0
	Republican Union Party	3,280	0.02	0
	Party for National and Democratic Reconstruction	3,228	0.02	0
	Democratic Party of Cluj	2,751	0.02	0
	Radical Democratic Party	2,600	0.02	0
	Free Democratic Union of Roma of Romania	2,505	0.02	0
	Romanian Popular Front of National Salvation	1,660	0.01	0
	Association of Former Political Prisoners/Detainees and Victims of the Dictatorship in Romania	1,613	0.01	0
	Humanitarian Party of Peace	1,599	0.01	0
	Constitutional Democratic Party of Romania	1,224	0.01	0
	Party for the Honouring of the Heroes of the Revolution and National Salvation	1,089	0.01	0
	Romanian National Party	1,019	0.01	0
	Party Democratic Future of the Motherland	1,008	0.01	0
	Democratic Progressive Party	914	0.01	0
	Union of Poles of Romania	848	0.01	0
	National Republican Party	754	0.01	0
	Workers Alliance 'Freedom' Anticommunist and Antifascist	672	0.00	0
	National Progressive Party	634	0.00	0
	Party of the Romanian House of Democratic Europe	553	0.00	0
	Movement 'Young Democracy'	462	0.00	0
	Independents	427,535	3.06	1
Total		13,956,180	100.00	119

Valid votes		13,956,180	94.13
Invalid/blank votes		869,584	5.87
Total votes		14,825,764	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		17,200,722	86.19
Source: AEP

Assembly of Deputies



Party		Votes	%	Seats
	National Salvation Front	9,089,659	66.31	263
	Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania	991,601	7.23	29
	National Liberal Party	879,290	6.41	29
	Ecological Movement of Romania	358,864	2.62	12
	Christian Democratic National Peasants' Party	351,357	2.56	12
	Alliance for Romanian Unity	290,875	2.12	9
	Democratic Agrarian Party of Romania	250,403	1.83	9
	Ecologist Party of Romania	232,212	1.69	8
	Romanian Socialist Democratic Party	143,393	1.05	5
	Romanian Social Democratic Party	73,014	0.53	2
	Democratic Group of the Centre	65,914	0.48	2
	Democratic Party of Labour	52,595	0.38	1
	Party of Free Change	47,017	0.34	1
	National Reconstruction Party	43,808	0.32	1
	Party of Young Free Democrats	43,188	0.32	1
	Democratic Forum of Germans	38,768	0.28	1
	Liberal Union–Brătianu	36,869	0.27	1
	Democratic Union of the Roma of Romania	29,162	0.21	1
	Democratic Environmentalist Party	26,058	0.19	0
	Cooperatist Party	24,749	0.18	0
	Christian Democratic Union	24,001	0.18	0
	United Democratic Party of the Roma Woodworkers and Fiddlers in Romania	21,847	0.16	0
	Romanian Peasant Party	21,588	0.16	0
	Liberal Party of Freedom of Romania	20,744	0.15	0
	Community of the Lipovan Russians	17,974	0.13	1
	Party Christian Orthodox Union	17,521	0.13	0
	Socialist Party of Justice	17,484	0.13	0
	Party of the Gypsies of Romania	16,865	0.12	0
	Party of Democratic Unity from Moldova	16,863	0.12	0
	Party of Democratic Unity	16,354	0.12	0
	Union of the Ukrainians of Romania	16,179	0.12	1
	Party of Christian Union	14,902	0.11	0
	Humanistic Ecological Party	12,739	0.09	0
	Romanian Party for the New Society	12,305	0.09	0
	Party of Labour	10,744	0.08	0
	Democratic Union of the Serbs of Romania	9,095	0.07	1
	Grouping of the Centre 'New Romania'	9,073	0.07	0
	Christian Republican Party	8,939	0.07	0
	Turkish Muslim Democratic Union	8,600	0.06	1
	Democratic Christian Party of the Roma of Romania	7,939	0.06	0
	Party Alliance for Democracy	6,695	0.05	0
	Democratic Union 'Țara Oasului'	6,215	0.05	0
	Romanian Social Democratic Christian Party	6,194	0.05	0
	Romanian Popular Front of National Salvation	5,208	0.04	0
	Hellenic Union of Romania	4,932	0.04	1
	Free Democratic Union of Roma in Romania	4,605	0.03	0
	Democratic Union of Slovaks and Czechs of Romania	4,584	0.03	1
	National Romanian Party	3,983	0.03	0
	Bulgarian Union of Banat – Bulgarian Cultural Association from Bucharest	3,451	0.03	1
	Radical Democratic Party	3,240	0.02	0
	Party for National and Democratic Reconstruction	3,223	0.02	0
	Republican Union Party	2,693	0.02	0
	Independent Hungarian Party	2,578	0.02	0
	Modern Democratic Movement	2,488	0.02	0
	Union of Poles of Romania	2,372	0.02	1
	Forum of Democracy and National Unity of Romania	2,176	0.02	0
	Party of Labour and Social Justice of Romania	2,146	0.02	0
	Party of the Democratic Future of the Motherland	2,091	0.02	0
	Party of Social Justice (New Democracy) of the North West of Romania	2,073	0.02	0
	National Republican Party	1,610	0.01	0
	Progressive Democratic Party	1,495	0.01	0
	Association of Former Political Prisoners/Detainees and Victims of the Dictatorship in Romania	1,404	0.01	0
	National Progressive Party	1,116	0.01	0
	Democratic Constitutional Party of Romania	946	0.01	0
	Party for the Honouring of the Heroes of the Revolution and National Salvation	891	0.01	0
	Democratic Party of Cluj	425	0.00	0
	Union of Armenians of Romania	399	0.00	1
	Party of the Romanian House of Democratic Europe	390	0.00	0
	Movement 'Young Democracy'	328	0.00	0
	Independents	256,656	1.87	0
Total		13,707,159	100.00	396

Valid votes		13,707,159	92.46
Invalid/blank votes		1,117,858	7.54
Total votes		14,825,017	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		17,200,722	86.19
Source: AEP

References

^ ^a ^b Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p1591 ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7
^ Romanians Hope Free Elections Mark Revolution's Next Stage. Chicago Tribune. 30 March 1990.
^ Romania: Central Government Library of Congress Country Studies
^ "Front In Romania Seems Victorious In Free Elections". The New York Times. 21 May 1990.
^ "Romanian Election Is Valid Despite Flaws, U.S. Declares". The New York Times. 26 May 1990.
^ "Stiri.tvr.ro - Site-ul de stiri al TVR". Stiri.tvr.ro.
^ "17 aprilie 1990, data la care a fost depusă prima candidatură la alegerile prezidențiale din România după căderea lui Nicolae Ceaușescu". Europa FM. April 17, 2019.
^ "Radu Câmpeanu, campanie mai mult afară decât în ţară". jurnalul.ro.
^ "Ion Raţiu – candidatul ţărănist la Preşedinţie". jurnalul.ro.

[NS-1] Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p1591 ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7

[2] Romanians Hope Free Elections Mark Revolution's Next Stage. Chicago Tribune. 30 March 1990.

[3] Romania: Central Government Library of Congress Country Studies

[4] "Front In Romania Seems Victorious In Free Elections". The New York Times. 21 May 1990.

[5] "Romanian Election Is Valid Despite Flaws, U.S. Declares". The New York Times. 26 May 1990.

[6] "Stiri.tvr.ro - Site-ul de stiri al TVR". Stiri.tvr.ro.

[7] "17 aprilie 1990, data la care a fost depusă prima candidatură la alegerile prezidențiale din România după căderea lui Nicolae Ceaușescu". Europa FM. April 17, 2019.

[8] "Radu Câmpeanu, campanie mai mult afară decât în ţară". jurnalul.ro.

[9] "Ion Raţiu – candidatul ţărănist la Preşedinţie". jurnalul.ro.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

v t e Elections and referendums in Romania
Parliamentary elections	1864 1866 (Apr) 1866 (Nov) 1867 1868 1869 1870 1871 1874 1875 1876 1877 1878 1879 1883 1884 1888 (Jan) 1888 (Oct) 1891 1892 1895 1899 1901 1905 1907 1911 1912 1914 1918 1919 1920 1922 1926 1927 1928 1931 1932 1933 1937 1939 1946 1948 1952 1957 1961 1965 1969 1975 1980 1985 1990 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024
Presidential elections	1990 1992 1996 2000 2004 2009 2014 2019 2024–25
Local elections	1864 1866 1869 1870 1871 1874 1876 1879 1883 1884 1888 1890 1891 1895 1899 1901 1905 1907 1911 1912 1914 1926 1930 1936 1937 1938 1950 1953 1956 1958 1961 1963 1965 1967 1969 1975 1977 1980 1982 1985 1987 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 2028
European elections	2007 2009 2014 2019 2024 2029
Other elections	Bessarabia: 1917 Moldavia: 1832 1837 1842 1847 1857 (Jul) 1857 (Sep) 1858 1860 Transylvania: 1918 Wallachia: 1831 1836 1841 1842 1846 1857 1859 1860 1861
Referendums	1864 1866 1938 1941 (Mar) 1941 (Nov) 1986 1991 2003 2007 (May) 2007 (Nov) 2009 2012 2018 2019

v t e Romanian presidential elections
President of the Provisional Presidium of the Republic (1947–48)	1947
President of the Presidium of the Great National Assembly (1948–61)	1948 1952 1958
President of the State Council (1961–74)	1961 1965 1967
Communist president of Romania (1974–89)	1974 1980 1985
President of the Provisional National Unity Council (1989–90)	1989 1990
Post-Communist president of Romania (since 1990)	1990 1992 1996 2000 2004 2009 2014 2019 2024–25

v t e Ion Iliescu
2nd President of Romania Born (1930-03-03)3 March 1930
Political activities	President of Iași County Council (1974–1979) President of the National Salvation Front (1990–1992) President of Romania (1990–1996; 2000–2004) Honorary President of the Social Democratic Party (2001–present)
Parties	Communist Party (1953–1984) National Salvation Front (1990–1992) Democratic National Salvation Front (1992–1993) Party of Social Democracy in Romania (1993–2001) Social Democratic Party (2001–present)
Elections and referendums	1990 general election 1991 constitutional referendum 1992 general election 1996 general election 2000 general election 2003 constitutional referendum
Events	Mineriads January 1990 February 1990 June 1990 September 1991 Ethnic clashes of Târgu Mureș (1990) Golaniad (1990) Bridge of Flowers (1990) 1990 Vrancea earthquakes Caritas (1992–1994) 1993 Hădăreni riots Snagov Declaration 2002 floods 2002–2007 property bubble
← Nicolae Ceaușescu Emil Constantinescu → ← Emil Constantinescu Traian Băsescu →