Editing Take Ionescu (section)

===First ministerial positions and birth of Takism===
A leading figure of the Conservatives for the following years, he held several ministerial positions after 1891: he was [[Ministry of Education, Research and Youth (Romania)|Minister of Religious Affairs and Education]] in the [[Lascăr Catargiu]] cabinet (1891–1895) and again under [[Gheorghe Grigore Cantacuzino]] (April 1899 – January 1900), as well as [[Ministry of Public Finance (Romania)|Minister of Finance]] (January–July 1900; 1904–1907) in both Cantacuzino cabinets.<ref name="dobrinunompolitic"/><ref name="arimiasimidan"/><ref name="rompres">{{in lang|ro}} [http://documentare.rompres.ro/guverne.php Romanian cabinets] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120205210906/http://documentare.rompres.ro/guverne.php |date=5 February 2012 }}, at the [[Rompres]] site</ref> In 1899, Ionescu took the side of [[History of the Jews in Romania|Jewish]] scientist [[Lazăr Şăineanu]], endorsing his [[naturalization]] in front of opposition from the [[Antisemitism|antisemitic]] faction among the National Liberals, and helped bring the matter for renewed discussion in the [[Senate of Romania|Senate]].<ref name="lasavant2">{{in lang|ro}} Laszlo Alexandru, [http://www.revistatribuna.ro/index.php?unde=articol&articol=1438&de_unde_vin=numar_arhiva "Un savant călcat în picioare (II)"], in ''[[Tribuna (Romania)|Tribuna]]'', Nr. 152, January 2009</ref><ref>Sainéan (1901), pp. 47-49</ref> He also helped the scholar earn credentials by overseeing his conversion from [[Judaism]] to the [[Romanian Orthodox Church]], and serving as his [[godparent|godfather]].<ref>{{in lang|ro}} Laszlo Alexandru, [http://www.revistatribuna.ro/index.php?unde=articol&articol=1392&de_unde_vin=numar_arhiva "Un savant călcat în picioare (I)"], in ''[[Tribuna (Romania)|Tribuna]]'', Nr. 151, December 2008</ref> However, by the end of the same year, Ionescu had mysteriously changed in mind: he voted in favor of complicating naturalization procedures for Jews and, as Education Minister, stripped Şăineanu of his honorary teaching position within the [[University of Bucharest]].<ref name="lasavant2"/> A supposed [[Atheism|atheist]], he was criticized by the opposition for favoring an increased role for the Romanian Orthodox Church, and replied that it was a matter for his own conscience.<ref name="dobrinunompolitic"/> During the period, he befriended the notorious and independent-minded dramatist [[Ion Luca Caragiale]], who later supported his dissident politics.<ref name="vianu">[[Tudor Vianu]], ''Scriitori români'' ("Romanian Writers"), Vol. II, Editura Minerva, Bucharest, 1971, pp. 78, 187, 190</ref>

From 1898, he began issuing the [[French language|French-language]] newspaper ''[[La Roumanie]]'',<ref name="xeni"/><ref name="giurescu">[[Constantin C. Giurescu]], ''Istoria Bucureștilor. Din cele mai vechi timpuri pînă în zilele noastre'' ("History of Bucharest. From the Earliest Times until Our Day"), Editura Pentru Literatură, Bucharest, 1966, pp. 171, 174–175, 185, 313</ref> through which he publicized his own program, commonly referred to as ''Takism''.<ref name="giurescu"/> At the time, contrary to the more cautious policies of his party, he began voicing full support for incorporating [[Transylvania]], a region largely inhabited by [[Romanians]] and ruled by [[Austria-Hungary]], into the [[Kingdom of Romania]]; he even made a symbolic conquest by financing the building of a road in the vicinity of [[Buşteni]], on the [[Transleithania]]n side of the border.<ref name="dobrinunompolitic"/> Initially, he welcomed the idea of Romania itself entering the [[Habsburg monarchy]] in a [[Federalism|federalist]] project (''see [[United States of Greater Austria]]''), as a means to solve the nationality issue,<ref name="edrc">{{in lang|ro}} [http://www.edrc.ro/docs/docs/transilvania/114-154.pdf ''Proiecte transilvane ca răspuns la crizele internaţionale de la începutul veacului XX'' ("Transylvanian Projects as an Answer to Early 20th Century International Crises"), at the Resource Center for Ethno-cultural Diversity], p. 126</ref> but eventually came to oppose it; in a conversation with the PNL's [[Constantin Stere]], who continued to support the idea, Ionescu declared: "instead of a foreign minister in [[Vienna]], if Romania should join the Habsburgs, I would rather become a waiter in [[Chicago]]!".<ref name="edrc"/>

He contemplated a future [[Balkan federalism|Balkan federation]], and in a 1903 interview, argued that, although such a solution was "impossible for the moment", it "could perhaps be accomplished some day".<ref>{{in lang|fr}} [https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/17543 ''Une Confédération Orientale comme solution de la Question d'Orient'' ("An Oriental Federation as an Answer to the Oriental Question")], 1905 article signed by "Un latin" (available for download at [[Project Gutenberg]])</ref> Additionally, Ionescu supported the [[Vlachs|Vlach]] cause in the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]]-ruled regions of the Balkans, and supported the recognition of a "[[Aromanians|Kutzovlach ethnicity]]".<ref name="dobrinunomdestat">{{in lang|ro}} Marius Dobrin, [http://www.respiro.org/Issue6/eseu_dobrin.htm "Take Ionescu – un mare democrat, un mare european. Un om de stat" ("Take Ionescu – a Great Democrat, a Great European. A Statesman"), in ''Respiro'']</ref> In this last instance, he caused a diplomatic incident when, during a 1905 official trip to [[Istanbul]], he attempted to present [[Ottoman Dynasty|Sultan]] [[Abdul Hamid II]] with such a project and was denied an audience — consequently refusing to be presented with an Ottoman decoration, he was ultimately received and his report was reviewed by the [[Ottoman Porte|Porte]].<ref name="dobrinunomdestat"/>