In 2004 , Traian BÄ sescu became the president . Since then there have been a few democratic changes of government : in 1996 the democratic-liberal opposition and its leader Emil Constantinescu acceded to power ; in 2000 the Social Democrats returned to power , with Iliescu once again president ; and in 2004 Traian BÄ sescu was elected president , with an electoral coalition called Justice and Truth Alliance . BÄ sescu was narrowly re-elected in 2009 .