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Governing Structure

Romania is a sovereign, independent, unitary, democratic republic organized under the Constitution of 1991 (amended in 2003), which lays down the principles of separation and balance of powers among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. It operates as a semi-presidential republic, with executive powers shared between the President and the Government, and the Government being accountable to Parliament. Legislative power resides in a bicameral Parliament, composed of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate.

Levels of Government

Romania’s semi-presidential republic governance is structured across following levels:

  • National government: Romania is a semi‑presidential republic with a bicameral Parliament — the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate — elected every four years. The total number of seats after the 1 December 2024 parliamentary election is 465 (331 deputies and 134 senators). The Government is led by the Prime Minister and ministers and is responsible for national executive functions, while Parliament passes laws and approves the budget.
  • Regional level: Romania’s territory is divided into 41 counties and the Municipality of Bucharest, each with a Prefect appointed by the national government to represent state authority locally. For regional development purposes, counties are grouped into 8 development regions, which do not have administrative authority but serve planning and statistical functions.
  • Local level: Within counties, there are 103 municipalities (municipii), 217 towns (orașe), and 2,861 communes (comune), which are the basic units of local public administration. Municipalities and towns have elected mayors and local councils responsible for public services and community administration.

Key Political Institutions

  • Parliament of Romania (Parlamentul României):
    The national legislature isbicameral and consists of two chambers:
    • Chamber of Deputies (Camera Deputaților), whose members are elected by universal, equal, direct, secret, and free vote.
    • Senate (Senatul), elected under the same electoral principles.

Members of both houses are elected for four-year terms. Parliament is the sole lawmaking body and also oversees the Government through debates, committees, and motions of censure.

  • President of Romania (Președintele României): The Head of State, directly elected by popular vote for a five-year term, renewable once. The Constitution tasks the President with safeguarding the Constitution, representing Romania internationally, and commanding the armed forces. Nicușor Dan (independent) was elected President in May 2025.
  • Government of Romania (Guvernul României): Thechief executive authority, responsible for implementing domestic and foreign policy and ensuring the administration of public affairs.

The Prime Minister is designated by the President and must obtain a vote of confidence from Parliament. Ilie Bolojan is the Prime Minister of Romania, having been appointed by President Nicușor Dan and sworn in on 23 June 2025.

While the Prime Minister is the head of the government in Romania, the cabinet also includes Deputy Prime Ministers and ministers who assist in government leadership.

  • Judicial authority is independent and exercised by courts of law. The High Court of Cassation and Justice and other courts interpret and apply the law, free of influence from the other branches. The Constitutional Court specifically oversees the constitutionality of laws and the conduct of public office.

 

Together, these institutions form the foundation of Romania’s democratic system and ensure a balance of power, accountability, and respect for the rule of law.

Electoral System

  • Voting Age: 18 for all elections.
  • Types of Elections:
  • Parliamentary elections (Chamber of Deputies and Senate) – every 4 years. Members are elected viaproportional representation (PR) on party lists in multi-member constituencies. Seats are allocated based on the proportion of votes each party receives, with a legal electoral threshold (usually 5% nationally for parties).
    • Local Elections – every 4 years. Mayors in Romania are elected by a single-round, first-past-the-post system, in which the candidate with the most votes wins.
    • European Parliament Elections – every 5 years. MEPs are elected through proportional representation in a single nationwide constituency.
    • Presidential Elections – every 5 years. The President is elected by direct, universal, secret, and free vote. Two‑round majority system — if no candidate wins an absolute majority (>50 %) in the first round, a runoff is held between the top two contenders.
    • Referendums – held as needed for constitutional amendments under procedures established by law.
  • Recent Elections:
    • Local and European Parliament elections were held on 9 June 2024.
    • Parliamentary Elections took place on 1 December 2024, electing members of both the Chamber of Deputies and Senate for the new legislative term.
    • A Presidential Election run‑off was held on 18 May 2025 following an annulled vote in late 2024; Nicușor Dan was elected President of Romania in that contest.

Youth Political Participation

  • Voting Rights: All Romanian citizens aged 18 or older have the right to vote in national (parliamentary and presidential), local, and European Parliament elections.
  • Youth Engagement Initiatives:
    • Youth Engagement Platforms and Initiatives: National Youth Strategy 2024‑2027: The Romanian Government adopted the National Youth Strategy 2024‑2027 to strengthen youth participation in democratic life and public decision‑making alongside other priorities like education, employment, and social inclusion; it targets young people aged roughly 14–35 and seeks to improve civic participation opportunities.

Representation in the European Parliament

Romania currently has 33 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), elected in the June 2024 European elections in a single national constituency using proportional representation (closed party lists, no preferential vote).

  • MEPs elected in 2024

Alianța PSD‑PNL

Mihai Tudose (PSD)

Rareș Ioan‑Bogdan (PNL)

Gabriela Firea (PSD)

Dan Motreanu (PNL)

Claudiu Manda (PSD)

Adina‑Ioana Vălean (PNL)

Victor Negrescu (PSD)

Vasile Dîncu (PSD)

Daniel Buda (PNL)

Maria Grapini (PSD)

Gheorghe Cârciu (PSD)

Siegfried Mureșan (PNL)

Dragoș Benea (PSD)

Mircea Hava (PNL)

Dan Nica (PSD)

Gheorghe Falcă (PNL)

Ștefan Mușoiu (PSD)

Roxana Mînzatu (PSD)

Virgil‑Daniel Popescu (PNL)

  • AUR (Alliance for the Union of Romanians)

Cristian‑Vasile Terheș

Claudiu‑Richard Târziu

Gheorghe Piperea

Maria‑Georgiana Teodorescu

Adrian‑George Axinia

Șerban‑Dimitrie Sturdza

  • Alianța Dreapta Unită (USR + PMP)

Dan Barna (USR)

Vlad Voiculescu (USR)

Eugen Tomac (PMP)

  • UDMR (Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania)

Iuliu Winkler

Lorant‑Gyorgy Vincze

  • SOS România

Diana Iovanovici‑Șoșoacă

Luis Lazarus

  • Independent

Nicu (Nicolae Bogdănel) Ștefănuță

Youth-Relevant Initiatives

MEPs have been active on issues like climate and environmental policy, digital rights and internet access, education and mobility programmes, social inclusion & employment, all of which are key concerns raised by young people in Romania.

Recent Political Developments

  • Presidential Election Rerun and Political Turmoil (2025): The 2024 presidential election’s first round was annulled by the Romanian Constitutional Court in December 2024 due to concerns about disinformation and improper electoral conditions. A new presidential election was held in spring 2025, with a highly competitive campaign featuring both establishment and nationalist candidates.
  • New Government Coalition (2025): After the 2024 parliamentary elections, a broad centrist coalition was formed in mid‑2025 including the National Liberal Party (PNL), Social Democratic Party (PSD), Save Romania Union (USR), and the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR). This coalition government under Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan worked on a confidence vote and legislative agenda that aims to balance fiscal reforms and broad political support.
  • Electoral Integrity and Institutional Debate: Romanian authorities took significant steps to strengthen elections after the annulment of the 2024 vote, including setting up inter‑institutional working groups to monitor campaign rules and media content.
  • Fiscal Policy and Reform Pressures: The new coalition government prioritized a set of fiscal reforms in mid‑2025, including tax changes aimed at addressing public debt and budget deficits, which has sparked public debate over economic priorities and social impact.

Sources and Further Reading