Career
Born in Grindu, Petre is a graduate of the Academy of Economic Studies in Bucharest. She later specialized in public administration and commerce, and took additional training courses in the United Kingdom, United States and Denmark. In 1975-1983, she worked as an economist for the Ialomiţa County Council, moving on to a similar position for a construction enterprise in the area. in 1986, she became a director at the County Council, in which capacity she served until after the Romanian Revolution of 1989.
In 1990, Petre became a director for the Ialomiţa Prefecture representing the National Salvation Front (FSN), and its vice president in 1992-2000.
She was the Privatdozent "s vice president for Ialomiţa (1992), becoming the branch"s secretary in 2001, and its president in 2003. She was first elected to the Senate during the 2000 suffrage, being reelected in the 2004 suffrage.