Famous Romanian Leaders

Kwame Nkrumah was a Ghanaian revolutionary and politician. He played an important role in the independence of the Gold Coast in 1957, after which he served as the first prime minister of Ghana from 1957 to 1960 and then as the first president of Ghana from 1960 to 1966. He also played an influential role as an advocate of Pan-Africanism.

Ion Antonescu was a Romanian marshal who served as a dictator during World War II. Appointed the prime minister in 1940, he formed a military dictatorship in Romania and joined hands with the Axis powers. His regime was ended by a coup d’etat led by King Michael, and he was sentenced to death.

Moldovan politician Maia Sandu, who was part of the Liberal Democratic Party before forming the Party of Action and Solidarity, has also served her country as its prime minister and is now its president. She has previously also been the advisor to the World Bank executive director.

Romanian far-right politician Corneliu Zelea Codreanu founded the anti-Semitic and fascist movement called Iron Guard, also known as the Legionary Movement. While the movement turned into a successful political party, it was crushed by King Carol II, while Codreanu was imprisoned and then shot to death while escaping.

Tacitus was a Roman politician and historian. He is widely considered one of the greatest Roman historians of all time. Tacitus is best remembered for his fascinating insights into the psychology of politics, especially power politics.

Mihai Viteazul, or Michael the Brave, was the prince of Walachia, who became a national hero after uniting all Romanian principalities under his rule. Known for his exploits against the Turks, he also conquered Transylvania and Moldavia. He was killed shortly after suppressing a revolt of Magyar nobles.

Alaric I reigned as the first king of the Visigoths. Alaric, who operated against the Western Roman regimes, is best remembered for playing a crucial role in the sack of Rome in 410, which was one of the major events leading up to the fall of the Western Roman Empire. After Rome's sack, Alaric fell ill and died in Bruttium.

Elena Ceauşescu was a Romanian communist politician who served as the first Deputy Prime Minister of Romania from 29 March 1980 to 22 December 1989. She was also the First Lady of Romania from 28 March 1974 to 22 December 1989, during which her husband Nicolae Ceaușescu served as the first President of Romania.

Former Romanian politician Traian Băsescu was impeached and re-instated by a popular referendum once in 2007 and again in 2012. As the governor of Bucharest, he successfully reduced the number of stray dogs. He also sent Romanian troops to serve as part of George Bush’s war in Iraq.

Former president of Romania Ion Iliescu was in the news when in 2018, he was charged with crimes against humanity for being involved in the revolts following the toppling of the communist rule in 1989. He denied the charges, though over 800 people were killed after he assumed power.

Romanian physicist and communist-politician Nicu Ceaușescu, youngest son of 1st President of Romania Nicolae Ceaușescu and his wife Elena, also a noted communist-politician, was considered and prepared as the President's heir. Nicu remained closely associated with political-regime of Nicolae and served as Member of the Great National Assembly and First Secretary of the Sibiu Regional Committee of the Communist Party.   

Romanian Communist leader Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej was born into poverty and started his career as an electrician. After joining a workers’ union, he slowly turned to political activism and then rose to become the general secretary of the Romanian Communist Party. He also served as Romania’s first Communist prime minister.

Seasoned Romanian politician Vasilica Viorica Dăncilă became the first woman in the history of Romanian politics to hold office as Prime Minister of Romania as also President of the Social Democratic Party (PSD). She also served as Member of the European Parliament for Romania and is the present President of the newly founded Romanian political party called Nation People Together.

Initially a bodyguard to the Romanian president, Daniel Ghiță later established himself as a talented kickboxer. Known to fans as The Savage Samurai, he popularized his signature low kicks. Once the world number one heavyweight and a World Championship bronze medalist, he later joined politics and also worked for UNICEF.

Jurist and politician Victor Ponta held office as Prime Minister of Romania between May 2012 and November 2015 before resigning in the wake of Colectiv nightclub fire. He served as President of Social Democratic Party and was its candidate for 2014 Romanian presidential election. He later left the party and founded Pro Romania party and presently serves as its President.

Starting his career in politics with the Democratic Party, Romanian politician Liviu Dragnea eventually switched to the Social Democratic Party and became its leader. He also served as the deputy prime minister of Romania and the president of the Chamber of Deputies. He was involved in a major corruption scandal, too.

Dimitrie Cantemir is remembered as one of the most influential figures of the early Enlightenment days. A Moldavian prince, he later became an advisor to Russian monarch Peter the Great. He not only wrote extensively on Romanian and Ottoman history but also studied Turkish culture and music.

Nicolae Iorga was a Romanian politician, historian, memoirist, poet, playwright, literary critic, and Albanologist. He is credited with co-founding the Democratic Nationalist Party. Nicolae Iorga is best remembered for his service as the Prime Minister of Romania from 19 April 1931 to 6 June 1932. 

Known for his pathbreaking research on the hormone insulin, Romanian physiologist Nicolae Paulescu was also a professor of medicine. He had a tiff with the Nobel Prize committee on their decision to award two other scientists for the discovery of insulin. His anti-Semitic writings influenced the Iron Guard movement.

Romanian lawyer and right-wing politician Diana Iovanovici Sosoaca is known for her controversial views. She supports the withdrawal of Romania from the European Union and has also emerged as a major anti-vaccine supporter in the aftermath of COVID-19. She was also accused of detaining an Italian journalist for asking her uncomfortable questions.

Emil Constantinescu is a Romanian professor and politician. He served as the president of Romania from 1996 to 2000. During his term, he struggled with implementing the processes of privatization and was bogged down by multiple problems. Disillusioned towards the end of his term, he decided not to run for re-election. He is currently involved with many NGOs. 

Nicolae Ceaușescu was a Romanian politician who served as the first president of the country. Ceaușescu's communist government was totalitarian and was responsible for human rights abuses and severe repression. An anti-government protest (the Romanian Revolution) broke out in 1989 and his government was overthrown subsequently. Ceaușescu and his wife were convicted of genocide and executed by firing squad.

Romanian politician Horia Sima was a leader of the fascist Iron Guard movement. He had not just been the deputy prime minister of the Romanian government in 1940 but had also led the Legionnaires' Rebellion and the Bucharest Pogrom the following year. He later escaped to Germany and then to Spain.

Former runner Gabriela Szabo is not just an Olympic gold medalist but also a 3-time World Champion. The Romanian-Hungarian sportsperson also has 4 World Indoor Championship gold medals in her kitty. She made headlines after she collided with Ghanaian long-jumper Kofi Amoah Prah in Stuttgart, while she was leaving the track.

Romanian politician and former Social Democratic Party member Corina Crețu is now a member of the social liberal party PRO Romania. Initially an economist and journalist, she later switched to politics. She has also been the VP of the European Parliament and the European Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms.

Gabriela Firea is a Romanian politician and journalist. She is the current Minister of Family, Youth and Equality of Opportunity. Firea is perhaps best known for her service as the General Mayor of Bucharest from 23 June 2016 to 29 October 2020. She was the first female politician to serve as the mayor of Bucharest.

Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo was a Roman general best remembered as the brother-in-law of the popular Roman Emperor Caligula. Corbulo was famous, so much so that Emperor Nero feared his reputation and ordered him to commit suicide. Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo followed the emperor's order and fell on his own sword. Corbulo has been portrayed in TV and web series.

Iuliu Maniu held office as 32nd Prime Minister of Romania. He served as President of Romanian National Party and thereafter co-founded National Peasants' Party and served as its President for around five years. He was later arrested as a result of the Tămădău affair, convicted of treason and sentenced to life-imprisonment at hard-labour. He died in prison after six years.

Romanian economist and politician Armand Călinescu served as Minister of Interior and Deputy Prime Minister before becoming Prime Minister of Romania. He was believed to be very close to King Carol II and possibly the real-power behind the throne during the King’s royal-dictatorship. Călinescu detested Iron Guard and anti-Semitism and was eventually assassinated by Iron Guard members with Nazi support.

Titus Annius Milo was a Roman political agitator who was prosecuted for the assassination of Publius Clodius Pulcher in 52 BC and exiled from Rome. Titus Annius Milo appears as a prominent character in several novels, such as Robert Harris' Dictator, Colleen McCollough's Caesar, and Conn Iggulden's The Field of Swords.

Known for his extremist views, Romanian politician Corneliu Vadim Tudor established the Romania Mare Party and became known as one of the most significant figures of Romanian politics following the Romanian Revolution. An author and journalist, too, he served as the court poet to dictator Nicolae Ceausescu.

Romanian revolutionary leader and a national hero, Tudor Vladimirescu led the Wallachian uprising of 1821. Initially part of the Greek Friendly Brotherhood, to overturn the Turkish rule in the Balkans, he later formed his own Wallachian revolt. He was eventually executed on the orders of Greek nationalist politician Alexander Ypsilantis.

Ana Pauker was a Romanian communist leader. In 1947, she became the world's first female foreign minister and served in that position until 1952. After the Second World War, Ana Pauker led the Romanian Communist Party unofficially. Her life and career inspired a 2016 feature-length documentary by film director Radu Gabrea.

Mihail Sadoveanu was a Romanian political figure, journalist, short story writer, and novelist. One of the most prolific writers of Romania, Sadoveanu is best remembered for his adventure and historical novels. In 1961, Mihail Sadoveanu was honored with the prestigious Lenin Peace Prize. 

Right-wing Romanian politician Octavian Goga was a significant part of the Romanian nationalistic movement and the Romanian National Party. He later formed the National Christian Party and led Romania as its prime minister. He was a talented poet, playwright, and journalist, too, and penned works such as The Olt River.

Mihail Kogălniceanu was a Romanian statesman, historian, lawyer, and publicist. He is best remembered for his service as the Prime Minister of Romania from 11 October 1863 to 26 January 1865. He was also a two-time Foreign Affairs Minister and four-time Internal Affairs Minister of Romania. Mihail Kogălniceanu was also one of the most influential intellectuals of his generation.

Romanian politician and former minister of tourism Elena Udrea has been a member of several parties, including the People's Movement Party and Democratic Liberal Party. She made headlines after being sentenced to 6 years in prison for bribery and abuse of power in what is now known as the Bute Gala case.

French-born Romanian politician Clotilde Armand is a member of the Save Romania Union party and has been a member of the European Parliament. She now serves as the mayor of Sector 1 of Bucharest and is part of the pro-Europe political group Renew Europe. She had previously co-founded the party Save Bucharest Union.

Adrian Năstase is a Romanian jurist, blogger, professor, and former politician. He is best known for his service as the Prime Minister of Romania from 28 October 2000 to 21 December 2004. He also served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 28 June 1990 to 18 November 1992. Năstase retired from politics following a corruption trial and prison sentence.

Romanian military general Constantin Sănătescu served as the prime minister of Romania’s first liberation government after the coup of August 1944. Though he initially wished to create a democratic regime, free of Communist influence, he later bowed down to pressure from Communist Russia and eventually resigned.

Ion Ionel Constantin Brătianu served as Prime Minister of Romania for five-terms and played an instrumental role in unification of Old Romanian Kingdom with Transylvania, Bessarabia and Bukovina. He served as Foreign Minister of Romania. He led National Liberal Party (PNL) for over 18-years. He hailed from the influential Brătianu family of Romanian politicians, who dominated PNL throughout its existence.

Romanian Christian Democratic politician Corneliu Coposu is largely remembered as the founder of the anti-Communist alliance Romanian Democratic Convention. Initially a journalist, he was elected to the Senate of Romania in 1992. He spent 17 years as a detainee during the Communist regime. He later won the Legion of Honour.

Ion Gheorghe Maurer was a Romanian lawyer and politician. He is remembered as the longest serving Prime Minister of Romania as he served in that position for over 12 years. He also served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1957 to 1958. Maurer was also known for his ostentatious lifestyle, having accumulated a sizable wealth during his political career.

Romanian politician and National Liberal Party leader Emil Boc has previously led the Democratic Liberal Party and been the prime minister of Romania. He now serves as the mayor of the Romanian city of Cluj-Napoca. He has also been the Romanian minister of education in the past.