1989 Romanian coup d'état

The 1989 Romanian coup d'état was both a color revolution and, simultaneously, a coup orchestrated by the Securitate (Department of State Security). Taking place in December 1989, it marked the violent overthrow of Nicolae Ceaușescu's communist regime and the transition toward a new capitalist political and economic order.

This event was one of several color revolutions occurring in the same year, amid the broader collapse of the Eastern Bloc. While often framed as a popular uprising, numerous analysts and historical interpretations have argued that elements within the state apparatus, particularly the Securitate, played a decisive role in managing and redirecting the revolutionary momentum to ensure continuity of power under a rebranded system.

The result was the fall of the Ceaușescu regime, and the rise of a new post-communist leadership, which embraced neoliberal reforms and reoriented Romania toward the West.