Editing Emil Constantinescu (section)

== Political activity (1990–1996) ==

After the fall of the communist dictatorship, he engaged along with other university colleagues and renowned Romanian intellectuals in the effort to re-democratize Romania, in the defense of fundamental human rights and freedoms as well as in the establishment of the civil society. He was one of the personalities who protested against the anti-democratic actions of the new authorities during a 42-day rally, between April and May 1990, in Bucharest's University Square.

[[File:Cohen Constantinescu.jpg|thumb|right|Emil Constantinescu with the U.S. Secretary of Defense [[William Cohen]] in an official visit at [[The Pentagon]] in the [[United States]] in July 1998]]

After the bloody violence committed by the miners who, at the call of the then president Ion Iliescu, invaded Bucharest in June 1990, he founded, together with his colleagues, professors, and students, the association ''Solidaritatea Universitară'' (i.e. ''Academic Solidarity'').

He was also a founding member and vice-president of the Civic Alliance (1990), the most important non-governmental organization in the country, and president of the Civic Academy. These associations joined the opposition democratic parties and together formed the Romanian Democratic Convention (or CDR for short) in 1991. At the proposal of the Academic Solidarity, supported by the Civic Alliance (PAC), Emil Constantinescu was designated the CDR candidate in the [[1992 Romanian general election|presidential elections of 1992]]. He entered the second round and obtained 38% of the votes in the confrontation with then incumbent president Ion Iliescu who was supported by the [[Democratic National Salvation Front]] (FDSN). After this first important political experience, the CDR elected, in 1992, its president and sole candidate for the [[1996 Romanian general election|presidential elections of 1996]] (which was represented by Constantinescu). He continued to act to strengthen the democratic opposition throughout this period of time from 1992 until 1996, alongside other notable CDR political leaders.