Margaret Thatcher

As part of our foray into Radio Romania’s audio archives, today we look at the 1971 visit to Romania by that most formidable of British politicians: the Iron Lady herself, Margaret Thatcher.

Cristina Mateescu, 13.12.2024, 14:00

As Britain’s first female prime minister, Margaret Thatcher dominated British politics throughout the 1980s, leading the Conservative Party to three consecutive general election victories.

But all that was yet to come, when, in September 1971, she arrived in Bucharest on her first official visit to Romania under communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. At the time, Thatcher was serving as Secretary of State for Education and Science in the Conservative cabinet led by the then prime minister Edward Heath. In Romania, she was to have talks with leading figures from the world of Romanian culture and science, while also visiting schools, research institutes and universities in the capital Bucharest and in the cities of Iasi and Suceava, in the north-east of the country.

Before leaving the country, Mrs Thatcher gave a short interview to Catinca Ralea from Radio Bucharest, as Radio Romania International was known back then. In the interview, she spoke about her impressions of the Romanian education system and some of the things it has in common with the British system, her background in chemistry and law, her challenges as a politician and international diplomacy.

Margaret Thatcher would return one more time to Romania, in 1975, but this time as leader of the Conservative Party, which was then in opposition.