Ilie Verdeț

Ilie Verdeț
Prime Minister of Romania
In office 29 March 1979 – 21 May 1982
President	Nicolae Ceaușescu
Preceded by	Manea Mănescu
Succeeded by	Constantin Dăscălescu
Personal details
Born	(1925-05-10)10 May 1925 Comănești, Romania
Died	20 March 2001(2001-03-20) (aged 75) Bucharest, Romania
Political party	Socialist Labour Party (1990–2001)
Other political affiliations	Communist Party (1945–1990)
Spouse(s)	Reghina Ceaușescu (1947–2001)
Alma mater	Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies

Ilie Verdeț (10 May 1925 – 20 March 2001) was a Romanian politician.

Born in Comănești, Bacău County, and a miner from age 12, he joined the Romanian Communist Party (PCR) in 1945. After graduating from the Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies, he climbed through the Party apparatus. By the early 1960s he was working in the central office of the PCR in Bucharest, as deputy of Nicolae Ceauşescu, who was in charge of party organization and appointments. After the death of Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej in March 1965, Verdeț helped Ceaușescu gain the post of Secretary General of the PCR.

Soon afterwards, Verdeț was promoted to the Permanent Bureau of the Political Executive Committee of the PCR. He held many political posts, including those of Deputy Prime Minister (1966-1974) and Prime Minister of Romania (1979-1982). He was sent by Ceaușescu to solve the Jiu Valley miners' strike of 1977, but was unable to negotiate and was held hostage for two days (a notion he later denied).

After the fall of Ceaușescu in December 1989, Verdeţ declared himself the head of a provisional government, but it only lasted for about 20 minutes, after which he was pushed aside by Ion Iliescu, who emerged as the leader of the National Salvation Front. Verdeț founded in 1990 a party named Partidul Socialist al Muncii (Socialist Party of Labour), which narrowly entered Parliament in the 1992 elections , but in subsequent elections failed to win any seats. He stayed on as party chief until the 2000 elections, after which he was removed from his post.

Verdeț and his wife Reghina (a sister of Nicolae Ceaușescu^[1]), were married in 1947. They had two daughters: Doina (b. 1948) and Cezarina (b. 1953).

He died of a heart attack in 2001 in Bucharest at the age of 76.

References

External links

• Gabriel Partos, "Obituary: Ilie Verdet", The Independent, April 23, 2001

Prime Ministers of Romania United Principalities B. Catargiu Arsache N. Crețulescu Kogălniceanu Bosianu N. Crețulescu I. Ghica L. Catargiu I. Ghica C. Crețulescu Ș. Golescu N. Golescu D. Ghica A. Golescu Epureanu I. Ghica L. Catargiu Florescu Epureanu Ion C. Brătianu D. Brătianu Ion C. Brătianu Kingdom of Romania Ion C. Brătianu Rosetti L. Catargiu Manu Florescu L. Catargiu Sturdza Aurelian Sturdza Cantacuzino Carp Sturdza Cantacuzino Sturdza Ion I. C. Brătianu Carp Maiorescu Ion I. C. Brătianu Averescu Marghiloman Coandă Ion I. C. Brătianu Văitoianu Vaida-Voevod Averescu Ionescu Ion I. C. Brătianu Averescu Știrbey Ion I. C. Brătianu V. Brătianu Maniu Mironescu Maniu Mironescu Iorga Vaida-Voevod Maniu Vaida-Voevod Duca Angelescu Tătărescu Goga Cristea Călinescu Argeșanu Argetoianu Tătărescu Gigurtu Antonescu Sănătescu Rădescu Groza R.P.R.-R.S.R. Groza Gheorghiu-Dej Stoica Maurer Mănescu Verdeț Dăscălescu Romania since 1989 Roman Stolojan Văcăroiu Ciorbea Dejeu Vasile Athanasiu Isărescu Năstase Bejinariu Popescu-Tăriceanu Boc Predoiu Ungureanu Ponta Italics indicate interim officeholders.