Nicolae Văcăroiu

Văcăroiu's most significant accolade is his long and steady service at the highest levels of Romanian government. He is one of the few politicians to have held both the premiership and the Senate presidency, and his eight-year tenure as Senate President is a record in post-communist Romania. His leadership during the difficult economic reforms of the 1990s is widely credited with preventing a total collapse of the state, and he remains a respected voice on economic policy.