Born in
Vaslui, Mironescu graduated from the
University of Bucharest's law faculty in 1894 and from its literature and philosophy faculty the following year. In 1898, he earned a doctorate in law from the
Faculty of Law of Paris (
University of Paris). In 1900, he was named prosecutor at the
Ilfov County tribunal, and served as state's attorney from 1900 to 1901. He was a professor of law at his alma mater from 1903 to 1939, and in 1938 was elected an honorary
member of the Romanian Academy. Initially joining the
Conservative Party, he switched to
Take Ionescu's new
Conservative-Democratic Party in 1908. An advocate of Romania's entering World War I on the side of the
Allies, he was in Paris from 1917 to 1918, writing editorials in the French press and particularly in
La Roumanie. In late 1922, he entered the
Romanian National Party, which became the PNȚ in 1926. Elected to the
Assembly of Deputies in 1911, he became a
Senator in 1914. His first stint in government was in Ionescu's cabinet, from December 1921 until the following month, when he served as
Education Minister. From November 1928 to October 1930, he served as
Foreign Minister in
Iuliu Maniu's first two cabinets. As such, he participated in the two
Hague conferences on reparations, and backed
Aristide Briand's proposal for a
Federal Europe. Carol was proclaimed the new
King of Romania, replacing his own son
Michael. Maniu resigned, and a new PNȚ government was formed, under the leadership of Gheorghe Mironescu, restoring Carol II to the throne on June 8, 1930. The cabinet was welcomed by
regent Nicholas with the words: "You are called on to fulfill
King Ferdinand's dream, and you are the most qualified to do it." The PNȚ subsequently repealed the 1926 laws preventing Carol from inheriting the Crown, and faced a constitutional crisis after
Constantin Sărățeanu and
Patriarch Miron Cristea resigned from the regency in protest. The impasse was quickly prevented, as the two chambers of parliament passed legislation awarding Carol the crown and awarding Michael the honorary dignity of
Grand Voivode of Alba Iulia. and then to General
Constantin Prezan (who was rejected by the
National Liberal Party). Eventually, the king renounced the project, recognized the mandate of Maniu as majority leader, and conceded to a regular cabinet. Nevertheless, Mironescu was to contribute to the appeal of
fascism: his was the first in a series of governments that, faced with the
Great Depression, reduced
salaries for state employees, who soon began supporting the revolutionary solutions advanced by Codreanu. Other economic measures he took included contracting a foreign loan, ending
export taxes on agricultural products and initiating a road-building project. In
Alexandru Vaida-Voevod's government, he was
Finance Minister from June to August 1932 and
Interior Minister from January to November 1933. He also served as deputy prime minister from October 1932 until November 1933. He died in Bucharest in 1949. ==Notes==