Traian Băsescu, Romanian captain and politician, 4th President of Romania
Traian Băsescu (Romanian pronunciation: [traˈjan bəˈsesku]; born 4 November 1951) is a Romanian politician who served as 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.
In 2007, during his presidency, Romania acceded to the European Union. He is the only president of Romania to have been suspended by the parliament twice, in 2007 and 2012.
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 currently serves as Member of the European Parliament for Romania (since 2019).