Ion Iliescu, Romania’s first president after the fall of communism in December 1989 and one of the country’s most influential and controversial political figures, died on Tuesday, August 5, at the age of 95. His death was announced by the government, which expressed condolences to his family and stated that details regarding the state funeral would be communicated soon.

Iliescu had been hospitalized in the intensive care unit since June 10. Doctors diagnosed him with lung cancer a week later, and his condition required surgical intervention to help him breathe. Although he remained stable for a time, his health deteriorated over the weekend. The Agrippa Ionescu Emergency Hospital announced that he was in critical condition due to multiple organ failure.

“With deep regret, the government announces the passing of the former president of Romania, Mr. Ion Iliescu. The former head of state passed away today, August 5, 2025, at the “Prof. Dr. Agrippa Ionescu” Emergency Clinical Hospital. The government of Romania extends its condolences to his family and all those close to him,” reads the official announcement.

Ion Iliescu served as Romania’s president from 1990 to 1996 and again from 2000 to 2004. His legacy is closely tied to both the Romanian Revolution of December 1989 and the violent “Mineriads” of the early 1990s, when miners were called to Bucharest to suppress anti-government protests, resulting in deaths, injuries, and political turmoil.

Born in 1930 in the town of Oltenița to a communist militant who had spent time in the Soviet Union and later in prison, Iliescu joined the communist youth movement in 1944, according to Biziday.ro. He studied in Moscow in the 1950s and rose through the ranks of Romania’s Communist Party, holding positions such as head of the Propaganda and Agitation Department.

However, in the late 1960s, as Romania distanced itself from the Soviet Union, Iliescu was sidelined by Nicolae Ceaușescu and reassigned to regional leadership roles in Timișoara and Iași. By 1984, he had lost his seat on the Central Committee and was working at the National Water Council and later at a technical publishing house.

During the 1989 Revolution, Iliescu positioned himself as a political dissident and swiftly assumed leadership by forming the National Salvation Front (FSN), which took control of the country. The FSN evolved into a political party, later renamed the FDSN, PDSR, and ultimately PSD, Romania’s current Social Democratic Party.

Ion Iliescu won presidential elections in 1990 and 1992, lost in 1996, but returned to power in 2000 after defeating nationalist leader Corneliu Vadim Tudor. He completed his political career with a final term as senator from 2004 to 2008.

He faced renewed legal scrutiny in the final years of his life. In April 2025, Iliescu, along with former officials Petre Roman, Gelu Voican Voiculescu, and Miron Cozma, was indicted for crimes against humanity related to the June 1990 Mineriad. Prosecutors alleged Iliescu orchestrated political repression in Bucharest, where four people were killed, hundreds injured, and more than 1,200 unlawfully detained.

In the separate “1989 Revolution” case, the former president was accused of deceiving the public through disinformation campaigns coordinated with military leadership between December 22 and 30, 1989. In September 2024, Romania’s High Court sent that case back to military prosecutors, citing procedural delays.

Ion Iliescu withdrew from public life in recent years and did not attend the swearing-in ceremony of president Nicușor Dan two months ago, but he congratulated him in writing following his election.

PSD’s interim leader, Sorin Grindeanu, was among the first to react to the passing away of former president Ion Iliescu. He expressed condolences, calling Iliescu’s passing a moment of profound sadness.

Meanwhile, prime minister Ilie Bolojan also reacted, saying, “Ion Iliescu, former president of Romania and a key political figure in the post-1989 era, passed away today. [...] During his presidency, several key documents and decisions were adopted that shaped Romania’s path, including the Snagov Declaration and the 2003 revision of the Constitution - acts that laid the groundwork for major political and institutional changes. His passing marks the end of a significant chapter in the country’s recent history, defined by the post-communist transition and profound transformations in public life."

“Ion Iliescu now enters history and awaits its fair assessment. I extend my condolences to his family, friends, and all those close to him,” he added.