[1] Opinion polls prior to the elections suggested incumbent President Ion Iliescu of the Social Democracy Party of Romania (PDSR, formerly the Democratic National Salvation Front) would win a third term, though it was believed a large field of candidates would push him into a runoff.

[2] Iliescu received the most votes in the first round, just ahead of his 1992 run-off opponent, Emil Constantinescu of the Romanian Democratic Convention (CDR).

[3] Constantinescu took office on 29 November, marking the first peaceful transfer of power since the fall of communism.

To date, it is the only time since the introduction of direct presidential elections that an incumbent Romanian president has been defeated when running for re-election.

Petre Roman, György Frunda, Gheorghe Funar, and Nicolae Manolescu openly endorsed Constantinescu in the second round.