Mircea Snegur (; 17 January 1940 – 13 September 2023) was a Moldovan agronomist and politician who served as the first President of Moldova from 1990 to 1997. Prior to that, he served as the Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Moldavian SSR from 1989 to 1990 and chairman of the Supreme Soviet from 27 April to 3 September 1990.
Early life and education
Snegur was born on 17 January 1940 in Trifănești, then Kingdom of Romania. In 1957, Snegur graduated from the high school in Frumușica, Florești District, and went on to study at the Agricultural State University of Moldova, from which he graduated in 1961, and where he completed a PhD in agricultural sciences at the university's Department of Animal Husbandry in 1972.
Professional career
As a trained agronomist, Snegur worked as the director of kolkhoz in the village of Lunga, Florești District, from 1961 to 1968. From 1968 to 1973, he was the director of the Experimental Station of Field Crops.
Early political career
Snegur was a member of the Communist Party of Moldova from 1964 until 1990.
In 1981, he became the secretary of the Communist Party committee of Edineț District, an office he held until 1985. Despite this Snegur proved to be opposed to immediate reunification with Romania, which led to a split with the Popular Front of Moldova in October 1991. He instead sported the idea of a political union that would keep the political sovereignty of each state whilst engaging in economic and military cooperation (known as the "one people, two States" plan).
Later years of presidency (1995–1997)
In 1995, Snegur founded the Party of Rebirth and Conciliation of Moldova with former members of the Agrarian Party of Moldova. Snegur ran as the Party of Rebirth and Conciliation's candidate in the 1996 presidential election, where he won a plurality, but not a majority, of votes in the first round. However, Parliamentary speaker Petru Lucinschi surprised the nation with an upset victory over Snegur in the second round. Snegur continued as President until 15 January 1997.
Personal life and death
In 1960, he married Georgeta Snegur (23 April 1937 – 23 December 2019) and had a son and a daughter, Natalia Gherman, who was acting prime minister of Moldova in 2015. President Maia Sandu declared mourning day for 16 September with a nationwide minute of silence at 12:00 PM. The state funeral took place on 16 September, with an early memorial service in the Nativity Cathedral of Chișinău and the coffin was laid to rest at the Palace of the Republic, from where the funeral procession left, passing through Great National Assembly Square until arriving at the Central Cemetery, where he was buried.
Honours and awards
- Order of the Badge of Honour (1966)
- Doctor honoris causa from the Academy of Sciences of Moldova (2011)