Grigore Balș (21 May 1826 – 16 February 1895) was a Moldavian-born Romanian politician. He served as Finance Minister, Foreign Minister, Minister of Religious Affairs and Public Instruction, and President of the Chamber of Deputies of Romania.
Biography
Born into an old Moldavian boyar family, Balș was the son of a logothete (a high-ranking administrative official in the Moldavian principality). He was active in the movement for the Union of the Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia. In 1858, he edited the magazine Constituționalul in Iași, advocating a pro-union position.
Following the achievement of the union with the election of Alexandru Ioan Cuza as Domnitor in early 1859, Balș became part of the first Moldavian government. He served as Finance Minister under Vasile Sturdza from 24 January to 6 March 1859. Later that year, he was appointed Foreign Minister in the cabinet of Manolache Costache Epureanu, serving from November 1859 to March 1860.
After the political union of Moldavia with Wallachia, Balș was named to the first government encompassing all of Romania. In January 1862, he joined the cabinet of Prime Minister Barbu Catargiu, initially serving as Minister of Religious Affairs and Public Instruction for several days before being reshuffled to become Finance Minister, a position he held until June 1862.
Following the establishment of a constitutional monarchy in 1866, Balș was elected as a deputy (1866) and later as a senator (1867). He served as President of the Chamber of Deputies (the Assembly of Deputies) from November 1869 to May 1870. In 1880, he was among the signatories of the founding statute of the Conservative Party of Romania.
Offices held
- Finance Minister of Romania (24 January – 6 March 1859), under Vasile Sturdza
- Foreign Minister of Romania (November 1859 – March 1860), under Manolache Costache Epureanu
- Minister of Religious Affairs and Public Instruction (January 1862), under Barbu Catargiu
- Finance Minister of Romania (22 January – 24 June 1862), under Barbu Catargiu
- President of the Chamber of Deputies (November 1869 – May 1870)
