Traian Băsescu

Traian Băsescu (born 4 November 1951) is a Romanian politician who served as the president of Romania from 2004 to 2014. Prior to his presidency, Băsescu served as Romanian minister of transport on multiple occasions between 1991 and 2000, and as Mayor of Bucharest from 2000 to 2004. Additionally, he was elected as leader of the Democratic Party (PD) in 2001.

During his term as leader of the PD, the party formed the Justice and Truth Alliance (DA) with the National Liberal Party (PNL). Following Theodor Stolojan's withdrawal from the presidential elections in 2004, Băsescu entered the presidential race on behalf of the alliance. After being elected president, he suspended his PD membership; Romanian law does not permit the incumbent president to be a member of a political party. He was subsequently re-elected in 2009.

During his presidency, Romania became a member state of the European Union, on January 1, 2007, after the admission process formarly ended in 2004, during the presidency of his predecessor, Ion Iliescu. He is the only president of Romania to have been suspended by the parliament twice, in 2007 and 2012. A former member of the Romanian Communist Party (PCR), he has promoted social conservative, neoliberal and populist policies during his administration.

After ending his presidential term, in 2015, Băsescu joined the People's Movement Party (PMP), of which he became president in 2016, subsequently resigning in 2018. He then served as Member of the European Parliament for Romania between 2019 and 2024.