Chamber of Deputies of Romania
Encyclopedia
The Chamber of Deputies is the lower house
in Romania's bicameral parliament
. It has 315 seats, to which deputies
are elected by direct popular vote on a proportional representation
basis (Mixed member proportional representation starting 2008) to serve four-year terms. Additionally, the organisation of each national minority is entitled to a seat in the Chamber (under the limitation that a national minority is to be represented by one organisation only).
, four vice-presidents, four secretaries, and four quaestors. The President of the Standing Bureau also serves as the President of the Chamber of Deputies. The President is elected, by secret ballot, for the duration of the legislative period. All the other members are elected at the beginning of each parliamentary session.
, and s/he is elected for a whole legislature (usually four years). All the other members are elected at the beginning of each parliamentary session
.
There is one President, and four of each: Vicepresidents, Quaestors and Secretaries. The current composition is listed bellow.
, held on 28 November, no party won an outright majority. The Social Democratic Party (PSD) won the largest number of seats but is currently in opposition because the Justice and Truth Alliance, the Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania, the Romanian Humanist Party(which later became the Conservative Party), and the National Minorities formed a governing coalition, giving it 177 seats in the Chamber of Deputies (47.9% of the total). The Conservative Party
withdrew in December 2006, meaning that the government lost the majority in the Chamber of Deputies. In April 2007 the liberal prime-minister, Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu
, dismissed the Democratic Party ministers from the government and formed a minority government with the Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania, marking the end of the Justice and Truth Alliance.
During the 2004–2008 legislature, the president of the Chamber of Deputies was Bogdan Olteanu
from the National Liberal Party
, who was elected on 20 March 2006, after the Chamber's former president, Adrian Năstase
, was forced by his own party (the Social Democratic Party, PSD) to step down amidst allegations of corruption.
After the 2004 elections, several deputies from the PSD switched to other parties (including the governing Justice and Truth Alliance) or became independents, with the total number of PSD seats being reduced from 113 to 105. The number of Justice and Truth Alliance deputies also increased from 112 to 118, making it the largest formation in parliament as of October 2006. This changed again in December 2006, leaving the PSD with 107 seats and the Justice and Truth Alliance with 101. Since April 2007 the Justice and Truth Alliance has split leaving the two former members with 51 respectively 50 members. Deputies elected to the European Parliament
in the 2007 election
resigned, thus reducing the number of deputies to 314 as of 4 December 2007.
A new election
was held in 2008. The table below gives the state of play before the 2008 election; parties in bold were part of the governing coalition. That coalition was tacitly supported by the PSD.
were held on 26 November 2000, in which the Social Democratic Party of Romania (PSD) won plurality. The governing majority was formed from the PSD and the Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania
(UDMR), which, with 182 members, made up 54.8% of seats. The president of the Chamber of Deputies during this period was Valer Dorneanu, who was elected on 15 December 2000. The distribution of seats was as follows:
Lower house
A lower house is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the upper house.Despite its official position "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide the lower house has come to wield more power...
in Romania's bicameral parliament
Parliament of Romania
The Parliament of Romania is made up of two chambers:*The Chamber of Deputies*The SenatePrior to the modifications of the Constitution in 2003, the two houses had identical attributes. A text of a law had to be approved by both houses...
. It has 315 seats, to which deputies
Chamber of Deputies
Chamber of deputies is the name given to a legislative body such as the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or can refer to a unicameral legislature.-Description:...
are elected by direct popular vote on a proportional representation
Proportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
basis (Mixed member proportional representation starting 2008) to serve four-year terms. Additionally, the organisation of each national minority is entitled to a seat in the Chamber (under the limitation that a national minority is to be represented by one organisation only).
Presidents of the Chamber of Deputies
The Standing Bureau of the Chamber of Deputies consists of the President of the Chamber of DeputiesPresident of the Chamber of Deputies of Romania
The President of the Chamber of Deputies of Romania is the deputy elected to preside over the meetings in the lower chamber of the Parliament of Romania...
, four vice-presidents, four secretaries, and four quaestors. The President of the Standing Bureau also serves as the President of the Chamber of Deputies. The President is elected, by secret ballot, for the duration of the legislative period. All the other members are elected at the beginning of each parliamentary session.
| Period | Name | Party |
|---|---|---|
| 1990–1992 | Dan Marţian | FSN |
| 1992–1996 | Adrian Năstase Adrian Nastase Adrian Năstase is a Romanian politician who was the Prime Minister of Romania from December 2000 to December 2004.He competed as the Social Democratic Party candidate in the 2004 presidential election, but was defeated by centre-right Justice and Truth Alliance candidate Traian Băsescu.He was... |
FDSN |
| 1996–2000 | Ion Diaconescu Ion Diaconescu Ion Diaconescu was a Romanian anti-Communist activist and politician. He was imprisoned as a political prisoner for seventeen years from 1947 to 1964 during Romania's Communist era... |
PNŢCD |
| 2000–2004 | Valer Dorneanu | PDSR |
| 2004–2006 | Adrian Năstase Adrian Nastase Adrian Năstase is a Romanian politician who was the Prime Minister of Romania from December 2000 to December 2004.He competed as the Social Democratic Party candidate in the 2004 presidential election, but was defeated by centre-right Justice and Truth Alliance candidate Traian Băsescu.He was... |
PSD |
| 2006–2008 | Bogdan Olteanu Bogdan Olteanu Bogdan Olteanu is a Romanian politician and lawyer. He was the president of the Chamber of Deputies between 2006 and 2008.... |
PNL |
| 2008– | Roberta Anastase | PDL |
Standing Bureau
The is the body elected by the deputies that rules the Chamber. Its President id the President of the ChamberPresident of the Chamber of Deputies of Romania
The President of the Chamber of Deputies of Romania is the deputy elected to preside over the meetings in the lower chamber of the Parliament of Romania...
, and s/he is elected for a whole legislature (usually four years). All the other members are elected at the beginning of each parliamentary session
Parliamentary session
A legislative session is the period of time in which a legislature, in both parliamentary and presidential systems, is convened for purpose of lawmaking, usually being one of two or more smaller divisions of the entire time between two elections...
.
There is one President, and four of each: Vicepresidents, Quaestors and Secretaries. The current composition is listed bellow.
| Function | Name | Group | Incumbent since |
|---|---|---|---|
| President President of the Chamber of Deputies of Romania The President of the Chamber of Deputies of Romania is the deputy elected to preside over the meetings in the lower chamber of the Parliament of Romania... |
Roberta Anastase | PD-L Democratic Liberal Party (Romania) The Democratic Liberal Party is a populist, centre-right party in Romania. It was formed on 15 December 2007, when the Democratic Party merged with the Liberal Democratic Party. From 2004 to 2007, the Democratic Party was part of the governing Justice and Truth Alliance... |
December 2008 |
| Vice-Presidents | Ioan Oltean | PD-L Democratic Liberal Party (Romania) The Democratic Liberal Party is a populist, centre-right party in Romania. It was formed on 15 December 2007, when the Democratic Party merged with the Liberal Democratic Party. From 2004 to 2007, the Democratic Party was part of the governing Justice and Truth Alliance... |
December 2008 |
| Adrian Năstase Adrian Nastase Adrian Năstase is a Romanian politician who was the Prime Minister of Romania from December 2000 to December 2004.He competed as the Social Democratic Party candidate in the 2004 presidential election, but was defeated by centre-right Justice and Truth Alliance candidate Traian Băsescu.He was... |
PSD Social Democratic Party (Romania) The Social Democratic Party is the major social-democratic political party in Romania. It was formed in 1992, after the post-communist National Salvation Front broke apart. It adopted its present name after a merger with a minor social-democratic party in 2001. Since its formation, it has always... |
December 2008 | |
| Valeriu Zgonea | PSD Social Democratic Party (Romania) The Social Democratic Party is the major social-democratic political party in Romania. It was formed in 1992, after the post-communist National Salvation Front broke apart. It adopted its present name after a merger with a minor social-democratic party in 2001. Since its formation, it has always... |
September 2010 | |
| Marian Sârbu Marian Sârbu Marian Sârbu is a Romanian trade unionist and politician. A member of the National Union for the Progress of Romania and formerly of the Social Democratic Party , he has been a member of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies for Călăraşi County and Vaslui County... |
Independents National Union for the Progress of Romania The National Union for the Progress of Romania is a political party of Romania. The party was formed in March 2010 by a group of independents who had broken away from the Social Democratic Party and National Liberal Party and support President Traian Băsescu... |
February 2011 | |
| Secretaries | Dumitru Pardău | PD-L Democratic Liberal Party (Romania) The Democratic Liberal Party is a populist, centre-right party in Romania. It was formed on 15 December 2007, when the Democratic Party merged with the Liberal Democratic Party. From 2004 to 2007, the Democratic Party was part of the governing Justice and Truth Alliance... |
December 2008 |
| Niculae Mircovici | Minorities Romanian ethnic minorities parties The Romanian Constitution , under the contitions imposed by the Electoral Law, reserves a seat in the Chamber of Deputies for the party and cultural association of each ethnic minority in Romania... |
February 2011 | |
| Georgian Pop | PSD Social Democratic Party (Romania) The Social Democratic Party is the major social-democratic political party in Romania. It was formed in 1992, after the post-communist National Salvation Front broke apart. It adopted its present name after a merger with a minor social-democratic party in 2001. Since its formation, it has always... |
September 2010 | |
| Mihai Voicu | PNL National Liberal Party (Romania) The National Liberal Party , abbreviated to PNL, is a centre-right liberal party in Romania. It is the third-largest party in the Romanian Parliament, with 53 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 22 in the Senate: behind the centre-right Democratic Liberal Party and the centre-left Social... |
December 2008 | |
| Quaestors | Gheorghe Albu | PD-L Democratic Liberal Party (Romania) The Democratic Liberal Party is a populist, centre-right party in Romania. It was formed on 15 December 2007, when the Democratic Party merged with the Liberal Democratic Party. From 2004 to 2007, the Democratic Party was part of the governing Justice and Truth Alliance... |
December 2008 |
| Nicolae Bănicioiu | PSD+PC Social Democratic Party (Romania) The Social Democratic Party is the major social-democratic political party in Romania. It was formed in 1992, after the post-communist National Salvation Front broke apart. It adopted its present name after a merger with a minor social-democratic party in 2001. Since its formation, it has always... |
December 2008 | |
| Dan Motreanu | PNL National Liberal Party (Romania) The National Liberal Party , abbreviated to PNL, is a centre-right liberal party in Romania. It is the third-largest party in the Romanian Parliament, with 53 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 22 in the Senate: behind the centre-right Democratic Liberal Party and the centre-left Social... |
December 2008 | |
| Dénes Seres | UDMR Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania The Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania, is the main political organisation representing the ethnic Hungarians of Romania.... |
September 2009 |
Committees of the Chamber
Permanent commities and current leadership are listed bellow.| Committee | President | Group | Incumbent since |
|---|---|---|---|
| Committee for Economic Policy, Reform, and Privatization | Mihai Tudose | PSD | |
| Committee for Budget, Finance, and, Banks | Maria Barna | Indep | 3 mai 2011 |
| Committee for Industries and Services | Iulian Iancu | PSD | |
| Committee for Agriculture, Forestry, Food Industry and Specific Services | Stelian Fuia | PD-L | 9 Sep. 2010 |
| Committee for Human Rights, Cults and National Minorities Issues | Nicolae Păun | Minoritati | |
| Committee for Public Administration Territorial Planning and Ecological Balance | Sulfina Barbu | PD-L | |
| Committee for Labour and Social Protection | Victor Paul Dobre | PNL | |
| Committee for Health and Family | Rodica Nassar | PSD | |
| Committee for Education, Science, Youth, and Sport | Cristian Dumitrescu | PSD | |
| Committee for Culture, Arts, Mass Information Means | Raluca Turcan | PD-L | |
| Committee for Legal Matters, Discipline, and Immunities | Buda Daniel | PD-L | |
| Committee for Defense Public Order, and National Security | Costică Canacheu | PD-L | |
| Committee for Foreign Policy | Attila Korodi | UDMR | 2 Feb. 2010 |
| Committee for the Investigation of Abuses, Corrupt Practices, and for Petitions | Ioan Stan | PSD | |
| Committee for Standing Orders | Iustin-Marinel Cionca-Arghir | PD-L | |
| Committee for information technologies and communications | Relu Fenechiu | PNL | |
| Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men | Cristina Pocora | PNL | |
| Committee for Romanians outside Romania | William Brînză | PD-L | |
| Committee for European Affairs | Viorel Hrebenciuc | PSD | 2 mai 2011 |
2008–present
2004–2008
In Romania's 2004 legislative electionRomanian legislative election, 2004
The Romanian legislative election of 2004 was held on 28 November 2004. 137 seats in the Senate of Romania and 314 seats in the Chamber of Deputies were up for election.The 2004 legislative election was held simultaneously with the presidential election...
, held on 28 November, no party won an outright majority. The Social Democratic Party (PSD) won the largest number of seats but is currently in opposition because the Justice and Truth Alliance, the Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania, the Romanian Humanist Party(which later became the Conservative Party), and the National Minorities formed a governing coalition, giving it 177 seats in the Chamber of Deputies (47.9% of the total). The Conservative Party
Conservative Party (Romania)
The Conservative Party of Romania is a political party formed in 1991, after the fall of Communism, under the name of the Romanian Humanist Party . From 2005 until December 3, 2006, the party was a junior member of the ruling coalition...
withdrew in December 2006, meaning that the government lost the majority in the Chamber of Deputies. In April 2007 the liberal prime-minister, Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu
Calin Popescu-Tariceanu
Călin Constantin Anton Popescu-Tăriceanu is a Romanian politician. He was the Prime Minister of Romania between 29 December 2004 and 22 December 2008...
, dismissed the Democratic Party ministers from the government and formed a minority government with the Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania, marking the end of the Justice and Truth Alliance.
During the 2004–2008 legislature, the president of the Chamber of Deputies was Bogdan Olteanu
Bogdan Olteanu
Bogdan Olteanu is a Romanian politician and lawyer. He was the president of the Chamber of Deputies between 2006 and 2008....
from the National Liberal Party
National Liberal Party (Romania)
The National Liberal Party , abbreviated to PNL, is a centre-right liberal party in Romania. It is the third-largest party in the Romanian Parliament, with 53 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 22 in the Senate: behind the centre-right Democratic Liberal Party and the centre-left Social...
, who was elected on 20 March 2006, after the Chamber's former president, Adrian Năstase
Adrian Nastase
Adrian Năstase is a Romanian politician who was the Prime Minister of Romania from December 2000 to December 2004.He competed as the Social Democratic Party candidate in the 2004 presidential election, but was defeated by centre-right Justice and Truth Alliance candidate Traian Băsescu.He was...
, was forced by his own party (the Social Democratic Party, PSD) to step down amidst allegations of corruption.
After the 2004 elections, several deputies from the PSD switched to other parties (including the governing Justice and Truth Alliance) or became independents, with the total number of PSD seats being reduced from 113 to 105. The number of Justice and Truth Alliance deputies also increased from 112 to 118, making it the largest formation in parliament as of October 2006. This changed again in December 2006, leaving the PSD with 107 seats and the Justice and Truth Alliance with 101. Since April 2007 the Justice and Truth Alliance has split leaving the two former members with 51 respectively 50 members. Deputies elected to the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
in the 2007 election
European Parliament election, 2007 (Romania)
Romania elected its members of the European Parliament for the first time on 25 November 2007; the election was initially scheduled for 13 May, but the PM postponed it for domestic political reasons...
resigned, thus reducing the number of deputies to 314 as of 4 December 2007.
A new election
Romanian legislative election, 2008
Legislative elections were held in Romania on November 30, 2008. The Democratic Liberal Party won most seats in both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, although the alliance headed by the Social Democratic Party won a fractionally higher vote share.-Electoral System:President Traian Băsescu...
was held in 2008. The table below gives the state of play before the 2008 election; parties in bold were part of the governing coalition. That coalition was tacitly supported by the PSD.
| Party | % of seats | Seats | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social Democratic Party Social Democratic Party (Romania) The Social Democratic Party is the major social-democratic political party in Romania. It was formed in 1992, after the post-communist National Salvation Front broke apart. It adopted its present name after a merger with a minor social-democratic party in 2001. Since its formation, it has always... |
32.31 | 105 | |
| Democratic Liberal Party Democratic Liberal Party (Romania) The Democratic Liberal Party is a populist, centre-right party in Romania. It was formed on 15 December 2007, when the Democratic Party merged with the Liberal Democratic Party. From 2004 to 2007, the Democratic Party was part of the governing Justice and Truth Alliance... |
20.62 | 67 | |
| National Liberal Party National Liberal Party (Romania) The National Liberal Party , abbreviated to PNL, is a centre-right liberal party in Romania. It is the third-largest party in the Romanian Parliament, with 53 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 22 in the Senate: behind the centre-right Democratic Liberal Party and the centre-left Social... |
18.15 | 59 | |
| Greater Romania Party Greater Romania Party The Greater Romania Party is a Romanian radical right-wing, ultra-nationalist political party, led by Corneliu Vadim Tudor. The party is sometimes referred to in English as the Great Romania Party.... |
6.77 | 22 | |
| Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania The Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania, is the main political organisation representing the ethnic Hungarians of Romania.... |
6.77 | 22 | |
| Conservative Party Conservative Party (Romania) The Conservative Party of Romania is a political party formed in 1991, after the fall of Communism, under the name of the Romanian Humanist Party . From 2005 until December 3, 2006, the party was a junior member of the ruling coalition... |
5.85 | 19 | |
| National Minorities | 5.54 | 18 | |
| Independents | 4.00 | 13 | |
| Total | 100 | 325 | |
2000–2004
Elections to the Chamber of DeputiesChamber of Deputies
Chamber of deputies is the name given to a legislative body such as the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or can refer to a unicameral legislature.-Description:...
were held on 26 November 2000, in which the Social Democratic Party of Romania (PSD) won plurality. The governing majority was formed from the PSD and the Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania
Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania
The Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania, is the main political organisation representing the ethnic Hungarians of Romania....
(UDMR), which, with 182 members, made up 54.8% of seats. The president of the Chamber of Deputies during this period was Valer Dorneanu, who was elected on 15 December 2000. The distribution of seats was as follows:
| Party | % of seats | Seats |
|---|---|---|
| PSD | 44.93 | 155 |
| Greater Romania Party Greater Romania Party The Greater Romania Party is a Romanian radical right-wing, ultra-nationalist political party, led by Corneliu Vadim Tudor. The party is sometimes referred to in English as the Great Romania Party.... |
24.35 | 84 |
| Democratic Party | 8.99 | 31 |
| National Liberal Party National Liberal Party (Romania) The National Liberal Party , abbreviated to PNL, is a centre-right liberal party in Romania. It is the third-largest party in the Romanian Parliament, with 53 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 22 in the Senate: behind the centre-right Democratic Liberal Party and the centre-left Social... |
8.70 | 30 |
| Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania The Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania, is the main political organisation representing the ethnic Hungarians of Romania.... |
7.83 | 27 |
| National Minorities | 5.22 | 18 |
| Total | 100 | 332 |