:''"Mihalache" redirects here. For other people of the same name, see Mihalache (disambiguation)''
'''Ion Mihalache''' (agrarian politician, the founder and leader of the Peasants' Party (PŢ) and a main figure of its successor, the National Peasants' Party (PNŢ).

==Early life==
A schoolteacher born into a peasant family of Orthodox priests and village teachers, served as president of the local teachers' association.<ref>Rouček, p.84-85</ref>

He founded the PŢ in the elections of November 1919, forming a coalition government with the Transylvanian Romanian National Party (PNR), under Alexandru Vaida-Voevod. As a politician, Mihalache made himself known for supporting a political option that mixed traditionalist reserve towards industrialization and calls for preserving the rural base of Romanian economy through voluntary cooperative farming (allowing for a peasant-based industry) with a vision of left-wing Corporatism. In 1929, he wrote:
<blockquote>"Many have thought that [economic success] was only possible for the large-scale agricultural entrepreneur. And this is why they have supported that only on the basis of large-scale property can there be carried out a wise and lucrative agriculture, and that dividing the land leads to a decrease in production.<br>Perhaps it would be this way, if the small-scale agricultural entrepreneur will not 'organize' himself and will not enlighten himself.<br>But the cure was found: the association of peasants into agricultural cooperatives, which bring: money, as well as utensils, as well as ''regulated sales'', as well as ''industrialization''."<ref>Mihalache, "A patra scrisoare către plugari", ''Dreptatea'', September 15, 1929, in Niculae ''et al.'', p.153 (Mihalache's italics)</ref></blockquote>

He notably took the initiative in calling for peaceful marches of peasants and members of the rural intelligentsia, and would almost always dress in accordance with the peasant tradition of his native Muscel County.<ref>Scurtu, "Întâlniri pe înserat..."; Veiga, p.28</ref>

==1919-1920==
Mihalache became Vaida-Voevod's Minister of Agriculture on populist movement, the People's Party, Averescu continuously opposed Mihalache's push for widespread land reform.<ref>Scurtu, "Întâlniri pe înserat..."</ref> 

The new minister found himself at odds with the political establishment over the issue of land redistribution: promised by National Liberal (PNL) government during highly centralized government and support for the 1866 Constitution of Romania advocated by the latter. Mihalache is also known to have traveled incognito to various locations, as a means to observe first-hand abuse by government officials.<ref>Scurtu, "Întâlniri pe înserat..."</ref> 

After a deadlock over these issues in Parliament, Averescu's group and the National Liberals began negotiation a new parliamentary majority; advised by Chamber, Mihalache handed in his resignation (King Ferdinand I intervened in favor of the National Liberals, installing Averescu, who had reached an agreement with Brătianu, as Prime Minister.<ref>Scurtu, "Întâlniri pe înserat..."</ref> 

A major factor in this move was pressure from the landowners to remove a threat to the system (notably, Agrarian Union of Bulgaria, or even a parallel to Bolshevism. To the latter accusation, Mihalache once replied indicating, as other leaders of his party had done, his belief that the peasant's needs identified with the national interest:
<blockquote>"Thus &mdash; after so many years of 'harmony', we arrive today as the 'agitators of social order' and clearly state:<br>''Enough with the lie about social harmony. There is a conflict between social classes. We do not deny it, but rather bring it to light. We wish to take part in the fight in the name of an underprivileged parasite classes'' such as that of ''untrained politicians''.<br>[...]'Bolshevism', cry the parasite politicians, accustomed to govern together with the highest power<ref>As indicated by another passage of the same text, Mihalache is alluding to the Ferdinand I, who was a political associate of the National Liberal Party and its leader anarchy' &mdash; we reply."<ref>Mihalache, "Partidul Ţărănesc. Partid de clasă?", ''Ţară Nouă'', July 6, 1919, in Niculae ''et al.'', p.80 (Mihalache's italics)</ref></blockquote>

The land reform that was ultimately carried out did however reflect the influence of some ideas supported by Mihalache, and was itself favorable to small holdings.

==PŢ-PNR union==
Mihalache became vice-president of the National Peasants' Party (PNŢ) in 1926, when the PNR and PŢ groups decided to unite in order to combat the effective monopoly the PNL had ensured after the voting of the 1923 Constitution. The new political group moderated many of its demands, and was not as adverse to industrialization as it had previously been.<ref>Veiga, p.100-101</ref> However, in 1928, Mihalache's voiced the party's call for a march on Bucharest, meant to topple Vintilă Brătianu's PNL cabinet: in May, large crowds gathered in Alba Iulia &mdash; despite the initial success in rallying all forces opposed to the National Liberals, the PNŢ did not capitalize on the gains, and continued instead to block activity in  parliament.<ref>Veiga, p.101-102</ref>  

He served as Minister of Agriculture in the Minister of Internal Affairs (he also held the office of Foreign Minister between late 1930 and early 1931). In this latter capacity, Mihalache outlawed the fascist 1931 elections on a new platform (the ''Corneliu Codreanu Grouping'').<ref>Ornea, p.295</ref>

'''Ion Mihalache''' (Roemeens politicus.

==Vvroege carrière==
Ion Mihalache werd geboren in Boerenpartij''' ''(Partidul Ţărănesc, PŢ)'', een centrum-linkse partij geleid door Roemeens-Orthodoxe ideoloog. Bij de parlementsverkiezingen van Kamer van Afgevaardigden. De andere winnaar van de verkiezingen was de Vaida-Voevod.

==Ideeën==
Mihalache stond sceptisch ten opzichte van de industrialisatie en volgens hem moets Roemenië haar oorspronkelijke karakter als landbouwstaat behouden. Hij geloofde in een grootschalige landhervorming en herverdeling van het land onder de landarbeiders waardoor er een klasse van kleine boeren zou ontstaan. De kleine boerenbedrijfjes moesten efficiënt en modern zijn en moesten zich aaneensluiten in coöperaties. Zijn ideeën en die van zijn partij gingen verder dan die van de Roemeense Nationale Partij (PNR) onder Iuliu Maniu. Desondanks streefde Mihalache naar samenwerking met de PNR om zo weer deel uit te maken van de regering. De PŢ maakte al eens deel uit van de regering in 1919<ref>In het kabinet van Alexandsru Vaida-Voevod</ref>, maar vanwege de landhervormingsplannen werd de partij nadien buiten de regering gehouden. Samenwerking met de PNR was de enige mogelijkheid om de PŢ weer in de regering te krijgen.

Mihalache werd vanwege zijn radicale landhervormingsideeën door zijn tegenstanders uitgemaakt voor Bolsjewist, vanwege zijn uitspraken over de Roemeense parlement naar grote van de klasse. 

De ideeën van Mihalache lijken op die van linkse corporatisten. Zijn ideeën wijken echter af van rechtse corporatisten die geloven dat de industrialisatie een einde had gemaakt aan de sociale harmonie tussen de klassen. Linkse corporatisten als Mihalache geloofden daar niet in, volgens hen bestond er nooit zoiets als sociale harmonie tussen de klassen, de sociale harmonie moest worden gecreëerd door de opheffing van de "onproductieve klassen." 

In Nationaal-Liberale Partij-regering onder premier Ion I.C. Brătianu - een landhervorming plaats die gunstig uitpakte voor de landarbeiders en waarna een klasse van kleine boeren ontstond, zij was echter niet zo radicaal als Mihalache die wenste.

Ion Mihalache riep meerdere malen op tot "boerenmarsen" waarin boeren en landarbeiders gekleed in traditionele klederdracht marcheerden (zoals naar Boekarest in 1926 om het kabinet onder Vintilă Brătianu ten val te brengen) om de eisen van de boeren kenbaar te maken bij de regering.

Op 10 oktober 1926 fuseerden de PŢ en de Roemeense Nationale Partij (PNR) tot de '''Nationale Boerenpartij''' ''(Partidul National Ţătăresc, PNŢ)''. Iuliu Maniu werd voorzitter van de partij en Mihalache vicevoorzitter.

==Minister==
Ion Mihalache was van 11 november 1928 tot 8 juni 1930 minister Landbouw onder premier Maniu. Onder premier Gheorghe Mironescu (PNR) was Mihalache minister van Binnenlandse Zaken (10 oktober 1930 - 4 april 1931) en onder premier Vaida-Voevod was hij minister van Financiën (6 juni 1932 - 18 oktober 1932). Daarna was hij onder premier Maniu minister van Binnenlandse Zaken (19 oktober 1932 - 14 januari 1933). Nadien was hij geen minister meer.

In 1935 was Mihalche zeer kort voorzitter van de PNŢ en liet een nieuw partijprogramma opstellen door de studiecirkel van de PNŢ onder Constantin Rădulescu-Motru, Mihail Ghelmegeanu, Ernest Ene en Petre Andrei. Het nieuwe partijprogramma was veel linkser dan het oude partijprogramma. Kort hierna werd Maniu weer voorzitter van de PNŢ.