Ion Iliescu is a Romanian politician who served twice as president of Romania (1990–96; 2000–04). He was Romania’s first post-communist president after the revolution of 1989 in which he played a leading role. He was formerly a protégé of Nicolae Ceausescu but gradually fell from grace two decades before the fall of the regime as he was perceived as a threat by the dictator. After the revolution he emerged as leader of the newly created National Salvation Front, the organization that seized power. He remained at the head of this political organization that turned into Romania’s Social Democratic Party. During his term as a president Romania became a member of the Northern Atlantic Organization and started its accession negotiations to the EU.