16 - Romania: In the Shadow of the Past

Summary

By the time the communist dictatorship of Nicolae Ceau?escu collapsed in December 1989, Romania was more backward and autarchic than other Central and East European countries, perhaps with the exception of Albania. Since then, the country has experienced a rocky democratization and marketization process under Presidents Ion Iliescu (1990–1996 and 2000–2004), Emil Constantinescu (1996–2000), Traian Basescu (2004–2014), and Klaus Iohannis (since 2014). The chapter summarizes post-communist Romania’s political, economic, and social transitions before and after the country’s acceptance as a European Union member state in January 2007. The establishment of the semi-presidential republic, the introduction of a free market economy, the representation of minorities in political institutions, the adoption of transitional justice programs, and relations between the state and the country’s main religious denominations are discussed in some detail, together with the weakness of the civil society, pervasive clientelism, and political corruption.