Theodor Stolojan

Theodor Dumitru Stolojan (Romanian pronunciation: [teˈodor stoloˈʒan]; born 24 October 1943) is a Romanian politician who was Prime Minister of Romania from September 1991 to November 1992. An economist by training, he is a leader of the Democratic-Liberal Party. He was currently a Member of the European Parliament for Romania, representing the Democratic Liberal Party (EPP-ED).

Theodor Stolojan
Prime Minister of Romania
In office 16 October 1991 – 19 November 1992
President	Ion Iliescu
Preceded by	Petre Roman
Succeeded by	Nicolae Văcăroiu
Member of the European Parliament for Romania
In office 2007–2019
Minister of Finance
In office 28 June 1990 – 30 April 1991
Prime Minister	Petre Roman
Preceded by	Ion Pățan
Succeeded by	Eugen Dijmărescu
Leader of the National Liberal Party
In office 24 August 2002 – 2 October 2004
Preceded by	Valeriu Stoica
Succeeded by	Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu
Founding Leader of the Liberal Democratic Party
In office December 2006 – 15 December 2007
Succeeded by	Emil Boc (merged into the Democratic Liberal Party)
Personal details
Born	(1943-10-24) 24 October 1943 Târgovişte, Romania
Political party	National Liberal Party (2014-present)
Other political affiliations	National Liberal Party (before 2006) Liberal Democratic Party (2006–2007) Democratic Liberal Party (2007–2014)
Spouse(s)	Elena Stolojan
Alma mater	Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies
Profession	Economist
Signature

Career

Before the Romanian Revolution he worked at the Committee for State Planning, together with Nicolae Văcăroiu, who was President of the Senate between 20 December 2000 and 14 October 2008.[1]

During the rule of Nicolae Ceauşescu he worked at the Ministry of Finances between 1972 and 1977 as an economist in the State Budget Department, then between 1978 and 1982 as Chief of Accountancy of State Budget and then as deputy director of the Department for Foreign Exchange and International Financial Relations[2] until the Romanian Revolution.

He was the Prime minister of Romania from September 1991 to November 1992, then worked for the World Bank and for a Romanian private company. In 1992, the Stolojan government began an austerity plan, limiting wages and further liberalising prices. The economic situation deteriorated and inflation as well as unemployment increased substantially.[3]

In 2000 he re-entered politics as a member of the National Liberal Party (PNL); he ran for the presidency of Romania in the November 2000 elections, but came in third, behind Ion Iliescu and Corneliu Vadim Tudor. He was named president of the PNL in August 2002.

In 2003 his party approached the Democratic Party leader Traian Băsescu, at that time the mayor of Bucharest, and initiated an alliance named "D.A. - Dreptate şi Adevăr" (Justice and Truth Alliance). In February 2004, he was chosen as the alliance's candidate in the Romanian presidential election of November 2004.

On 2 October 2004, Stolojan surprisingly stepped down from the leadership of the PNL and also withdrew from the presidential race. He cited serious health problems as a reason for his decision. Stolojan became a senior advisor to Băsescu after the latter was inaugurated as President on 20 December 2004.

On 10 October 2006, Stolojan was expelled from the PNL,[4] and in December he formed a new party, the Liberal Democrats (PLD), whose president he was elected at the first PLD congress on 31 March 2007. In January 2008, the PLD merged with the Democratic Party to form the Democratic Liberal Party (PDL), of which Stolojan was then a member.

The PDL won the most seats in the 2008 election, and on 10 December 2008, Stolojan was designated prime minister of Romania by President Traian Băsescu. Five days later, he withdrew his acceptance, saying he was stepping down in favour of a younger candidate; Emil Boc was then selected.[5]

Personal life

He and his wife Elena have a son, Vlad Stolojan, and a daughter, Ada Palea.

Electoral history

Presidential elections

Election	Affiliation	First round			Second round
		Votes	Percentage	Position	Votes	Percentage	Position
2000	PNL	1,321,420	11.8%	3rd

References

1. (in Romanian) Văcăroiu, un funcţionar de la Comitetul Planificării comuniste, schimbă destinul României (Văcăroiu, A Clerk of the Communist Committee of State Planning, Changes the Destiny of Romania Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine, in Evenimentul Zilei, April 20, 2007
2. "Debt Halved, Romania Says", November 26, 1986, New York Times
3. Roper, p. 93.
4. "Stolojan a fost exclus din PNL Archived 2007-08-12 at the Wayback Machine", Ziua, 11 October 2006.
5. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7784051.stm

Political offices
Preceded by Ion Pățan	Minister of Finance 1990–1991	Succeeded by Eugen Dijmărescu
Preceded by Petre Roman	Prime Minister of Romania 1991–1992	Succeeded by Nicolae Văcăroiu
Party political offices
Preceded by Mircea Ionescu-Quintus	President of the National Liberal Party 2000–2004	Succeeded by Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu
New political party	President of the Liberal Democratic Party 2006–2008	Party dissolved