A member of the Liberal faction, Crețulescu first became prime minister after the assassination of Barbu Catargiu, under ruler Alexandru Ioan Cuza. He avoided debating the issue of land reform, at that time the most contentious subject in Romanian politics; instead, Crețulescu focused on unifying the public health system, creating the Directorate General of the Public Archive, and establishing a Council for Public Instruction. Additionally, he laid the groundwork for further laws secularizing the property of monasteries.