1992 Romanian general election
General elections were held in Romania on 27 September 1992, with a second round of the presidential election on 11 October. They were the first held after the adoption of a permanent constitution via a referendum held the previous winter.
Incumbent Ion Iliescu led the field in the first round, but was forced into a runoff with Emil Constantinescu, candidate of the opposition Romanian Democratic Convention. Constantinescu ran on a quicker transition to a market economy and purging remaining Communist influence from the government. He benefited from a marked downturn in Iliescu's popularity tied to both high unemployment and concerns that Iliescu was wavering in his commitment to democracy.
Despite this, opinion polls ahead of the runoff suggested that Iliescu was favoured for a second full term. Not only was it believed that his 16-point first-round lead was too large for Constantinescu to overcome, but most of the minor candidates were expected to throw their support to Iliescu. In the end, Iliescu was reelected with 61 percent of the vote.
In the parliamentary election, Iliescu's Democratic National Salvation Front, which had split off from the National Salvation Front earlier in the year, emerged as the largest party in Parliament, winning 117 of the 341 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 49 of the 143 seats in the Senate.
Presidential candidates
Participating candidates
| Name | Lifespan | Public Administration Experience | Affiliation and endorsements | Alma mater and profession | Candidacy Announcement dates |
Ion Iliescu | Born: Oltenița, Călărași County | President of Romania President of Water Surfaces Management Council Member of the State Council President of Iași County Council Vice-President of Timiș County Council Minister of Youth Deputy Former presidential election: 1990: 85.1% | Affiliation: FDSN | Energy Institute, Moscow State University fluid mechanics engineer, publishing house manager | |
Emil Constantinescu | Born: Tighina | Rector of University of Bucharest | Affiliation: CDR | Faculty of Law, University of Bucharest Faculty of Geology, University of Bucharest geology professor | |
Gheorghe Funar | Born: Sânnicolau Mare, Timiș County | Mayor of Cluj-Napoca | Affiliation: PUNR | Faculty of Economics and Business Management, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca economist | |
:ro:Caius Traian Dragomir|Caius Traian Dragomir | Born: Slatina, Olt County | State Secretary for Public Information with the Government of Romania | Affiliation: none Endorsed by: FSN | Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest physicist poet | |
Mircea Druc | Born: Pociumbăuți, Rîșcani District, Republic of Moldova | Prime Minister of the Moldavian SSR | Affiliation: none Endorsed by: MER | Faculty of History and Philology, Moldova State University, Chișinău Faculty of Philology, Saint Petersburg State University administrative sciences professor | |
:ro:Ioan Mânzatu|Ioan Mânzatu | Born: Bobâlna, Cluj County | Vice-President of Romania | Affiliation: Republican Party | Faculty of Physics, Babeș-Bolyai University physics professor |
Withdrawn candidates
| Name | Lifespan | Public Administration Experience | Affiliation and endorsements | Alma mater and profession | Candidacy Announcement dates |
:ro:Ioan Lup|Ioan Lup | Born: unknown birthdate unknown birthplace | Affiliation: PNȚ-CD | unknown education unknown | Intention: Withdrawal: Endorsed Ion Rațiu: Endorsed Emil Constantinescu: | |
Nicu Stăncescu | Born: unknown birthdate unknown birthplace | Affiliation: Party of Democratic Unity | unknown education unknown | Withdrawal: Endorsed Emil Constantinescu: | |
Sergiu Cunescu | Born: , Bucharest Died:, unknown location | Affiliation: PSDR | Faculty of Electromagnetics, Politehnica University of Bucharest combustion engine engineer | Withdrawal: Endorsed Emil Constantinescu: | |
Nicolae Manolescu | Born: Râmnicu Vâlcea, Vâlcea County | Affiliation: :ro:Partidul Alianța Civică|Civic Alliance Party | Faculty of Philology, University of Bucharest writer, book critic | Withdrawal: Endorsed Emil Constantinescu: | |
Ion Rațiu | Born: , Turda, Cluj County Died:, London | Chancellor at Romanian Embassy in UK | Affiliation: PNȚ-CD | Faculty of Law, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge lawyer, economist, journalist | Intention: Withdrawal: Endorsed Emil Constantinescu: |