A new constitution

The need for a new Constitution emerged quickly after the December 1989 events. On June 11, 1990, a Constitutional Commission made up 23 members of the parliament and five professors, led by law professor Antonie Iorgovan, was appointed to work on the project of the new Constitution.

Iorgovan, sometimes referred to as “the father of the Constitution” was the only MP elected outside of any party list in the Romanian Parliament after 1990. He became an independent senator representing Caraș-Severin in May, 1990, and was part of the parliamentary group of the National Liberal Party.

The new Constitution was inspired from the French one of 1958. Its drafting, the debate on it and the adoption took almost one year and a half.

Some of the hot topics of debate prior to the adoption of the Constitution covered the rights of the national minorities, the form of government, the fact that property was not guaranteed but “protected” in the fundamental law, the right to land ownership granted exclusively to Romanian citizens, and the separations of powers.

The Constitution was adopted in the Constituent Assembly [1990 use??CHECK] on November 21, 1991 and came into force after it was approved, following a referendum. On December 8, 1991, over 77% of the almost 11 million Romanians who cast their ballot approved the new Constitution.

The Constitution established that Romania is a national, sovereign and independent state and that the form of government is the republic. It guaranteed the rights and freedoms of citizens and political pluralism. It also established the principle of the separation of powers: legislative, executive and judicial, and a two-chamber parliament. It also stated the principle of autonomy and decentralization in the public administration. The document guaranteed the right to vote, the right to be elected, the right to free circulation in the country and abroad, the right to associate and meet, and, last but not least, it abolished the death penalty.

After it went into force, its revision was discussed on several occasions. It finally happened in 2003, when more than half of the document’s articles underwent changes. In 1995, the Day of the Romanian Constitution was established for December 8.

Fourth miners’ uprising leaves 3 dead, almost 500 hurt in Bucharest

If in 1990, the opposition parties and their leaders were among the targets of the miners who came to Bucharest, this changed in 1991. This time, the miners directed their discontent at the ruling FSN and the government of Peter Roman. On September 24, the miners in Valea Jiului started a strike, looking for a better living standard, and requested that prime minister Roman come from Bucharest to listen to their demands. As this did not happen they took possession of several trains making use of violence and arrived in Bucharest on the morning of September 25, at Băneasa station. They headed towards Victoria Palace, the Government’s HQ, attempting to talk to Roman. Violence followed as the miners attacked the security forces and set the ground floor on fire. An emblematic photo of that year shows Ion Rațiu, a leader of the Christian Democratic National Peasants' Party, surrounded by miners at the tribune of the Chamber of Deputies, surrounded by miners, attempting to calm down the spirits. The miners had entered the assembly room of the Deputies’ Assembly and requested the resignation of president Iliescu and that all of their demands were met. After two days of chaos, Roman resigned. Almost 500 people were hurt during the time they spend in the capital, and three died – two bystanders and one gendarme as fires were shot by the security forces.

The new, technocrat Government

After the resignation of the cabinet led by Petre Roman, a technocrat government headed by Theodor Stolojan took over. The new cabinet was in place from mid-October to November 1992. It took over with the mission to continue the reforms started by the previous Government and to prepare the 1992 elections.

An economist and former finance minister in the second cabinet led by Petre Roman, Stolojan worked at the World Bank after his mandate as prime minister ended. He was also a presidential candidate in 2000, on behalf of the National Liberal Party, coming out third in the first round of the elections.

Europe connection

Land Restitution

Brancusi note

National anthem

Berevoiesti scandal

Alianta Civica

SOTI tv station - December 1991 on air

editor@romania-insider.com