| Parliament name (generic / translated) |
Parlamentul României / Parliament of Romania |
| Structure of parliament |
Bicameral |
| Chamber name (generic / translated) |
Camera Deputatilor / Chamber of Deputies |
| Related chamber (for bicameral parliaments) |
Senatul / Senate
|
| LEGAL FRAMEWORK |
| Electoral Law |
15 July 1992
Last updated on 20 July 2015 (Law no. 208/2015) |
| Mode of designation |
directly elected 312
other 17 |
| Constituencies |
- 41 constituencies at county level (one constituency per county) for 279 seats
- 1 constituency in Bucharest for 29 seats
- 1 constituency abroad for four seats
There is one Deputy for every 73,000 inhabitants. |
| Voting system |
Proportional:
List Proportional Representation (List PR)
Political parties contesting the election on their own must be above the following thresholds to win parliamentary representation: 5 per cent of the total number of valid votes cast at national level or 20 per cent of the total number of valid votes cast in at least four constituencies.
The corresponding thresholds for political alliances are: 8 per cent for alliances of two parties, 9 per cent for alliances of three parties, and 10 per cent for alliances of four parties or more.
Reserved seats for national minorities:
A national minority is entitled to one seat in the Chamber of Deputies if the following conditions are met:
- The minority has not won any seats in either chamber of Parliament,
- The citizens' organization representing that minority has a seat on the Council of National Minorities,
- The citizens' organization as a whole has obtained at least 5% of the average number of valid votes cast for an elected Deputy.
Within 30 days after the date of the election, the organizations wanting to qualify for a reserved seat must submit to the Central Election Bureau a document that lists at least 15% of those who have declared themselves as belonging to that minority.
There is no upper limit on the number of seats reserved for minority organizations. However, since there are 19 legally established national minorities, and the Czech and Slovak minorities are represented by one person, there is an effective maximum of 18 national minorities represented under the reserved seats.
Vacancies arising between general elections are filled by unsuccessful candidates who have been declared as substitutes on the corresponding party list. By-elections can be held in exceptional situations.
Voting is not compulsory. |
| Voter requirements |
- Age: 18 years
- Romanian citizenship
- Disqualifications: mentally deficient or alienated persons laid under interdiction and those disenfranchised pursuant to a final court decision |
| CANDIDATES |
| Eligibility |
Qualified electors
- Age: 23 years
- Romanian citizenship
- Residence in Romania
|
| Incompatibilities |
- Public officers (except members of the Government)
- Prefects, sub-prefects, heads of public services and other governmental authorities in a territorial administrative unit (but only in constituencies where one is exercising any of those functions)
- Judges of the Constitutional Court
- Advocates of the people
- Magistrates
- Members of the armed forces on active duty
- Policemen
- Other categories of civil servants established by organic law, who may not join political parties |
| Candidacy requirements |
- Candidatures proposed on a list that may only be submitted by legally constituted parties and other political bodies
- Support by at least 0.5% of the voters from a constituency in the case of independent candidates
- Nominations must be submitted no later than 30 days prior to polling day
|
Compare data for parliamentary chambers in the Electoral system module
