# 1990 Romanian general election

General elections were held in Romania on 20 May 1990 to elect the President and members of Parliament. They were the first elections held after the overthrow of the communist regime six months earlier and the first free elections held in the country since 1937. It was also the first time the president had been directly elected, the position having been previously elected by the legislature since it was introduced in 1974.
The National Salvation Front (FSN), which had headed the interim government that took power after the overthrow of Nicolae Ceaușescu, won a decisive victory. Opposition parties performed well below expectations; none of them had the time or resources to present themselves as alternatives to the FSN. Interim President and FSN leader Ion Iliescu was elected for a full term with 85 percent of the vote. The 1990 Romanian presidential election was the first of its kind held in post-1989 Romania. The FSN also won large majorities in both houses of Parliament, with 263 of the 395 seats in the Assembly of Deputies and 91 of the 118 seats in the Senate.
The United States State Department expressed concerns about organised violence and polling irregularities, but concluded that they had had no effect on the outcome and pronounced the elections free and fair.
To date, this is the only time since direct presidential elections were introduced that a president has been elected without the need for a runoff. Iliescu's 85 percent vote share also remains the highest for a direct presidential election.

## Presidential candidates

| Name | Lifespan | Public Administration Experience | Affiliation and endorsements | Alma mater and profession | Candidacy Announcement dates |
| Ion Iliescu | Born: March 3, 1930 (age 60) Oltenița, Călărași County | Acting President of Romania: 1989–election day President of Water Surfaces Management Council (1979–1984) Member of the State Council (full member: 1979–1980, observative: 1974–1979) President of Iași County Council (1974–1979) Vice-president of Timiș County Council (1971–1974) Minister of Youth (1967–1971) Deputy (1957–1961, 1965–1973, 1975–1985) | Affiliation: FSN | Energy Institute, Moscow State University (1954) fluid mechanics engineer, publishing house manager | Official: April 8, 1990 BEC filing: April 17, 1990 |
| Radu Câmpeanu | Born: February 28, 1922 (age 68) Bucharest Died October 19, 2016, Bucharest | | Affiliation: PNL Endorsed by UDMR and PER | Faculty of Law, University of Bucharest (1945) Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Bucharest (1947) economist | BEC filing: April 19, 1990 |
| Ion Rațiu | Born: June 6, 1917 (age 72) Turda, Cluj County Died: January 17, 2000, London | Chancellor at Romanian Embassy in UK (1940) | Affiliation: PNȚCD Endorsed by: PSDR | Faculty of Law, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca (1938) Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge (1943) lawyer, economist, journalist | Official: April 6, 1990 BEC filing: April 23, 1990 |

## Results
### President

| Candidate | Candidate | Party | Votes | % |
| | Ion Iliescu | National Salvation Front | 12,232,498 | 85.07 |
| | Radu Câmpeanu | National Liberal Party | 1,529,188 | 10.64 |
| | Ion Rațiu | Christian Democratic National Peasants' Party | 617,007 | 4.29 |
| Total | Total | Total | 14,378,693 | 100.00 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | Valid votes | 14,378,693 | 96.98 |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 447,923 | 3.02 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 14,826,616 | 100.00 |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 17,200,722 | 86.20 |
| Source: AEP |||||
* Ion Iliescu
* Radu Câmpeanu
* Ion Rațiu
* Overview

### Parliament
#### Senate

Seats :
| | National Salvation Front | 9,353,006 | 67.02 | 91 |
| | Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania | 1,004,353 | 7.20 | 12 |
| | National Liberal Party | 985,094 | 7.06 | 10 |
| | Christian Democratic National Peasants' Party | 348,687 | 2.50 | 1 |
| | Ecological Movement of Romania | 341,478 | 2.45 | 1 |
| | Alliance for Romanian Unity | 300,473 | 2.15 | 2 |
| | Democratic Agrarian Party of Romania | 221,790 | 1.59 | 0 |
| | Ecologist Party of Romania | 192,574 | 1.38 | 1 |
| | Romanian Socialist Democratic Party | 152,989 | 1.10 | 0 |
| | Romanian Social Democratic Party | 69,762 | 0.50 | 0 |
| | Democratic Group of the Centre | 65,440 | 0.47 | 0 |
| | National Reconstruction Party | 52,465 | 0.38 | 0 |
| | Party of Free Change | 46,247 | 0.33 | 0 |
| | Democratic Party of Labour | 44,360 | 0.32 | 0 |
| | Liberal Union–Brătianu | 35,943 | 0.26 | 0 |
| | Party of Young Free Democrats | 32,506 | 0.23 | 0 |
| | Cooperatist Party | 22,869 | 0.16 | 0 |
| | Christian Democratic Union | 21,210 | 0.15 | 0 |
| | Democratic Union of the Roma of Romania | 19,847 | 0.14 | 0 |
| | Democratic Forum of Germans | 19,105 | 0.14 | 0 |
| | Liberal Party of Freedom of Romania | 14,546 | 0.10 | 0 |
| | Democratic Environmentalist Party | 14,496 | 0.10 | 0 |
| | Party of Democratic Unity | 14,069 | 0.10 | 0 |
| | Party of Democratic Unity of Moldova | 13,111 | 0.09 | 0 |
| | Party of Labour | 11,397 | 0.08 | 0 |
| | Republican Christian Party | 11,045 | 0.08 | 0 |
| | Grouping of the Centre 'New Romania' | 9,405 | 0.07 | 0 |
| | Humanistic Ecological Party - founded in Arad | 8,888 | 0.06 | 0 |
| | Turkish Muslim Democratic Union | 8,489 | 0.06 | 0 |
| | Union of the Ukrainians of Romania | 8,310 | 0.06 | 0 |
| | Party Christian Orthodox Union | 7,324 | 0.05 | 0 |
| | Democratic Union 'Tara Oasului' | 7,181 | 0.05 | 0 |
| | Party of Christian Union of Romania | 7,045 | 0.05 | 0 |
| | Romanian Christian Social Democratic Party | 6,964 | 0.05 | 0 |
| | Party of the Gypsies of Romania | 5,565 | 0.04 | 0 |
| | Party of Social Justice | 5,344 | 0.04 | 0 |
| | Party Alliance for Democracy | 4,958 | 0.04 | 0 |
| | Party of Labour and Social Justice of Romania | 4,490 | 0.03 | 0 |
| | Romanian Party for a New Society | 3,860 | 0.03 | 0 |
| | Romanian Peasant Party | 3,547 | 0.03 | 0 |
| | Republican Union Party | 3,280 | 0.02 | 0 |
| | Party for National and Democratic Reconstruction | 3,228 | 0.02 | 0 |
| | Democratic Party of Cluj | 2,751 | 0.02 | 0 |
| | Radical Democratic Party | 2,600 | 0.02 | 0 |
| | Free Democratic Union of Roma of Romania | 2,505 | 0.02 | 0 |
| | Romanian Popular Front of National Salvation | 1,660 | 0.01 | 0 |
| | Association of Former Political Prisoners/Detainees and Victims of the Dictatorship in Romania | 1,613 | 0.01 | 0 |
| | Humanitarian Party of Peace | 1,599 | 0.01 | 0 |
| | Constitutional Democratic Party of Romania | 1,224 | 0.01 | 0 |
| | Party for the Honouring of the Heroes of the Revolution and National Salvation | 1,089 | 0.01 | 0 |
| | Romanian National Party | 1,019 | 0.01 | 0 |
| | Party Democratic Future of the Motherland | 1,008 | 0.01 | 0 |
| | Democratic Progressive Party | 914 | 0.01 | 0 |
| | Union of Poles of Romania | 848 | 0.01 | 0 |
| | National Republican Party | 754 | 0.01 | 0 |
| | Workers Alliance 'Freedom' Anticommunist and Antifascist | 672 | 0.00 | 0 |
| | National Progressive Party | 634 | 0.00 | 0 |
| | Party of the Romanian House of Democratic Europe | 553 | 0.00 | 0 |
| | Movement 'Young Democracy' | 462 | 0.00 | 0 |
| | Independents | 427,535 | 3.06 | 1 |
| Total | Total | 13,956,180 | 100.00 | 119 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 13,956,180 | 94.13 | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 869,584 | 5.87 | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 14,825,764 | 100.00 | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 17,200,722 | 86.19 | |
| Source: AEP |||||

#### Assembly of Deputies

Seats :
| | National Salvation Front | 9,089,659 | 66.31 | 263 |
| | Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania | 991,601 | 7.23 | 29 |
| | National Liberal Party | 879,290 | 6.41 | 29 |
| | Ecological Movement of Romania | 358,864 | 2.62 | 12 |
| | Christian Democratic National Peasants' Party | 351,357 | 2.56 | 12 |
| | Alliance for Romanian Unity | 290,875 | 2.12 | 9 |
| | Democratic Agrarian Party of Romania | 250,403 | 1.83 | 9 |
| | Ecologist Party of Romania | 232,212 | 1.69 | 8 |
| | Romanian Socialist Democratic Party | 143,393 | 1.05 | 5 |
| | Romanian Social Democratic Party | 73,014 | 0.53 | 2 |
| | Democratic Group of the Centre | 65,914 | 0.48 | 2 |
| | Democratic Party of Labour | 52,595 | 0.38 | 1 |
| | Party of Free Change | 47,017 | 0.34 | 1 |
| | National Reconstruction Party | 43,808 | 0.32 | 1 |
| | Party of Young Free Democrats | 43,188 | 0.32 | 1 |
| | Democratic Forum of Germans | 38,768 | 0.28 | 1 |
| | Liberal Union–Brătianu | 36,869 | 0.27 | 1 |
| | Democratic Union of the Roma of Romania | 29,162 | 0.21 | 1 |
| | Democratic Environmentalist Party | 26,058 | 0.19 | 0 |
| | Cooperatist Party | 24,749 | 0.18 | 0 |
| | Christian Democratic Union | 24,001 | 0.18 | 0 |
| | United Democratic Party of the Roma Woodworkers and Fiddlers in Romania | 21,847 | 0.16 | 0 |
| | Romanian Peasant Party | 21,588 | 0.16 | 0 |
| | Liberal Party of Freedom of Romania | 20,744 | 0.15 | 0 |
| | Community of the Lipovan Russians | 17,974 | 0.13 | 1 |
| | Party Christian Orthodox Union | 17,521 | 0.13 | 0 |
| | Socialist Party of Justice | 17,484 | 0.13 | 0 |
| | Party of the Gypsies of Romania | 16,865 | 0.12 | 0 |
| | Party of Democratic Unity from Moldova | 16,863 | 0.12 | 0 |
| | Party of Democratic Unity | 16,354 | 0.12 | 0 |
| | Union of the Ukrainians of Romania | 16,179 | 0.12 | 1 |
| | Party of Christian Union | 14,902 | 0.11 | 0 |
| | Humanistic Ecological Party | 12,739 | 0.09 | 0 |
| | Romanian Party for the New Society | 12,305 | 0.09 | 0 |
| | Party of Labour | 10,744 | 0.08 | 0 |
| | Democratic Union of the Serbs of Romania | 9,095 | 0.07 | 1 |
| | Grouping of the Centre 'New Romania' | 9,073 | 0.07 | 0 |
| | Christian Republican Party | 8,939 | 0.07 | 0 |
| | Turkish Muslim Democratic Union | 8,600 | 0.06 | 1 |
| | Democratic Christian Party of the Roma of Romania | 7,939 | 0.06 | 0 |
| | Party Alliance for Democracy | 6,695 | 0.05 | 0 |
| | Democratic Union 'Țara Oasului' | 6,215 | 0.05 | 0 |
| | Romanian Social Democratic Christian Party | 6,194 | 0.05 | 0 |
| | Romanian Popular Front of National Salvation | 5,208 | 0.04 | 0 |
| | Hellenic Union of Romania | 4,932 | 0.04 | 1 |
| | Free Democratic Union of Roma in Romania | 4,605 | 0.03 | 0 |
| | Democratic Union of Slovaks and Czechs of Romania | 4,584 | 0.03 | 1 |
| | National Romanian Party | 3,983 | 0.03 | 0 |
| | Bulgarian Union of Banat – Bulgarian Cultural Association from Bucharest | 3,451 | 0.03 | 1 |
| | Radical Democratic Party | 3,240 | 0.02 | 0 |
| | Party for National and Democratic Reconstruction | 3,223 | 0.02 | 0 |
| | Republican Union Party | 2,693 | 0.02 | 0 |
| | Independent Hungarian Party | 2,578 | 0.02 | 0 |
| | Modern Democratic Movement | 2,488 | 0.02 | 0 |
| | Union of Poles of Romania | 2,372 | 0.02 | 1 |
| | Forum of Democracy and National Unity of Romania | 2,176 | 0.02 | 0 |
| | Party of Labour and Social Justice of Romania | 2,146 | 0.02 | 0 |
| | Party of the Democratic Future of the Motherland | 2,091 | 0.02 | 0 |
| | Party of Social Justice (New Democracy) of the North West of Romania | 2,073 | 0.02 | 0 |
| | National Republican Party | 1,610 | 0.01 | 0 |
| | Progressive Democratic Party | 1,495 | 0.01 | 0 |
| | Association of Former Political Prisoners/Detainees and Victims of the Dictatorship in Romania | 1,404 | 0.01 | 0 |
| | National Progressive Party | 1,116 | 0.01 | 0 |
| | Democratic Constitutional Party of Romania | 946 | 0.01 | 0 |
| | Party for the Honouring of the Heroes of the Revolution and National Salvation | 891 | 0.01 | 0 |
| | Democratic Party of Cluj | 425 | 0.00 | 0 |
| | Union of Armenians of Romania | 399 | 0.00 | 1 |
| | Party of the Romanian House of Democratic Europe | 390 | 0.00 | 0 |
| | Movement 'Young Democracy' | 328 | 0.00 | 0 |
| | Independents | 256,656 | 1.87 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 13,707,159 | 100.00 | 396 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 13,707,159 | 92.46 | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 1,117,858 | 7.54 | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 14,825,017 | 100.00 | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 17,200,722 | 86.19 | |
| Source: AEP |||||