Government & politics — Romania

the name derives from the Latin "Romanus" meaning "citizen of Rome" and was used to stress the common ancient heritage of Romania's three main regions - Moldavia, Transylvania, and Wallachia - during their gradual unification between the mid-19th century and early 20th century

• 9 May 1877 (independence proclaimed from the Ottoman Empire
• 13 July 1878 (independence recognized by the Treaty of Berlin)
• 26 March 1881 (kingdom proclaimed)
• 30 December 1947 (republic proclaimed)

• history: several previous; latest adopted 21 November 1991, ap
• proved by referendum and effective 8 December 1991 amendments: initiated by the president of Romania through a proposal by the government, by at least one fourth of deputies or senators in Parliament, or by petition of eligible voters representing at least half of Romania’s counties; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote by both chambers or – if mediation is required - by three-fourths majority vote in a joint session, followed by approval in a referendum; articles, including those on national sovereignty, form of government, political pluralism, and fundamental rights and freedoms cannot be amended; amended 2003

• chief of state: President Nicuș
• Prime Minister Ilie BOLOJAN (since 23 June 2005) cabinet: Council of Ministers
• appointed by the prime minister election/appointment process: president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); prime minister appointed by the p
• resident with consent of Parliament most recent election date: 18
• May 2025 election results: 2025: Nicușor DAN elected president in runoff; percent of vote - Nicușor DAN (unaffiliated) 53.6%, George SIMION (AUR) 46.4% 2019: Klaus IOHANNIS reelected president in second round; percent of vote - Klaus IOHANNIS (PNL) 66.1%, Viorica DANCILA (PSD) 33.9%
• expected date of next election: 2030
• note: the prime ministerial position will be rotated in 2027 from BOLOJAN to another coalition party member as part of a power-sharing agreement

Description

bicameral Parliament or Parlament consists of: Senate or Senat (136 seats; members directly elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies - including 2 seats for diaspora - by party-list, proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms) Chamber of Deputies or Camera Deputatilor (330 seats; members directly elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies - including 4 seats for diaspora - by party-list, proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms)

Elections

• Senate - last held on 6 December 2020 (next to be held in 2024) Chamber of Deputies - last held on 6 December 2020 (next to be held in 2024)

Election Results

• - Senate - percent of vote by party - PSD 29.3%, PNL 25.6%, 2020 USR-PLUS Alliance 15.9%, AUR 9.2%, UDMR 5.9%, other 14.1%
• seats by party - PSD 47, PNL 41, 2020 USR-PLUS Alliance 25, AUR 14, UDMR 9;

Composition

• men 111, women 24, percentage women 17.8% Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - PSD 28.9%, PNL 25.2%, 2020 USR-PLUS Alliance 15.4%, AUR 9.1%, UDMR 5.7%, other 15.7%
• seats by party - PSD 110, PNL 93, 2020 USR-PLUS Alliance 55, AUR 33, UDMR 21, other 18;

Composition

• men 265, women 63, percentage women 19.2%
• total Parliament percentage women 18.8%

• highest court(s): High Court of Cassation and Justice (consists of 111 judges organized into civil, penal, commercial, contentious administrative and fiscal business, and joint sections); Supreme Constitutional Cou
• rt (consists of 9 members) judge selection and term of office: High Court of Cassation and Justice judges appointed by the president upon nomination by the Superior Council of Magistracy, a 19-member body of judges, prosecutors, and law specialists; judges appointed for 6-year renewable terms; Constitutional Court members - 6 elected by Parliament and 3 appointed by the president; members serve 9-year,
• nonrenewable terms subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal; regional tribunals; first instance courts; military and arbitration courts

41 counties (judete, singular - judet) and 1 municipality* (municipiu); Alba, Arad, Arges, Bacau, Bihor, Bistrita-Nasaud, Botosani, Braila, Brasov, Bucuresti (Bucharest)*, Buzau, Calarasi, Caras-Severin, Cluj, Constanta, Covasna, Dambovita, Dolj, Galati, Gorj, Giurgiu, Harghita, Hunedoara, Ialomita, Iasi, Ilfov, Maramures, Mehedinti, Mures, Neamt, Olt, Prahova, Salaj, Satu Mare, Sibiu, Suceava, Teleorman, Timis, Tulcea, Vaslui, Valcea, Vrancea

• 2020 USR-PLUS Alliance [Dan BARNA and Dacian CIOLOS] (dissolved 16 April 2021)
• Alliance for the Fatherland or APP [Codrin STEFANESCU]
• Alliance for the Unity of Romanians or AUR [George SIMION]
• Christian-Democratic National Peasants' Party or PNT-CD [Aurelian PAVELESCU]
• Civic Hungarian Party [Zsolt BIRO]
• Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania or UDMR [Hunor KELEMEN]
• Ecologist Party of Romania or PER [Danut POP]
• Force of the Right or FD [Ludovic ORBAN]
• Greater Romania Party or PRM [Victor IOVICI]
• Green Party [Marius LAZAR and Lavinia COSMA]
• National Liberal Party or PNL [Nicolae CIUCA]
• Party of Liberty, Unity, and Solidarity or PLUS [Dacian CIOLOS] (dissolved 16 April 2021)
• Popular Movement Party or PMP [Eugen TOMAC]
• PRO Romania or PRO [Victor PONTA]
• Romanian Nationhood Party or PNR [Ninel PEIA]
• Save Romania Union Party or USR [Catalin DRULA]
• Social Democratic Party or PSD [Marcel CIOLACU]
• Social Liberal Humanist Party or PUSL [Daniel IONASCU] (formerly Humanist Power Party (Social-Liberal) or PPU-SL)
• S.O.S. Romania [Diana IOVANOVICI-SOSOACA]
• The Right Alternative or AD [Adela MIRZA]
• United Romania Party or PRU [Robert BUGA]
• We are Renewing the European Project in Romania or REPER [Dacian CIOLOS
• Ramona STRUGARIU
• Dragos PISLARU]

• no citizenship by descent only: at least one pa
• yes residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CBSS (observer), CD, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, ESA, EU, FAO, G-9, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAIA (observer), MIGA, MONUSCO, NATO, NSG, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

chief of mission

Ambassador Kathleen KAVALEC (since 14 February 2023) embassy: 4-6, Dr. Liviu Librescu Blvd., District 1, Bucharest, 015118 mailing address: 5260 Bucharest Place, Washington, DC 20521-5260

telephone

[40] (21) 200-3300

FAX

[40] (21) 200-3442

Email address and website

• ACSBucharest@state.gov
• https://ro.usembassy.gov/

chief of mission

Ambassador Dan Andrei MURARU (since 15 September 2021)

chancery

1607 23rd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone

[1] (202) 332-4829; [1] (202) 332-4846

FAX

[1] (202) 232-4748

Email address and website

• washington@mae.ro

consulate(s) general

Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York