Crin Antonescu
OfficeActing President of Romania
Term start10 July 2012
Term end27 August 2012
Prime ministerVictor Ponta
PredecessorTraian Băsescu
SuccessorTraian Băsescu
Office 1President of the Senate of Romania
Term start 13 July 2012
Term end 14 March 2014
President 1Traian Băsescu
Predecessor 1Vasile Blaga
Successor 1Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu
Office 2Leader of the National Liberal Party
Term start 220 March 2009
Term end 231 May 2014
Predecessor 2Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu
Successor 2Klaus Iohannis
Office 3Minister of Youth and Sport
Prime minister 3Victor Ciorbea
Gavril Dejeu (Acting)
Radu Vasile
Alexandru Athanasiu (Acting)
Mugur Isărescu
Term start 35 December 1997
Term end 328 December 2000
Predecessor 3Mihai-Sorin Stănescu
Successor 3Georgiu Gingăraș
Office 4Member of the Senate of Romania
Term start 419 December 2012
Term end 416 December 2016
Constituency 4Teleorman County
Term start 515 December 2008
Term end 518 December 2012
Constituency 5Bucharest
Office 6Member of the Chamber of Deputies
Term start 613 December 2004
Term end 614 December 2008
Constituency 6Bucharest
Term start 71996
Term end 712 December 2004
Constituency 7Teleorman County
Term start 816 October 1992
Term end 81996
Constituency 8Tulcea County
Birth date21 September 1959 (age 67)
Birth placeTulcea, Romania
SpouseAurelia Antonescu
Adina-Ioana Vălean (m. 2009)
PartyIndependent[1]
Other party
Alma materUniversity of Bucharest

George Crin Laurențiu Antonescu (ˈdʒe̯ordʒe ˈkrin la.uˈrentsju antoˈnesku; born 21 September 1959) is a Romanian politician and history teacher who served as Acting President of Romania in 2012. He was also candidate in the 2009 and 2025 presidential elections, finishing both in third place.

Before and after his brief acting presidency, Antonescu was Member of the Chamber of Deputies from 1992 to 2008, Minister of Youth and Sport from 1997 to 2000, Member of the Senate from 2008 to 2016, President of the National Liberal Party (PNL) from 2009 to 2014,[4] as well as President of the Senate from 2012 to 2014.[5]

Antonescu became Acting President of Romania on 10 July 2012, a few days after President Traian Băsescu was suspended for a second time, and ended his term on 27 August the same year. He continued as President of the Senate until March 2014, after which he slowly withdrew from politics before unsuccessfully returning as the A.Ro candidate in the 2025 presidential election.

Early life and education

Antonescu was born in Tulcea, Tulcea County, Socialist Republic of Romania. After his parents' divorce, he was raised by his father who encouraged him to attend the Faculty of History and Philosophy at the University of Bucharest, in order to become a history teacher.[6]

Professional career

Upon graduating in 1985, Crin Antonescu worked as a History teacher in the village of Solești, Vaslui County.[7] He later returned to Tulcea, continuing his teaching activity in Niculițel until 1989.[8] Antonescu worked as a curator for the Tulcea Museum of History and Archaeology from 1989 to 1990, when he resumed his teaching activity at the "Spiru Haret" High School in Tulcea, prior to being elected to the Chamber of Deputies.

Political career

Upon joining the National Liberal Party (PNL), Antonescu helped organize the Tulcea branch of the party. In 1995, he was elected PNL Vice President and, subsequently, leader of the liberal politicians active in the Chamber of Deputies, holding that position for two non-consecutive mandates. During his activity in the Chamber of Deputies, he was a member of the Committee for Education, Youth, and Sports, the Foreign Affairs Committee and the Committee of Culture, Arts, and Media.

Antonescu was the Romanian Minister of Youth and Sports from 1997 to 2000.[9] He initiated a series of reforms, the most prominent being the legal perpetuity for Romanian athletes with significant Olympic results.[10]

As of 20 March 2009, Antonescu was the President of the National Liberal Party (PNL), in addition to being the party's candidate for the 2009 presidential elections in Romania. In September 2009, Antonescu was situated third in Romanians' voting preferences for the 2009 Presidential elections.[11][12]

After President Traian Băsescu's suspension on 3 July 2012, he assumed acting Presidency of Romania. After the end of the ad interim term as President of Romania, Antonescu continued to serve as Senate President until the dissolution of USL, after which he resigned from this dignity. After 2014, he slowly but steadily withdrew from politics, resigning from his last remaining political position in late February 2015.[13][14]

Antonescu was selected as the presidential candidate for the 2025 presidential election by the incumbent minority government under the electoral pact Romania Forward Electoral Alliance.[15] Antonescu placed third in the first round of voting on 4 May with 20.34% of the vote.[16]

Crin Antonescu
DipstylePreședintele interimar (ad interim President)
OffstylePreședintele interimar (ad interim President)
AltstyleDomnia Sa/Excelența Sa (His Excellency)

Personal life

Antonescu's first wife Aurelia committed suicide in 2004 due to an incurable disease.[17] The two have a daughter, Irina, born in 2001. In June 2009, Antonescu announced he will get married again to party colleague Adina Vălean.[18] The couple got married on 25 September 2009.[19]

Electoral history

Presidential elections

ElectionAffiliationFirst roundSecond round
VotesPercentagePositionVotesPercentagePosition
2009PNL1,945,831not qualified
2025A.Ro1,892,930not qualified

Notes

  1. ^ He temporarily suspended his membership in the PNL during his tenure as acting President, in accordance with constitutional requirements.

References

  1. ^ "Crin Antonescu și-a anunțat demisia din Partidul Național Liberal și și-a depus candidatura la BEC". 9 March 2025.
  2. ^ "Antonescu George Crin Laurentiu"
  3. ^ "Antonescu George Crin Laurentiu"
  4. ^ Luminita Parvu (March 20, 2009). "Crin Antonescu is the new PNL President" (in Romanian). HotNews. Archived March 24, 2009 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved September 24, 2009.
  5. ^ "Romania Senate speaker Crin Antonescu resigns". Hot News. March 4, 2014. Archived November 23, 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
  6. ^ "Crin Antonescu, liberal din '90, parlamentar și vicepreședinte PNL timp de 9 ani" [Crin Antonescu, liberal since 1990 and Vice-president of PNL for nine years] (in Romanian). Mediafax. March 20, 2009. Archived December 7, 2009 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved September 24, 2009.
  7. ^ "Crin Antonescu a predat istoria la Solești" [Crin Antonescu, professor of history] (in Romanian). Evenimentul Zilei. June 6, 2009. Archived from the original on December 26, 2011. Retrieved September 24, 2009.
  8. ^ "The world does not go forward with the rave" (in Romanian). rol.ro. June 29, 2008. Archived from the original on February 22, 2012. Retrieved September 24, 2009.
  9. ^ "Guvernul Victor Ciorbea" [The Victor Ciorbea Government] (in Romanian). Agerpres. Archived June 19, 2010 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved September 24, 2009.
  10. ^ Cristian Predan (October 7, 2004). "350 de sportivi romani primesc renta viagera" [350 Romanian athletes receive perpetuity] (in Romanian). Adevărul. Archived from the original on November 13, 2009. Retrieved September 24, 2009.
  11. ^ "BCS Survey: Traian Băsescu - 30.5%, Crin Antonescu - 20.1%, Mircea Geoană - 19.2%". HotNews. September 1, 2009. Archived November 17, 2009 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved September 24, 2009.
  12. ^ "Crin Antonescu may get in the second round, along with President Băsescu" (in Romanian). Politico.ro. September 22, 2009. Archived from the original on September 25, 2009. Retrieved September 24, 2009.
  13. ^ "Crin Antonescu SE RETRAGE și din ultima funcție deținută: "Nu consider potrivit să mai continui"" (in Romanian). Antena 3. 2015-02-22. Retrieved 2022-02-18.
  14. ^ "Adevărul despre retragerea din politică a lui Crin Antonescu" (in Romanian). Antena 3. 2019-04-23. Retrieved 2022-02-18.
  15. ^ "BREAKING Crin Antonescu a fost propus candidat comun la prezidențiale de șefii coaliției. Cine e Crin Antonescu, șomer de lux timp de zece ani după puciul din 2012" (in ro-RO). G4Media.ro. 2024-12-23. Retrieved 2025-03-01.
  16. ^ "Hard-right candidate Simion secures decisive win in first round of Romania's presidential redo". AP News. 5 May 2025. Retrieved 5 May 2025.
  17. ^ "Crin Antonescu, despre sinuciderea soției sale" [Crin Antonescu, regarding the suicide of his wife] (in Romanian). 2004. Archived April 14, 2009 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved July 22, 2009.
  18. ^ "Crin Antonescu: Mă voi căsători cu Adina Vălean" [Crin Antonescu: I will marry Adina Vălean] (in Romanian). HotNews. June 25, 2009. Archived January 11, 2010 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved July 22, 2009.
  19. ^ "Adina Vălean și Crin Antonescu s-au căsătorit" [Adina Vălean and Crin Antonescu got married] (in Romanian). Mediafax. September 26, 2009. Archived December 8, 2009 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved November 7, 2009.

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