Political outline

Executive Power

The president is the head of the state and is elected by universal suffrage for a term of five years. 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 (and is usually the leader of the majority party) for a term of four years. The Prime Minister is the head of government and holds executive power, including law enforcement and management of the affairs of the country. The Council of Ministers is appointed by the Prime Minister.

Legislative Power

The legislature in Romania is bicameral. The Parliament consists of: Senate (the upper house) having 137 seats and the Chamber of Deputies (the lower house) having 332 seats. 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. Prime Minister does not have the power to dissolve the Parliament directly, but President can do so after consultation with the political parties represented in the Parliamnet.The people of Romania have considerable political rights.

Main political parties

Romania has a multi-party system in which the parties usually agree to form coalition governments. The country's main parties are: - The PSD (Social Democrat Party) - which follows the social democratic ideology, - The PNL (National Liberal Party) - advocates liberalism, both economic and social - The PD (Democratic Party ) - follows the ideology of the center-right - PC (Conservative Party) - advocates family values and nationalism, without chauvinism, - The PRM (Party of Great Romania) - is nationalist extreme right.

Current political leaders

President: Traian Basescu (since 2004 - reelected in December 2009)-Democratic Party
Prime Minister: Emil BOC (since 22 December 2008)

Next election dates

Election for the Chamber of Deputies: November 2012
Senatorial elections: November 2012