 In 1996 he campaigned as an independent for election to the Senate from the Prahova County electoral district.He was elected to that body, becoming president of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Senate of Romania in the 1996–2000 legislature.In 1997, Meleșcanu founded the Alliance for Romania ("Alianța pentru România") party, together with several former members of the PDSR (Mircea Coșea, Iosif Boda, and others).