The political framework of Romania

Political Outline

Current Political Leaders

President: Nicușor Dan (since 26 May 2025)
Prime Minister: Ilie Bolojan (since May 2025)

Next Election Dates

Chamber of Deputies and Senate: November 2028
Presidential: 2030

Main Political Parties

The main political parties in the country are:

- Social Democratic Party (PSD): centre-left, focused on social welfare, economic equality, and progressive policies
- National Liberal Party (PNL): centre-right, conservative, pro-European party advocating for market reforms and national development
- Democratic Alliance of Hungarians (UDMR): supports minority Hungarian interests, liberal conservatism
- Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR): right-wing, conservative, nationalist
- Save Romania Union (USR): syncretic, liberal
- Party of Young People (POT): right-wing to far-right
- S.O.S. Romania (SOS Ro): right-wing populist, socially conservative, and irredentist.

Executive Power

The President is the Head of State and is elected by universal suffrage for a term of five years, renewable once. The President is also the Commander-in-Chief of the army and is responsible for protecting the Constitution. Under the Romanian Constitution, the President acts as a mediator between the various centers of power in the country. The Prime Minister is appointed by the President — usually the leader of the majority party or coalition — and serves for a term of four years, aligned with the parliamentary cycle. The Prime Minister is the Head of Government and holds executive power, including law enforcement and management of the country's affairs. The Council of Ministers is appointed by the Prime Minister and must be approved by Parliament.

Legislative Power

The legislature in Romania is bicameral. The Parliament consists of the Senate (the upper house) with 136 seats and the Chamber of Deputies (the lower house) with 330 seats, though the number of seats may vary based on population changes and electoral laws. The members of both houses are elected by direct, popular vote on a proportional representation basis to serve four-year terms. The executive branch of the Government is directly or indirectly dependent on the support of the Parliament, often expressed through a vote of confidence. The Prime Minister does not have the power to dissolve the Parliament directly, but the President can do so after consultation with the political parties represented in the two houses. The people of Romania have considerable political rights, including participation in free elections, political party membership, and political expression