Iliescu, the former president of Romania who spearheaded the free market revolution, passes away at age 95

Ion Iliescu, the former president of Romania, who oversaw the country’s transition from communism and paved the way for its admission to the European Union and NATO, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 95. He was charged with crimes against humanity for forcibly quelling protests in the 1990s.

About two months ago, Iliescu was taken to the hospital due to lung cancer. He would have a state funeral, according to the government.

“History will judge Ion Iliescu, the main figure of the 1990s transition,” president Nicusor Dan stated.

Iliescu became the first democratically elected president of Romania after rising through the ranks of the country’s Communist Party and leading the brutal December 1989 revolution that overthrew tyrant Nicolae Ceausescu and resulted in his summary death on Christmas Day.

“The sun shines, Iliescu appears” was a common chant among Romanians during his peak popularity. However, he called on coal miners, who were then politically powerful, to put down the student protests against him by force when they started in the capital, Bucharest, in June 1990.

He was put on trial at the beginning of this year on allegations of crimes against humanity for his involvement in violence when 20,000 miners stormed the capital to put down nonviolent anti-government demonstrations after numerous unsuccessful attempts to look into him failed. There were hundreds injured and four fatalities.

He was never found guilty and consistently denied any misconduct.

The 1990s miners’ riots hindered Romania’s market economy transition and discouraged much-needed foreign investment for years. Critics have charged that Iliescu is stalling the changes, attempting to thwart reform, and defending the Communist system’s political legacy and ruling class.

However, Iliescu was also the one who persuaded all major parties to back Romania’s bid to join the EU and NATO. In 2004, it became a member of NATO, and in 2007, it joined the European Union.

Iliescu is the only leader of the left-wing Social Democrat Party (PSD) to have won three presidential elections. The PSD is still the largest in the nation. Since his last tenure expired in 2004, no subsequent PSD leader has been able to win.

Sergiu Miscoiu, a professor of political science at Babes-Bolyai University, stated that “Ion Iliescu must be understood in the context of his time.” “In the 1990s, he sparked anti-totalitarian emotions, which was understandable, but a sizable portion of the populace also praised him.

“While he called miners to Bucharest and sealed the slow and uncertain transition, he also … pushed Romania on a Euroatlantic path, such as it was understood at the time.”

Nina, his wife, is his surviving spouse.

August 7 has been designated as a day of national mourning by the government.