Romania

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Romania

Constitution Constitution President Traian Băsescu Government Prime Minister Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu Cabinet Parliament Senate President Nicolae Văcăroiu Standing Bureau Chamber of Deputies President Bogdan Olteanu Standing Bureau Judiciary High Court of Cassation and Justice Courts in Romania Constitutional Court Ombudsman Judicial reform Military Supreme Council of National Defense Romanian Armed Forces Romanian Air Force Romanian Land Forces Romanian Naval Forces Gendarmerie Political parties Parliamentary parties PNL, PSD, PD-L, PRM, PC, Ethnic minorities' parties (UDMR, FDGR, 16 others) Non-parliamentary parties (not a full list) PNŢ-CD, PER, PV, PIN, PNG, AP Elections 2012 local 2009 presidential 2009 European Parliament 2008 legislative 2008 local 2007 European Parliament 2004 presidential 2004 legislative Administrative divisions Regional level Macroregions Development regions Counties Local level Metropolitan areas Municipalities Sectors Cities Communes Villages Foreign relations European Union NATO Moldova Moldova reunion Russia Embassies

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Politics of Romania take place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the Prime Minister of Romania is the head of government, and of a multi-party system. Romania ( dated: Rumania, Roumania The 1991 Constitution of Romania is the fundamental law that establishes the structure of the government of Romania, the rights and obligations of the country's citizens and The President of Romania is the Head of state of Romania. The President is directly elected by a Two-round system for a five-year term (since 2004 Traian Băsescu (born November 4 1951) is a Romanian politician and former Merchant Navy officer The Government of Romania (Guvernul României is the executive branch of Romania. The Prime Minister of Romania is the head of the Government of Romania. Călin-Constantin-Anton Popescu-Tăriceanu ( konstan'tin an'ton po'pes The current Cabinet of the Government of Romania is composed of 18 ministers listed below Călin-Constantin-Anton Popescu - Tăriceanu The Parliament of Romania is made up of two chambers The Chamber of Deputies The Senate Prior to The Senate of Romania ( romanian: "Senat" is the upper house in Romania 's Bicameral parliament. The President of the Senate of Romania is the senator elected to preside over the Senate meetings Nicolae Văcăroiu (born on December 5, 1943 in Cetatea Albă now Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi in Ukraine) is a Romanian politician The Standing Bureau of the Senate consists of the President of the Senate, four vice-presidents four secretaries and four quaestors The Chamber of Deputies (Camera Deputaţilor is the lower house in Romania 's Bicameral parliament. The President of the Chamber of Deputies of Romania is the senator elected to preside over the Senate meetings Bogdan Olteanu (born 29 October 1971) is a Romanian politician and lawyer currently the president of the Chamber of Deputies, the lower The Standing Bureau of the Chamber of Deputies consists of the President of the Chamber of Deputies, four vice-presidents four secretaries and four quaestors The High Court of Cassation and Justice (Înalta Curte de Casaţie şi Justiţie is Romania 's Supreme court. Romania has a civil law system based on the French model, with various levels of court hierarchy Local courts (Judecătorii 40 county The Constitutional Court of Romania ( Curtea Constituţională in Romanian) is the institution which rules on whether the laws decrees or other bills enacted The Romanian Ombudsman ( Avocatul Poporului in Romanian, literally meaning "People's Advocate" is an independent institution of the Government Recent decades have seen a surge in the birth of "supraterritorial institutions and associations", that have been gathered by their enactment of Common law and practices The Supreme Council of National Defense ( Consiliul Suprem de Apărare a Ţării; acronym CSAT) is the autonomous administrative authority in Romania The Land Forces, Air Force and Naval Forces are collectively known as the Romanian Armed Forces ( Romanian: Forţele Armate Române The Romanian Air Force (Forţele Aeriene Române is the Air force branch of the Romanian Armed Forces It has an air force headquarters an operational command The Romanian Land Forces ( Romanian: Forţele Terestre Române) is the army of Romania, and part of the overall Romanian Armed The Romanian Navy ( Romanian: Forţele Navale Române) is the Navy branch of the Romanian Armed Forces; it operates in the Black Sea Jandarmeria Română (ʒandarme'ria ro'mɨnə is the military branch of the two Romanian Police forces (the civil force being the Political parties in Romania lists political parties in Romania. The Partidul Naţional Liberal ( National Liberal Party) is a liberal party in Romania, and the second largest party in parliament being edged out The Social Democratic Party of Romania (in Romanian, Partidul Social Democrat, PSD is a major political party of Romania. The Democratic Liberal Party (Partidul Democrat-Liberal PD-L) is a centre-right party in Romania. The Greater Romania Party (Partidul România Mare PRM is a Romanian neo-fascist political party led by Corneliu Vadim Tudor. The Conservative Party of Romania ( Partidul Conservator) is a political party formed in 1991 after the fall of Communism, under the name of the The Romanian Constitution reserves a seat in the Chamber of Deputies for the party and cultural association of each ethnic minority in Romania (with the limitation The Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania, (also Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania; Hungarian: Romániai Magyar Demokrata Szövetség The Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania (Demokratisches Forum der Deutschen in Rumänien DFDR; Forumul Democrat al Germanilor The Romanian Constitution reserves a seat in the Chamber of Deputies for the party and cultural association of each ethnic minority in Romania (with the limitation The Romanian Ecologist Party (Partidul Ecologist Român was founded by Petre Metanie a teacher in 1978 as a political organisation opposed to Nicolae Ceauşescu and the The Green Party (Partidul Verde often shortened to The Greens ( Verzii) is a Romanian political party centred on Green politics. The National Initiative Party is a small Romanian political party The New Generation Party – Christian Democratic ( Partidul Noua Generaţie - Creştin Democrat, PNGCD formerly Partidul Noua Generaţie, PNG is a nationalist The People's Action (Acţiunea Populară was a minor Romanian Right-wing Political party, founded and led by former President Emil Romania elects on a national level a Head of state - the President - and a Legislature. Local elections will be held in Romania in early summer (late May or early June 2012 with a Runoff for mayors two weeks later Presidential elections will be held in Romania at the end of 2009 The European Parliament election of 2009 in Romania will be the election of the delegation from Romania to the European Parliament in 2009 Legislative elections will be held in Romania on November 30, 2008. Local elections were held in Romania on June 1 2008, with a Runoff for mayors on June 15 2008. 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 A presidential election was held in Romania on November 28, 2004. The Romanian legislative election of 2004 was held on November 28, 2004. Romania 's administration is relatively centralised and administrative subdivisions are therefore fairly simplified The macroregions ('macroregiuni' of Romania are the four regional divisions created in Romania in 1998. The development regions of Romania (Romanian regiunile de dezvoltare României) refer to the eight regional divisions created in Romania in 1998 in order List of counties See also List of Romanian Counties by Population The Judeţe (translated in English as "counties" are administrative The current legislation in Romania regulates the status of the 265 cities according to their population and regional importance Rank 0 - Bucharest, the Capital County capitals of Romania A municipality ( municipiu in The Municipality of Bucharest (the capital of Romania) is divided into six administrative sectors ( sectoare in Romanian) each of which This is the list of cities in Romania ordered by population according to the 2002 census A commune ( comună in Romanian) is the lowest level of administrative subdivision in Romania Since December 1989 Romania has pursued a policy of strengthening relations with the West in general more specifically with the United States and the European Union Romania acceded to the European Union on January 1, 2007 along with Bulgaria. Romania joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO on March 29, 2004 following the decision taken at the Prague Summit, in November A movement for the unification of Romania and Moldova began in both countries after the 1989 Romanian Revolution and the Glasnost policy in the Soviet Union On June 26 1940, Romania received an Ultimatum from the Soviet Union, demanding the evacuation of the Romanian military and administration from The following is a list of diplomatic missions of Romania, excluding honorary consulates Information on politics by country is available for every Country, including both De jure and De facto independent A parliamentary system, also known as parliamentarianism (and parliamentarism in American English) is a System of government in which Representative democracy is a form of government founded on the principles of the people's representatives A republic is a State or Country that is not led by a hereditary Monarch, but in which the people (or at least a part of its people have impact on its The Prime Minister of Romania is the head of the Government of Romania. This article focuses on the cases where the Head of Government is a separate office from the Head of State A multi-party system is a system in which three or more political parties have the capacity to gain control of government separately or in coalition Executive power is exercised by the government. In Political science and Constitutional law, the executive is the branch of government responsible for the day-to-day management of the State. For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the two chambers of parliament, the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. A legislature is a type of representative Deliberative assembly with the power to create amend and change Laws The law created by a legislature is called Legislation The Chamber of Deputies (Camera Deputaţilor is the lower house in Romania 's Bicameral parliament. The Senate of Romania ( romanian: "Senat" is the upper house in Romania 's Bicameral parliament. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. In Law, the judiciary or judicial system is the system of Courts which administer Justice in the name of the sovereign or State Romania's 1991 constitution, amended in 2003 proclaims Romania a democratic and social republic, deriving its sovereignty from the people. Romania ( dated: Rumania, Roumania The 1991 Constitution of Romania is the fundamental law that establishes the structure of the government of Romania, the rights and obligations of the country's citizens and Democracy is a form of government in which the supreme power is held completely by the people under a free electoral system Definition In the absence of agreement about its meaning the term "social" is used in many different senses referring among other things to attitudes A republic is a State or Country that is not led by a hereditary Monarch, but in which the people (or at least a part of its people have impact on its Sovereignty is the exclusive Right to control a Government, a country, a people or oneself It also states that "human dignity, civic rights and freedoms, the unhindered development of human personality, justice, and political pluralism are supreme and guaranteed values".

The constitution provides for a President, a Parliament, a Constitutional Court and a separate system of lower courts that includes The High Court of Cassation and Justice. The President of Romania is the Head of state of Romania. The President is directly elected by a Two-round system for a five-year term (since 2004 The Parliament of Romania is made up of two chambers The Chamber of Deputies The Senate Prior to The Constitutional Court of Romania ( Curtea Constituţională in Romanian) is the institution which rules on whether the laws decrees or other bills enacted The High Court of Cassation and Justice (Înalta Curte de Casaţie şi Justiţie is Romania 's Supreme court. The right to vote is granted to all citizens over 18 years of age.

Executive branch

The President is elected by popular vote for a maximum of two 5-year terms (4-year terms until 2004). The President of Romania is the Head of state of Romania. The President is directly elected by a Two-round system for a five-year term (since 2004 Traian Băsescu (born November 4 1951) is a Romanian politician and former Merchant Navy officer Events 69 - Vespasian, formerly a general under Nero, enters Rome to claim the title of Emperor. The Prime Minister of Romania is the head of the Government of Romania. Călin-Constantin-Anton Popescu-Tăriceanu ( konstan'tin an'ton po'pes The Partidul Naţional Liberal ( National Liberal Party) is a liberal party in Romania, and the second largest party in parliament being edged out Events 1170 - Thomas Becket: Thomas Becket Archbishop of Canterbury is assassinated inside Canterbury Cathedral by followers of King Henry II The President of Romania is the Head of state of Romania. The President is directly elected by a Two-round system for a five-year term (since 2004 He is head of state (charged with safeguarding the constitution, foreign affairs, and the proper functioning of public authorities), supreme commander of the armed forces and chairman of the Supreme Council of National Defense. The Supreme Council of National Defense ( Consiliul Suprem de Apărare a Ţării; acronym CSAT) is the autonomous administrative authority in Romania According to the constitution, he acts as mediator among the power centers within the state, as well as between the state and society. The president nominates the Prime Minister, following consultations with the party that holds the majority in the Parliament. The Prime Minister of Romania is the head of the Government of Romania. The Parliament of Romania is made up of two chambers The Chamber of Deputies The Senate Prior to If none of the parties hold an absolute majority, the president will choose the prime minister following consultations with all the parties represented in the parliament. The nominated prime minister chooses the other members of the government and then the government and its program must be confirmed by a vote of confidence from parliament.

Legislative branch

Casa Poporului, the Romanian Parliament (Closeup of the lights in front)

The national legislature is a bicameral parliament (Romanian: Parlament), consisting of the Chamber of Deputies (Camera Deputaţilor) and the Senate (Senat). The Palace of the Parliament (Palatul Parlamentului in Bucharest, Romania is a multi-purpose building containing both chambers of the Romanian Parliament In Government, bicameralism (bi + Latin la ''camera'' chamber is the practice of having two legislative or Parliamentary chambers Thus a bicameral TalkParliament#Screen-size. -->A  parliament is a Legislature, especially in those The Chamber of Deputies (Camera Deputaţilor is the lower house in Romania 's Bicameral parliament. The Senate of Romania ( romanian: "Senat" is the upper house in Romania 's Bicameral parliament. Members are elected for 4-year terms by universal suffrage under party list proportional representation electoral systems. Proportional representation (sometimes referred to as full representation or PR is a category of electoral formula aiming at a close match between the percentage of votes A voting system allows voters to choose between options often in an Election where candidates are selected for public office.

The number of senators and deputies has varied in each legislature, reflecting the variation in population. As of 2004, there are 137 senatorial seats and 332 seats in the Chamber of Deputies; of the 332 deputy seats, 314 are elected, and 18 are reserved for ethnic minorities not otherwise represented in the parliament. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again "

Political parties and elections

Map of the Romanian counties based on the party of the president of the County Council
     Social Democratic Party      National Liberal Party      Democratic Party      Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania      Conservative Party      Greater Romania Party      Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania

Map of the Romanian counties based on the party of the mayor of the county capital
     Democratic-Liberal Party      Social Democratic Party      National Liberal Party      Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania      Christian-Democratic National Peasants' Party      Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania

Map of the Romanian legislative election of 2004 based on the winning party at local level
     Social Democratic Party      Justice and Truth Alliance      Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania      Greater Romania Party grey-other parties

Map of the Romanian counties based on the winning party
     Democratic Party      Social Democratic Party      Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania      Liberal Democratic Party

Judicial branch

The Romanian legal system is based on the Napoleonic Code. The Napoleonic Code, or Code Napoléon (originally called the Code civil des Français) is the French Civil code, established under The judiciary is to be independent, and judges appointed by the president are not removable. The president and other judges of the Supreme Court are appointed for a term of 6 years and may serve consecutive terms. Proceedings are public, except in special circumstances provided for by law. The judicial power belongs to a hierarchical system of courts culminating with the supreme court-Înalta Curte de Justiţie şi Casaţie (The High Court of Justice and Cassation). The Romanian judicial system is an inquisitorial system, with a strong French influence. This article is about the inquisitorial system for organizing court proceedings

The Curtea Constituţională (The Constitutional Court) judges issues of constitutionality when invoked in any judicial court and judges the compliance of laws or other state regulations to the Romanian Constitution, if these are brought before it. The 1991 Constitution of Romania is the fundamental law that establishes the structure of the government of Romania, the rights and obligations of the country's citizens and It follows the tradition of the French Constitutional Council in requiring 9 judges to hold a 9-year, non-renewable term. The Constitutional Council ( Conseil Constitutionnel) was established by the Constitution of the Fifth Republic on 4 October 1958 Following the 2003 revision of the Constitution, its decisions cannot be overturned by any majority of the Parliament.

The High Court of Cassation and Justice is the highest judicial authority. The High Court of Cassation and Justice (Înalta Curte de Casaţie şi Justiţie is Romania 's Supreme court. Its judges are appointed by the president on the recommendation of the Superior Council of Magistrates.

The Ministry of Justice represents "the general interests of society" and defends the rule of law as well as citizens' rights and freedoms. The rule of law, in its most basic form is the principle that no one is above the law The ministry is to discharge its powers through independent, impartial public prosecutors.

Regional institutions

For territorial and administrative purposes, Romania is divided into 41 counties (judeţe, singular judeţ) and the city of Bucharest. List of counties See also List of Romanian Counties by Population The Judeţe (translated in English as "counties" are administrative Bucharest ( Romanian: Bucureşti) is the Capital city, industrial and commercial centre of Romania. Each county is governed by an elected county council. Local councils and elected mayors are the public administration authorities in villages and towns. A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning "greater" is a modern title used in many countries for the highest ranking officer in a municipal government The county council is the public administration authority that coordinates the activities of all village and town councils in a county.

The central government appoints a prefect for each county and the Bucharest municipality. Prefect (from the Latin praefectus, perfect participle of praeficere: "make in front" i The prefect is the representative of the government at the local level and directs any public services of the ministries and other central agencies at the county level. A prefect may block the action of a local authority if he deems it unlawful or unconstitutional. The matter is then decided by an administrative court.

Under new legislation in force since January 1999, local councils have control over spending of their allocations from the central government budget as well as authority to raise additional revenue locally. Central-government-appointed prefects formerly had significant authority over the budget; this is now limited to a review of expenditures to ascertain their constitutionality.

Developments

Romania has made great progress in institutionalizing democratic principles, civil liberties, and respect for human rights since the Romanian Revolution of 1989. thumb| |Broken Liberty Istanbul Archaeology Museum Civil liberties are freedoms that protect the Individual from the Government. Human rights refers to the "basic Rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled The Romanian Revolution of 1989 was a week-long series of increasingly violent riots and fighting in late December 1989 that overthrew the Communist regime of Nicolae

A large number of present-day Romanian politicians (members of all parties, across the current political spectrum) are former members of the Romanian Communist Party. The Romanian Communist Party ( Romanian: ro Partidul Comunist Român, PCR was a communist political party in Romania. Since membership in the party was a key requirement for advancing to high-level positions before 1989, many people joined more out of a desire to get ahead than as a result of any deep political persuasion. Nevertheless, the Communist past of the majority of current Romanian politicians is a source of neverending controversy.

1990-1992

Over 200 new political parties sprang up after 1989, most gravitating around personalities rather than programs. All major parties espoused democracy and market reforms, to varying degrees. By far the largest party, the governing National Salvation Front (FSN) proposed slow, cautious economic reforms and a social safety net. In contrast, the main opposition parties, the National Liberal Party (PNL), and the Christian-Democratic National Peasants' Party (PNŢCD) favored quick, sweeping reforms, immediate privatization, and reducing the role of the ex-Communist Party members. The Partidul Naţional Liberal ( National Liberal Party) is a liberal party in Romania, and the second largest party in parliament being edged out Privatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of business from the Public sector (government to the Private sector (business The Communist Party ceased to exist.

In the 1990 presidential and legislative elections, the FSN and its candidate for presidency, Ion Iliescu, won with a large majority of the votes (66. These are the results of the Romanian presidential election of May 20, 1990: Results Ion Iliescu (born March 3, 1930) is a Romanian politician He was the elected President of Romania for eleven years (three terms from 1990 31% and 85. 07%, respectively). The strongest parties in the opposition were the Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR), with 7. The Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania, (also Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania; Hungarian: Romániai Magyar Demokrata Szövetség 23%, and the PNL, with 6. 41%.

After the FSN Prime Minister Petre Roman's brutal sacking just a few months before the 1992 general elections (following a descent on Bucharest in late 1991 by angry and dissatisfied coal miners), the FSN broke in two. Petre Roman (b July 22, 1946 in Bucharest) is a Romanian politician former Prime Minister of Romania from 1989 to A Mineriad ( Mineriadă in Romanian is the parody term used to name any of the successive violent interventions of miners in Bucharest. President Iliescu's supporters formed a new party called the Democratic National Salvation Front (FDSN), while Roman's supporters kept the party's original title, FSN. The Social Democratic Party of Romania (in Romanian, Partidul Social Democrat, PSD is a major political party of Romania.

1992-1996

The 1992 local, legislative, and presidential elections revealed a political rift between major urban centers and the countryside. These are the results of the Romanian presidential election of September 27, run-off held on October 11, 1992: Results This is the list of cities in Romania ordered by population according to the 2002 census Rural voters, who were grateful for the restoration of most agricultural land to farmers but fearful of change, strongly favored President Iliescu and the FDSN, while the urban electorate favored the CDR (a coalition made up by several parties – among which the PNŢCD and the PNL were the strongest – and civic organizations) and quicker reform. Rural areas can be large and isolated (also referred to as "the country" and/or "the countryside over the course of time The Romanian Democratic Convention (Romanian Convenţia Democrată Română, CDR was an electoral alliance of several political parties of Romania, active from early Iliescu easily won reelection over a field of five other candidates. The FDSN won a plurality in both chambers of the Parliament.

With the CDR, the second-largest parliamentary group, reluctant to take part in a national unity coalition, the FDSN (now PDSR) formed a government under Prime Minister Nicolae Văcăroiu, an economist, with parliamentary support from the nationalist Romanian National Unity Party (PUNR) and Greater Romania Party (PRM), as well as from the Socialist Workers' Party (PSM). Nicolae Văcăroiu (born on December 5, 1943 in Cetatea Albă now Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi in Ukraine) is a Romanian politician The Romanian National Unity Party ( Partidul Unităţii Naţionale a Românilor, PUNR was a Political party in Romania between 1990 and 2006 The Greater Romania Party (Partidul România Mare PRM is a Romanian neo-fascist political party led by Corneliu Vadim Tudor. In January 1994, the stability of the governing coalition became problematic when the PUNR threatened to withdraw its support unless given cabinet portfolios. Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar) After intensive negotiations, in August, two PUNR members received cabinet portfolios in the Văcăroiu government. In September, the incumbent justice minister also joined the PUNR. PRM and PSM left the coalition in October and December 1995, respectively.

1996-2000

The 1996 local elections showed a major shift in the political orientation of the Romanian electorate. Opposition parties swept Bucharest and most of the larger cities in Transylvania and Dobruja. Transylvania (Ardeal or ro ''Transilvania'' Erdély, see also other denominations) is a Central European region located in the eastern half of the Carpathian This trend continued in the legislative and presidential elections of the same year, in which the opposition dominated the cities and made steep inroads into rural areas previously dominated by President Iliescu and the PDSR, which had lost many voters in their traditional stronghold constituencies outside Transylvania. These are the results of the Romanian presidential elections of November 3, run-off held on November 17, 1996: Results The electoral campaign of the opposition hammered away on the twin themes of the need to squelch corruption and to launch economic reform. This message resonated well with the voters, resulting in a victory for the CDR coalition and the election of Emil Constantinescu as president. Emil Constantinescu (born November 19, 1939 in Tighina, currently in the Republic of Moldova) was President of Romania In order to secure its electoral majority, the CDR also invited Petre Roman's Democratic Party (formerly FSN) and the UDMR (representing the Hungarian minority) into government. The Democratic Party ( Romanian: Partidul Democrat, PD was a centre-right party of Romania. Hungary (Magyarország 'mɔɟɔrorsaːg) officially in English the Republic of Hungary ( Magyar Köztársaság, literally Magyar (Hungarian Republic Over the following 4 years, Romania had three prime ministers. However, despite these leadership changes, and constant internal frictions, the governing parties managed to preserve their coalition.

2000-2004

The coalition lost in the first round of presidential elections in November 2000, as a result of popular dissatisfaction with infighting among coalition parties in the previous four years, as well as with economic hardship brought by structural reforms. In the second round of the presidential elections, Iliescu, running again as the Social Democratic Party (PSD) candidate, won by a wide margin against extreme nationalist Greater Romania Party (PRM) candidate Corneliu Vadim Tudor. The Social Democratic Party of Romania (in Romanian, Partidul Social Democrat, PSD is a major political party of Romania. The Greater Romania Party (Partidul România Mare PRM is a Romanian neo-fascist political party led by Corneliu Vadim Tudor. Corneliu Vadim Tudor (b November 28, 1949 in Bucharest) is leader of the Greater Romania Party ( Partidul România Mare) writer Iliescu appointed Adrian Năstase as Prime Minister. Adrian Năstase (born June 22 1950 is a Romanian politician who was the Prime Minister of Romania from December 2000 to December 2004 In parliament, the PSD government, like its predecessor, relied on the support of the UDMR, which did not join the Cabinet but negotiated annual packages of legislation and other measures in favor of Romania's ethnic Hungarians. The Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania, (also Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania; Hungarian: Romániai Magyar Demokrata Szövetség

Năstase, in his four years as prime minister, continued the pro-Western foreign policy set by the previous government. The period was characterized by political stability unprecedented in post-communist Romania and consistent economic growth. Romania joined NATO in spring 2004 and signed an accession treaty to join the EU. The North Atlantic Treaty The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in Nonetheless, the PSD government was plagued by allegations of corruption, which would prove to be a significant factor in its defeat in local and national elections in 2004. Romania elects on a national level a Head of state - the President - and a Legislature.

In September 2003, the Democratic Party (PD) and National Liberal Party ( PNL) formed an electoral alliance called the Justice and Truth (DA) Alliance in order to form a cohesive mainstream political opposition bloc against the then ruling PSD. The Democratic Party ( Romanian: Partidul Democrat, PD was a centre-right party of Romania. The Partidul Naţional Liberal ( National Liberal Party) is a liberal party in Romania, and the second largest party in parliament being edged out The Justice and Truth Alliance (in Romanian Alianţa Dreptate şi Adevăr, or D The DA Alliance agreed to vote as a bloc in the Parliament and local councils and run common candidates in national and local elections, among other measures.

In October 2003, the country held a constitutional referendum in order to pass several constitutional amendments perceived as necessary for EU accession. The amendments included provisions to allow foreigners to own land in Romania; and to change the elected term of the President from four to five years.

2004-2009

The current president is Traian Băsescu, a former leader of the Democratic Party (PD). Traian Băsescu (born November 4 1951) is a Romanian politician and former Merchant Navy officer The Democratic Party ( Romanian: Partidul Democrat, PD was a centre-right party of Romania. He fought a close election campaign, and was elected in December 2004 by a narrow margin. A presidential election was held in Romania on November 28, 2004. He appointed as prime minister National Liberal Party (PNL) leader Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu, who headed a new government composed of the PNL, PD, UDMR, and the Conservative Party (formerly the Humanist Party). The Partidul Naţional Liberal ( National Liberal Party) is a liberal party in Romania, and the second largest party in parliament being edged out Călin-Constantin-Anton Popescu-Tăriceanu ( konstan'tin an'ton po'pes The Partidul Naţional Liberal ( National Liberal Party) is a liberal party in Romania, and the second largest party in parliament being edged out The Democratic Party ( Romanian: Partidul Democrat, PD was a centre-right party of Romania. The Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania, (also Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania; Hungarian: Romániai Magyar Demokrata Szövetség The Conservative Party of Romania ( Partidul Conservator) is a political party formed in 1991 after the fall of Communism, under the name of the To secure a parliamentary majority, the coalition government also relied on the support of 18 seats in the Parliament reserved for ethnic minority representatives.

The government's narrow majority in the Romanian Parliament led to calls by some for early elections. In July 2005, Prime Minister Tăriceanu expressed plans to resign to prompt new elections, but then recanted, noting the need for him and the cabinet to focus on relief efforts in response to summer floods. In its first year, the government was also tested by a successfully resolved hostage crisis involving three Romanian journalists kidnapped in Iraq; and the appearance of avian influenza in several parts of the country, transmitted by wild birds migrating from Asia. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. For the H5N1 subtype of Avian influenza see H5N1. Avian influenza, sometimes Avian flu, and commonly Bird flu refers

The government's overriding objective has been accession for Romania into the European Union. On the 3rd of January 2007, Romania became the 26th member of the E. U. At the same time, the government maintained strong relations with the U.S., signing in December 2005 an agreement that would allow U. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the S. troops to train and be positioned at several Romanian military facilities. Băsescu and Tăriceanu also publicly committed to combat high-level corruption and implement broader reform to modernize sectors such as the judicial system and healthcare.

On April 19th, 2007 the Romanian Parliament suspended President Traian Basescu on charges of unconstitutional conduct. The suspension, passed in a vote of 322 deputies to 108, opening the way for a national referendum on his impeachment ^[1] which failed.

Participation in international organizations

Romania participates in the following international organisations:

ACCT, BIS, BSEC, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EEA, EU, FAO, Francophonie. The Agence de coopération culturelle et technique (ACCT French for Agency of cultural and technical cooperation) is an organisation that is part of La Francophonie The Bank for International Settlements (or BIS) is an International organization of Central banks which "fosters international monetary and On 25 June 1992, the Heads of State and Government of eleven countries signed in Istanbul the Summit Declaration and the Bosporus Statement The Council of Europe (Conseil de l'Europe is the oldest International organisation working towards European integration, being founded in 1949 The Central European Initiative or CEI, is a political economical cultural and scientific international organisation founded in 1989 Founded in 1991 the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD uses the tools of investment to help build market economies and democracies in 27 countries from central Europe The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE or ECE was established in 1947 to encourage economic cooperation among its member States The European Economic Area ( EEA) came into being on 1 January 1994 following an agreement between member states of European Free Trade Association (EFTAthe The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in La Francophonie is an international organisation of French-speaking countries and governments and in French, the community of French-speaking peoples G-9, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO, NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SECI, SEECP, SPSEE, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (associate partner), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, Zangger Committee

See also

• Human rights in Romania
• Military of Romania
• Relations of Romania with Moldova‎
• Movement for unification of Romania and Moldova
• Foreign relations of Romania

External links

• List of Romanian Embassies
• World Statesmen: Romania, including a comprehensive list of princes, monarchs, prime ministers, etc. The Group of 77 at the United Nations is a loose coalition of Developing nations designed to promote its members' collective Economic interests and create The International Atomic Energy Agency ( IAEA) is an international organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy and to inhibit its The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD is one of five institutions that comprise the World Bank Group. The International Civil Aviation Organization ( ICAO) an agency of the United Nations, codifies the principles and techniques of international air navigation The International Criminal Court ( ICC or ICCt) was established in 2002 as a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for Genocide, crimes against International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is an International humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers worldwide who stated The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD a specialized agency of the United Nations, was established as an international financial institution in 1977 as one The International Finance Corporation (IFC promotes sustainable private sector investment in developing countries as a way to reduce poverty and improve people's lives The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is an International humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers worldwide who stated The International Labour Organization The International Monetary Fund ( IMF) is an International organization that oversees the Global financial system by following the Macroeconomic The International Maritime Organization ( IMO) formerly known as the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization ( IMCO) is a late 20th century The International Mobile Satellite Organization (IMSO is the organization overseeing distress and safety satellite communications provided by the Inmarsat satellites Intelsat Ltd is the world’s largest commercial Satellite communications services provider The International Criminal Police Organization, better known by its telegraphic address Interpol is an organization facilitating international police cooperation The International Organization for Migration is an intergovernmental organization The Asociación Latinoamericana de Integración (the Latin American Integration Association; known as ALADI or occasionally by the English acronym LAIA The Mission of the United Nations in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC abbreviated MONUC (a French Acronym for M ission The Non-Aligned Movement ( NAM) is an International organization of states considering themselves not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc The North Atlantic Treaty Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG is a multinational body concerned with reducing Nuclear proliferation by controlling the export and re-transfer of materials that may be applicable The Organization of American States ( OAS, or as it is known in the three other official languages OEA) is an International organization, headquartered The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW is an international agency located in The Hague, The Netherlands. The Permanent Court of Arbitration ( PCA) is an International organization based in The Hague in the Netherlands. The Southeast European Cooperative Initiative (SECI is an international organization aimed to combat and improve coordination against transborder crime in Southeast Europe The South East European Co-operation Process (SEECP was launched on Bulgaria 's initiative in 1996. Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe is an institution aimed at strengthening peace Democracy, Human rights and economy in the countries of South Eastern The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development ( UNCTAD) was established in 1964 as a permanent intergovernmental body United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on November 16 The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO, French/Spanish acronym ONUDI, is a specialized agency in the United Nations system headquartered UNIKOM, the United Nations Iraq - Kuwait Observation Mission was established on April 9, 1991 following the Gulf War by The United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina ( UNMIBH) is an International organization formed under the United Nations Security Council The United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo or UNMIK is the interim civilian administration in Kosovo, under the authority of the United The Universal Postal Union ( UPU, French: Union postale universelle) is an International organization that coordinates postal policies among member The World Confederation of Labour (WCL was an international labour organization founded in 1920 and based in Europe The World Customs Organization ( WCO) is an Intergovernmental organization that helps Members (Governments usually represented by Customs administrations from 173 countries The Western European Union ( WEU) is a partially dormant European defence and security organization established on the basis of the Treaty of Brussels of 1948 TemplateInfobox Union for usage -->The World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU was established in the wake of the Second The World Intellectual Property Organization ( WIPO) is one of the 16 specialized agencies of the United Nations. The United Nations World Tourism Organization ( UNWTO) headquartered in Madrid, Spain, is a United Nations agency dealing with questions relating The Zangger Committee, also known as the Nuclear Exporters Committee, sprang from Article III Human rights in Romania are generally respected by the government although there were issues during the December 12 elections The Land Forces, Air Force and Naval Forces are collectively known as the Romanian Armed Forces ( Romanian: Forţele Armate Române A movement for the unification of Romania and Moldova began in both countries after the 1989 Romanian Revolution and the Glasnost policy in the Soviet Union Since December 1989 Romania has pursued a policy of strengthening relations with the West in general more specifically with the United States and the European Union
• Erik Herron's Guide to Politics of East Central Europe and Eurasia

References

Further reading

• John Hickman and Chris Little, "Seat/Vote Proportionality in Romanian and Spanish Parliamentary Elections" Journal of Southern Europe and the Balkans Volume 2, Number 2, November 2000.

See also : Romania, European Union, List of political parties in Romania