Emil Constantinescu is a Romanian politician who served as the President of Romania from 1996 to 2000. He gained prominence in politics in the late 1980s following the Romanian Revolution in 1989. He became a founding member and vice president of the Civic Alliance and also served as the acting chairman of the Romanian Anti-Totalitarian Forum which was later transformed into the Romanian Democratic Convention (CDR). He became the president in 1996 after CDR won the parliamentary elections of 1996. A professor by profession, Constantinescu has a doctorate in geology and geography, and also has a degree in law. It was during the course of his highly successful academic career that he became interested in politics as he wanted to play an active role in bringing about a positive change in the nation. He joined the Romanian Communist Party (PCR) in 1965. After the fall of the communist regime, he was elected president (rector) of the University of Bucharest, and became CDR's candidate for president of Romania. He lost the 1992 elections to Ion Iliescu, a prominent figure of the Romanian Revolution. He continued to be actively involved in politics and successfully won the elections in 1996 to become the President of Romania.
