# 1996 Romanian general election

General elections were held in Romania on 3 November 1996, with a second round of the presidential election on 17 November.
Opinion polls prior to the elections suggested incumbent President Ion Iliescu of the Social Democracy Party of Romania (PDSR, formerly the Democratic National Salvation Front) would win a third term, though it was believed a large field of candidates would push him into a runoff. Iliescu received the most votes in the first round, just ahead of his 1992 run-off opponent, Emil Constantinescu of the Romanian Democratic Convention (CDR).
In the second round, Constantinescu defeated Iliescu with 54 percent of the vote. Iliescu conceded defeat soon after the polls closed. Constantinescu took office on 29 November, marking the first peaceful transfer of power since the fall of communism. To date, it is the only time since the introduction of direct presidential elections that an incumbent Romanian president has been defeated when running for re-election. The 1996 Romanian presidential election was the third of its kind held in post-1989 Romania.
The CDR, a broad coalition of parties opposing the governing centre-left PDSR, also emerged as the largest bloc in Parliament, winning 122 of the 343 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 53 of the 143 seats in the Senate.

## Presidential candidates

| Name | Lifespan | Public administration experience | Affiliation and endorsements | Alma mater and profession |
| Emil Constantinescu | Born: 19 November 1939 (age 56) Tighina (de jure, Republic of Moldova; de facto Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic) | Rector of University of Bucharest (1992–election day) Former presidential election: 1992: 31.1% (2nd place, 1st round), 38.6% (2nd place, 2nd round) | Affiliation: CDR | Faculty of Law, University of Bucharest (1960) Faculty of Geology, University of Bucharest (1966) geology professor |
| Ion Iliescu | Born: 3 March 1930 (age 66) Oltenița, Călărași County | 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) Former presidential elections: 1992: 47.2% (1st place, 1st round), 61.4% (winner, 2nd round) 1990: 85.1% (winner) | Affiliation: PDSR | Energy Institute, Moscow State University (1954) fluid mechanics engineer, publishing house manager |
| Petre Roman | Born: 22 July 1946 (age 50) Bucharest | Deputy (1990–election day) Prime Minister of Romania (1989–1991) | Affiliation: Social Democratic Union Alliance members: PD and PSDR | Faculty of Energy, Politehnica University of Bucharest (1968) hydroelectric powerplant engineer |
| György Frunda | Born: 22 July 1951 (age 45) Târgu Mureș, Mureș County | Senator (1992–election day) | Affiliation: UDMR | Faculty of Law, Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca (1974) lawyer |
| Corneliu Vadim Tudor | Born: 28 November 1949 (age 46) Bucharest Died 14 September 2015, Bucharest | Senator (1992–election day) | Affiliation: PRM | Faculty of Philosophy, University of Bucharest (1971) journalist, writer |
| Gheorghe Funar | Born: 29 September 1949 (age 47) Sânnicolau Mare, Timiș County | Mayor of Cluj-Napoca (1992–election day) Former presidential election: 1992: 10.8% (3rd place, 1st round) | Affiliation: PUNR | Faculty of Economics and Business Management, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca (unknown year) economist |
| Tudor Mohora | Born: 6 October 1950 (age 46) Bogdana, Teleorman County | Deputy (1992–election day) | Affiliation: Socialist Party | Faculty of Chemistry, University of Bucharest (1974) chemistry teacher |
| Nicolae Manolescu | Born: 27 November 1939 (age 56) Râmnicu Vâlcea, Vâlcea County Died 23 March 2024, Bucharest | Senator (1992–election day) | Affiliation: National Liberal Alliance | Faculty of Philology, University of Bucharest (1962) writer, book critic |
| Adrian Păunescu | Born: 20 July 1943 (age 53) Copăceni, Sîngerei District, Republic of Moldova Died 5 November 2010, Bucharest | Senator (1992–election day) | Affiliation: PSM | Faculty of Philology, University of Bucharest (1968) poet |
| Ioan Pop de Popa | Born: 6 October 1927 (age 69) Oradea, Bihor County | Deputy (1965–1973) | Affiliation: Center National Union | Faculty of Medicine, Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca (1952) cardiologist |
| George Muntean | Born: 17 November 1932 (age 63) Bilca, Suceava County | | Affiliation: Retirees Party | Faculty of Letters, University of Bucharest (1959) historian, journalist |
| Radu Câmpeanu | Born: 28 February 1922 (age 74), Bucharest Died 19 October 2016, Bucharest | Former presidential election: 1990: 10.6% (2nd place) | Affiliation: National Liberal-Ecologist Alliance | Faculty of Law, University of Bucharest (1945) Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Bucharest (1947) economist |
| Nuțu Anghelina | Born: 16 April 1956 (age 40) Buhuși, Bacău County | | Affiliation: none | Faculty of Orthodox Theology, unknown university (1986) orthodox priest |
| Constantin Mudava | Born: 8 April 1935 (age 61) Ghirdoveni, Dâmbovița County Died 1 November 2018, Târgoviște | | Affiliation: none | unknown education holistic healer |
| Constantin Niculescu | Born: 18 May 1940 (age 56) Râmnicu Vâlcea, Vâlcea County | | Affiliation: National Party of Motorists | Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Transilvania University of Brașov (1960) mechanical engineer |
| Nicolae Militaru | Born: 10 November 1925 (age 70) Bălești, Gorj County Died 27 December 1996, Bucharest | Minister of Defence (1989–1990) Deputy Minister for Industrial Constructions (1978–1984) Deputy (1969–1975) | Affiliation: none | Frunze Military Academy, Moscow (unknown year) military |

## Results
### President

Petre Roman, György Frunda, Gheorghe Funar, and Nicolae Manolescu openly endorsed Constantinescu in the second round. Corneliu Vadim Tudor, Tudor Mohora, and Adrian Păunescu openly endorsed Iliescu.
| Candidate | Candidate | Party | First round | First round | Second round | Second round |
| Candidate | Candidate | Party | Votes | % | Votes | % |
| | Emil Constantinescu | Romanian Democratic Convention | 3,569,941 | 28.21 | 7,057,906 | 54.41 |
| | Ion Iliescu | Party of Social Democracy in Romania | 4,081,093 | 32.25 | 5,914,579 | 45.59 |
| | Petre Roman | Democratic Party | 2,598,545 | 20.54 | | |
| | György Frunda | Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania | 761,411 | 6.02 | | |
| | Corneliu Vadim Tudor | Greater Romania Party | 597,508 | 4.72 | | |
| | Gheorghe Funar | Romanian National Unity Party | 407,828 | 3.22 | | |
| | Tudor Mohora | Socialist Party | 160,387 | 1.27 | | |
| | Nicolae Manolescu | National Liberal Alliance | 90,122 | 0.71 | | |
| | Adrian Păunescu | Socialist Party of Labour | 87,163 | 0.69 | | |
| | Ion Pop de Popa | Humanist Party | 59,752 | 0.47 | | |
| | George Muntean | Independent | 54,218 | 0.43 | | |
| | Radu Câmpeanu | National Liberal Ecologist Alliance | 43,780 | 0.35 | | |
| | Nuțu Anghelina | Independent | 43,319 | 0.34 | | |
| | Constantin Mudava | Independent | 39,477 | 0.31 | | |
| | Constantin Niculescu | National Party of Drivers | 30,045 | 0.24 | | |
| | Nicolae Militaru | Independent | 28,318 | 0.22 | | |
| Total | Total | Total | 12,652,907 | 100.00 | 12,972,485 | 100.00 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | Valid votes | 12,652,907 | 96.67 | 12,972,485 | 99.19 |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 435,481 | 3.33 | 106,398 | 0.81 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 13,088,388 | 100.00 | 13,078,883 | 100.00 |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 17,218,654 | 76.01 | 17,230,654 | 75.90 |
| Source: Nohlen & Stöver |||||||
* Ion Iliescu
* Emil Constantinescu
* Petre Roman
* György Frunda
* Corneliu Vadim Tudor

### Parliament
#### Senate

| Party | Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/– |
| | Romanian Democratic Convention | 3,772,084 | 30.70 | 53 | 19 |
| | Party of Social Democracy in Romania | 2,836,011 | 23.08 | 41 | −8 |
| | Social Democratic Union (PD–PSDR) | 1,617,384 | 13.16 | 23 | +5 |
| | Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania | 837,760 | 6.82 | 11 | −1 |
| | Greater Romania Party | 558,026 | 4.54 | 8 | +2 |
| | Romanian National Unity Party | 518,962 | 4.22 | 7 | −7 |
| | Socialist Party | 277,104 | 2.26 | 0 | New |
| | Socialist Party of Labour | 265,659 | 2.16 | 0 | −5 |
| | National Liberal Alliance | 236,132 | 1.92 | 0 | New |
| | Party of Pensioners of Romania | 178,654 | 1.45 | 0 | New |
| | Romanian Socialist Party of Workers | 163,582 | 1.33 | 0 | New |
| | National Union of the Centre (PDAR–MER–PUR) | 118,859 | 0.97 | 0 | –5 |
| | National Peasant Party | 86,746 | 0.71 | 0 | 0 |
| | National Liberal Ecologist Alliance (PNL–C–PAV-E) | 86,359 | 0.70 | 0 | New |
| | Party of the Roma | 80,622 | 0.66 | 0 | 0 |
| | Roma Union | 72,648 | 0.59 | 0 | New |
| | National Christian Democratic Party | 65,932 | 0.54 | 0 | New |
| | National Party of the Motorists | 57,644 | 0.47 | 0 | New |
| | Romanian Working Party | 49,325 | 0.40 | 0 | New |
| | Free Republican Party | 36,877 | 0.30 | 0 | 0 |
| | New Romania Party | 35,027 | 0.29 | 0 | New |
| | Ecological Convention Party of Romania | 33,888 | 0.28 | 0 | New |
| | Party of Reunification–Dacian-Latin Option | 28,622 | 0.23 | 0 | New |
| | Christian Democratic Union | 23,656 | 0.19 | 0 | 0 |
| | Party for the Motherland | 21,295 | 0.17 | 0 | New |
| | Party of Former Non-Communists and Political Prisoners | 20,989 | 0.17 | 0 | New |
| | Party of Social Protection of Romania | 20,972 | 0.17 | 0 | New |
| | Republican Party | 20,273 | 0.16 | 0 | 0 |
| | Romanian Socialist Party | 18,834 | 0.15 | 0 | New |
| | Hungarian Free Democratic Party of Romania | 12,103 | 0.10 | 0 | New |
| | Party of Private Entrepreneurs–Social Democratic Party | 11,627 | 0.09 | 0 | New |
| | Party of the Revival of Romania 'Ion Mihalache' | 9,111 | 0.07 | 0 | New |
| | Community of the Roma Ethnicity in Romania | 6,073 | 0.05 | 0 | New |
| | Liberal Christian Party | 5,933 | 0.05 | 0 | New |
| | Party of the Romanian Revolution | 2,938 | 0.02 | 0 | New |
| | Union of the Roma, Constanța County | 763 | 0.01 | 0 | New |
| | Party of Democratic Solidarity | 299 | 0.00 | 0 | New |
| | Independents | 98,898 | 0.80 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 12,287,671 | 100.00 | 143 | 0 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 12,287,671 | 93.88 | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 800,717 | 6.12 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 13,088,388 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 17,218,654 | 76.01 | | |
| Source: Nohlen & Stöver, University of Essex ||||||
Romanian Democratic Convention (CDR) members included the PNȚCD, PNL, PNL–CD (1 senator), PAR (3 senators), PER (1 senator), Ecologist Federation of Romania (FER) (1 senator).

#### Chamber of Deputies

| Party | Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/– |
| | Romanian Democratic Convention | 3,692,321 | 30.17 | 122 | +40 |
| | Party of Social Democracy in Romania | 2,633,860 | 21.52 | 91 | −26 |
| | Social Democratic Union (PSDR–PD) | 1,582,231 | 12.93 | 53 | +10 |
| | Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania | 812,628 | 6.64 | 25 | −2 |
| | Greater Romania Party | 546,430 | 4.46 | 19 | +3 |
| | Romanian National Unity Party | 533,348 | 4.36 | 18 | −12 |
| | Socialist Party | 280,364 | 2.29 | 0 | New |
| | Socialist Party of Labour | 262,563 | 2.15 | 0 | −13 |
| | Romanian Socialist Party of Workers | 212,303 | 1.73 | 0 | New |
| | National Liberal Alliance | 192,495 | 1.57 | 0 | New |
| | Party of Pensioners of Romania | 175,676 | 1.44 | 0 | New |
| | National Union of the Centre (PDAR–MER–PUR) | 106,069 | 0.87 | 0 | 0 |
| | National Peasant Party | 102,831 | 0.84 | 0 | 0 |
| | National Liberal Ecologist Alliance (PNL–C–PAV-E) | 96,412 | 0.79 | 0 | New |
| | Party of the Roma | 82,195 | 0.67 | 1 | 0 |
| | Roma Union | 71,020 | 0.58 | 0 | New |
| | National Democratic Christian Party | 69,380 | 0.57 | 0 | 0 |
| | National Party of the Motorists | 56,387 | 0.46 | 0 | New |
| | Romanian Working Party | 50,011 | 0.41 | 0 | New |
| | New Romania Party | 33,672 | 0.28 | 0 | New |
| | Free Republican Party | 29,576 | 0.24 | 0 | 0 |
| | Ecological Convention Party of Romania | 27,544 | 0.23 | 0 | New |
| | Party of Reunification–Dacian-Latin Option | 25,620 | 0.21 | 0 | New |
| | Democratic Forum of Germans | 23,888 | 0.20 | 1 | 0 |
| | Party of Former Non-Communists and Political Prisoners | 21,060 | 0.17 | 0 | New |
| | Christian Democratic Union | 19,693 | 0.16 | 0 | 0 |
| | Party for the Motherland | 17,841 | 0.15 | 0 | New |
| | Republican Party | 17,190 | 0.14 | 0 | 0 |
| | Party of Social Protection of Romania | 16,762 | 0.14 | 0 | New |
| | Hungarian Free Democratic Party of Romania | 14,333 | 0.12 | 0 | New |
| | Federation of the Jewish Communities in Romania | 12,746 | 0.10 | 1 | New |
| | Party of Private Entrepreneurs–Social Democratic Party | 11,990 | 0.10 | 0 | New |
| | Community of the Lipovan Russians | 11,902 | 0.10 | 1 | 0 |
| | Union of Armenians of Romania | 11,543 | 0.09 | 1 | 0 |
| | Italian Community of Romania | 11,454 | 0.09 | 1 | 0 |
| | Liberal Christian Party | 10,345 | 0.08 | 0 | New |
| | Association of Italians of Romania | 9,833 | 0.08 | 0 | New |
| | Romanian Socialist Party | 9,103 | 0.07 | 0 | New |
| | Cultural Union of Albanians of Romania | 8,722 | 0.07 | 1 | New |
| | Hellenic Union of Romania | 8,463 | 0.07 | 1 | 0 |
| | Party of the Revival of Romania 'Ion Mihalache' | 7,751 | 0.06 | 0 | New |
| | Party of the Romanian Revolution | 7,340 | 0.06 | 0 | New |
| | Union of the Ukrainians of Romania | 7,165 | 0.06 | 1 | 0 |
| | Democratic Union of Serbs and Carasovenians in Romania | 6,851 | 0.06 | 1 | 0 |
| | Democratic Union of Slovaks and Czechs of Romania | 6,531 | 0.05 | 1 | 0 |
| | Democratic Union of Turkish-Muslim Tatars | 6,319 | 0.05 | 1 | 0 |
| | Bratstvo Community of Bulgarians in Romania | 5,359 | 0.04 | 1 | New |
| | Community of the Roma Ethnicity in Romania | 5,227 | 0.04 | 0 | New |
| | Democratic Turkish Union of Romania | 4,326 | 0.04 | 1 | 0 |
| | Democratic Union of Ukrainians in Romania | 4,132 | 0.03 | 0 | New |
| | Bulgarian Union of Banat–Romania | 4,115 | 0.03 | 0 | −1 |
| | Forum of the Szeklers Youth | 2,142 | 0.02 | 0 | New |
| | Union of Poles of Romania | 1,842 | 0.02 | 1 | 0 |
| | Federation of Italians in Romania | 1,711 | 0.01 | 0 | New |
| | Hellenic Union of Romania–Prahova Hellenic Community | 1,509 | 0.01 | 0 | New |
| | Party of Democratic Solidarity | 1,352 | 0.01 | 0 | New |
| | Community of Italians from Galați | 791 | 0.01 | 0 | New |
| | Community of Italians from Pitești | 695 | 0.01 | 0 | New |
| | General Union of the Associations of the Huțul Ethnicity | 646 | 0.01 | 0 | New |
| | Union of the Roma, Constanța County | 640 | 0.01 | 0 | New |
| | Union of Croats of Romania | 486 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 |
| | Social Cultural Association in Romania | 439 | 0.00 | 0 | New |
| | Italian Community – Prahova County | 437 | 0.00 | 0 | New |
| | Federation of Italians in Romania – Italian Community Ovidius Constanța | 311 | 0.00 | 0 | New |
| | Independents | 248,825 | 2.03 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 12,238,746 | 100.00 | 343 | +2 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 12,238,746 | 93.51 | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 849,642 | 6.49 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 13,088,388 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 17,218,654 | 76.01 | | |
| Source: Nohlen & Stöver, University of Essex ||||||