1965 Constitution of Romania
Encyclopedia
The 1965 Constitution of Romania
, Communist Romania
's third, was drafted by a committee of the Great National Assembly
(MAN) and approved by a plenary session of the Central Committee of the Romanian Communist Party
on June 28, 1965. It was then debated at the party’s 9th Congress in July and adopted by the MAN, sitting as a Constituent Assembly, on August 21, being published in Monitorul Oficial
that day. The fundamental law that formed the basis for the dictatorship of Nicolae Ceauşescu
(who had come to power that March), this constitution brought changes to the organisation and name of the state, and to the expression of its foreign policy. Thus, the state was now called the Romanian Socialist Republic, and the “brotherly” alliance with the Soviet Union
was replaced with the principle of “respect for national sovereignty and independence, equality of rights and reciprocal advantage, non-interference in internal matters”. The state enhanced its involvement in the economy (“it organises, plans and leads the national economy”) and had a monopoly on foreign trade. The document provided for a series of freedoms that remained purely theoretical, including speech, press, assemblies, meetings and demonstrations, with the proviso that these “cannot be used for purposes against the socialist structure and the interests of those who work”. As for the state organisation, alongside the MAN, which in theory remained the supreme leadership organ, the office of president of the republic
appeared for the first time in Romanian history (in 1974, through an amendment), with attributes that gave it, in the framework of the existing system, dictatorial powers. The 1965 Constitution was modified 10 times between 1968 and 1986, after which it contained 121 articles in 9 titles. It was partly abrogated in December 1989, following the Revolution
; some clauses continued in operation until December 8, 1991, when a new constitution
was adopted.
Constitution of Romania
The 1991 Constitution of Romania, adopted on 21 November 1991, voted in the referendum of 8 December 1991 and introduced on the same day, is the current fundamental law that establishes the structure of the government of Romania, the rights and obligations of the country's citizens, and its mode...
, Communist Romania
Communist Romania
Communist Romania was the period in Romanian history when that country was a Soviet-aligned communist state in the Eastern Bloc, with the dominant role of Romanian Communist Party enshrined in its successive constitutions...
's third, was drafted by a committee of the Great National Assembly
Great National Assembly
The Great National Assembly was the legislature of the Romanian People's Republic and the Socialist Republic Romania. When Communism was overthrown in Romania in December 1989, the National Assembly was replaced by a bicameral parliament, made up of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate.The Great...
(MAN) and approved by a plenary session of the Central Committee of the Romanian Communist Party
Romanian Communist Party
The Romanian Communist Party was a communist political party in Romania. Successor to the Bolshevik wing of the Socialist Party of Romania, it gave ideological endorsement to communist revolution and the disestablishment of Greater Romania. The PCR was a minor and illegal grouping for much of the...
on June 28, 1965. It was then debated at the party’s 9th Congress in July and adopted by the MAN, sitting as a Constituent Assembly, on August 21, being published in Monitorul Oficial
Monitorul Oficial
Monitorul Oficial al României is the official gazette of Romania, in which all the promulgated bills, presidential decrees, governmental ordinances and other major legal acts are published.-External links:...
that day. The fundamental law that formed the basis for the dictatorship of Nicolae Ceauşescu
Nicolae Ceausescu
Nicolae Ceaușescu was a Romanian Communist politician. He was General Secretary of the Romanian Communist Party from 1965 to 1989, and as such was the country's second and last Communist leader...
(who had come to power that March), this constitution brought changes to the organisation and name of the state, and to the expression of its foreign policy. Thus, the state was now called the Romanian Socialist Republic, and the “brotherly” alliance with the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
was replaced with the principle of “respect for national sovereignty and independence, equality of rights and reciprocal advantage, non-interference in internal matters”. The state enhanced its involvement in the economy (“it organises, plans and leads the national economy”) and had a monopoly on foreign trade. The document provided for a series of freedoms that remained purely theoretical, including speech, press, assemblies, meetings and demonstrations, with the proviso that these “cannot be used for purposes against the socialist structure and the interests of those who work”. As for the state organisation, alongside the MAN, which in theory remained the supreme leadership organ, the office of president of the republic
President of Romania
The President of Romania is the head of state of Romania. The President is directly elected by a two-round system for a five-year term . An individual may serve two terms...
appeared for the first time in Romanian history (in 1974, through an amendment), with attributes that gave it, in the framework of the existing system, dictatorial powers. The 1965 Constitution was modified 10 times between 1968 and 1986, after which it contained 121 articles in 9 titles. It was partly abrogated in December 1989, following the Revolution
Romanian Revolution of 1989
The Romanian Revolution of 1989 was a series of riots and clashes in December 1989. These were part of the Revolutions of 1989 that occurred in several Warsaw Pact countries...
; some clauses continued in operation until December 8, 1991, when a new constitution
Constitution of Romania
The 1991 Constitution of Romania, adopted on 21 November 1991, voted in the referendum of 8 December 1991 and introduced on the same day, is the current fundamental law that establishes the structure of the government of Romania, the rights and obligations of the country's citizens, and its mode...
was adopted.