Richard Franasovici

[2] After attending primary school in his native city, Franasovici went to Saint Sava National College in Bucharest, graduating in 1900.

In 1906, he became a lawyer at the Turnu Severin city hall, as well as state's attorney for Mehedinți County.

After the war, he entered the National Liberal Party (PNL) as part of its younger wing, opposed to the Brătianu family’s domination.

In the early 1930s, King Carol II exacerbated divisions within the PNL by encouraging a faction led by Gheorghe Tătărescu, Ion Inculeț and Franasovici, who saw a chance to depose Vintilă Brătianu and achieve power.

In January 1934, after King Carol dismissed the cabinet of Constantin Angelescu, the young Liberals proposed Franasovici as Prime Minister.

The king agreed, but Franasovici declined, claiming it would be inappropriate for the head of government to have received Romanian citizenship only as an adult.

That November, although Tătărescu had other candidates in mind, he was named Interior Minister upon the insistence of Dinu Brătianu.

The ministry traditionally grew in importance at election time, due to its repressive capabilities.

According to the memoirs of Constantin Argetoianu, the young politician was motivated by the fact that he had no property, while she owned an estate at Râmnicu Sărat.