Emil Constantinescu

Emil Constantinescu is married to Nadia Ileana Constantinescu and has two children, Dragos and Norina Boru.

Emil Constantinescu was born on 19 November 1939 in Tighina, Kingdom of Romania. His father was an agronomy engineer.

He attended high school in Pitesti and enrolled at the Law Faculty of the University of Bucharest in 1956. He got his degree in legal sciences in 1960 and started working as a junior judge in the District Court of Pitesti.

However, he changed his mind regarding his profession and joined the Faculty of Geology – Geography at the University of Bucharest in 1961. He graduated in 1966 with a degree in geology. During the course of his studies he developed an interest in politics and joined the Romanian Communist Party (PCR) in 1965.

He embarked on an academic career in 1966 that would span several long years. He was appointed as an assistant professor at the Faculty of Geology at the University of Bucharest.

In 1979, he earned a doctorate in geology and geography. Over the years he rose through the ranks in the university to become associate professor in 1990. He became a professor of Mineralogy in 1991.

His involvement in politics greatly increased during the time of the Romanian Revolution in 1989. After the communist government was brought down, Emil Constantinescu collaborated with other intellectuals to work towards democratization of the country and establishment of a civil society.

In May 1990, he participated in the 42-day long meeting in the University Square in Bucharest which culminated in the formation of the association "University Solidarity." The same year, he played an important role in the foundation of the Civic Alliance, an important NGO working for the consolidation of a civil society.

In his academic career he was elected pro-rector of the University of Bucharest in 1990 and the rector in 1992, a position he held until 1996. During this period he also served as the president of the National Council of University Presidents in Romania (1992 - 1996).

The CDR government under Constantinescu's presidency brought about several positive changes in Romania but his achievements were marred by an economic recession. He is credited with ending the Mineriads—successive violent interventions of miners in Bucharest—and for implementing the economic reforms that attracted the first major foreign investments in Romania.