The Chamber of Deputies (Romanian: Camera Deputaților) is the lower house in Romania's bicameral parliament. It has 330 total seats to which deputies are elected by direct popular vote using party-list proportional representation[5] to serve four-year terms. Additionally, the organisation of each national ethnic minority is entitled to a seat in the Chamber (under the limitation that a national minority is to be represented by one organisation only).
Chamber of Deputies Camera Deputaților | |
|---|---|
| 9th Legislature | |
.svg) | |
| Type | |
| Type | of the Parliament of Romania |
| History | |
| Founded | 1862 |
New session started | 1 September 2021[1][2][3] |
| Leadership | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 330 |
Political groups | [4] Government (186)
Supported by (17) Opposition (137) |
| Committees | 24
|
| Elections | |
| 1992–2008, since 2016: Closed list, D'Hondt method 2008–2016: nominal vote, Mixed member proportional representation | |
Last election | 6 December 2020 |
Next election | 21 March 2025 |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| Palace of the Parliament, Bucharest | |
| Website | |
| cdep.ro | |
Leadership and structure
Standing Bureau
The (Romanian: Biroul Permanent) is the body elected by the deputies that rules the Chamber. Its president is the President of the Chamber, who is elected for a whole legislature (usually four years). All the other members are elected at the beginning of each parliamentary session.
There is one president, and four each of vice presidents, quaestors, and secretaries. The current composition is listed below.
Last President of Chamber Election: November 2021
| Position | Name | Political group | Incumbent since |
|---|---|---|---|
| President | Marcel Ciolacu | PSD | 23 November 2021 |
| Vice-presidents | Cristina Prună | USR | 21 December 2020 |
| Laurențiu Leoreanu | PNL | 21 December 2020 | |
| Marius Budăi | PSD | 21 December 2020 | |
| Alexandru Rafila | PSD | 21 December 2020 | |
| Secretaries | Oana Murariu | USR | 21 December 2020 |
| Cristian Buican | PNL | 21 December 2020 | |
| Vasile-Daniel Suciu | PSD | 21 December 2020 | |
| Ovidiu-Victor Ganț | Minorities (FDGR/DFDR) | 21 December 2020 | |
| Quaestors | George Tuță | PNL | 21 December 2020 |
| Dénes Seres | UDMR | 21 December 2020 | |
| Alexandra Presură | PSD | 21 December 2020 | |
| Antonio Andrușceac | AUR | 21 December 2020 |
Committees of the Chamber
Standing committees and current leadership are listed below.
| Committee | President | Group | Incumbent since |
|---|---|---|---|
| Committee for Economic Policy, Reform, and Privatisation (Romanian: Comisia pentru politică economică, reformă și privatizare) | Costel Dunava[6] | PSD[6] | 22 December 2020[6] |
| Committee for Budget, Finance and Banks (Romanian: Comisia pentru buget, finanțe și bănci) | Bogdan Huțucă[6] | PNL[6] | 22 December 2020[6] |
| Committee for Industries and Services (Romanian: Comisia pentru industrii și servicii) | Sándor Bende[6] | UDMR[6] | 22 December 2020[6] |
| Committee for Transport and Infrastructure (Romanian: Comisia pentru transporturi și infrastructură) | Ciprian Constantin Șerban[6] | PSD[6] | 22 December 2020[6] |
| Committee for Agriculture, Forestry, Food Industry and Specific Services (Romanian: Comisia pentru agricultură, silvicultură, industrie alimentară și servicii specifice) | Adrian Chesnoiu[6] | PSD[6] | 22 December 2020[6] |
| Committee for Human Rights, Cults and National Minorities Issues (Romanian: Comisia pentru drepturile omului, culte și problemele minorităților naționale) | Iusein Ibram[6] | Minorities[6] | 22 December 2020[6] |
| Committee for Public Administration and Territorial Planning (Romanian: Comisia pentru administrație publică și amenajarea teritoriului) | Simona Bucura-Oprescu[6] | PSD[6] | 22 December 2020[6] |
| Committee for the Environment and Ecological Balance (Romanian: Comisia pentru mediu și echilibru ecologic) | George Cătălin Stângă[6] | PNL[6] | 22 December 2020[6] |
| Committee for Labour and Social Protection (Romanian: Comisia pentru muncă și protecţie socială) | Oana Țoiu[6] | USR[6] | 22 December 2020[6] |
| Committee for Health and Family (Romanian: Comisia pentru sănătate și familie) | Nelu Tătaru[6] | PNL[6] | 22 December 2020[6] |
| Committee for Teaching (Romanian: Comisia pentru învățământ) | Natalia Intotero[6] | PSD[6] | 22 December 2020[6] |
| Committee for Culture, Arts, Mass Information Means (Romanian: Comisia pentru cultură, arte, mijloace de informare în masă) | Iulian Bulai[6] | USR[6] | 22 December 2020[6] |
| Committee for Legal Matters, Discipline and Immunities (Romanian: Comisia juridică, de disciplină și imunități) | Mihai Badea[6] | USR[6] | 22 December 2020[6] |
| Committee for Defence, Public Order and National Security (Romanian: Comisia pentru apărare, ordine publică și siguranță națională) | Constantin Șovăială[6] | PNL[6] | 22 December 2020[6] |
| Committee for Foreign Policy (Romanian: Comisia pentru politică externă) | Rozália Biró[6] | UDMR[6] | 22 December 2020[6] |
| Committee for the Investigation of Abuses, Corrupt Practices and for Petitions (Romanian: Comisia pentru cercetarea abuzurilor, corupției și pentru petiții) | Steluța Cătăniciu[6] | PSD[6] | 22 December 2020[6] |
| Committee for Standing Orders (Romanian: Comisia pentru regulament) | Gheorghe Șimon[6] | PSD[6] | 22 December 2020[6] |
| Committee for Information Technology and Communications (Romanian: Comisia pentru tehnologia informației și comunicațiilor) | Ion Sabin Sărmaș[6] | PNL[6] | 22 December 2020[6] |
| Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men (Romanian: Comisia pentru egalitatea de șanse pentru femei și bărbați) | Dan Tănasă[7] | AUR[7] | February 2021[7] |
| Committee for the Romanian Communities from Outside the Borders of the Country (Romanian: Comisia pentru comunitățile de români din afara granițelor țării) | Gigel Știrbu[6] | PNL[6] | 22 December 2020[6] |
| Committee for European Affairs (Romanian: Comisia pentru afaceri europene) | Ștefan Moșoiu[6] | PSD[6] | 22 December 2020[6] |
| Committee for Constitutionality (Romanian: Comisia pentru constituționalitate) | Ringo Dămureanu[7] | AUR[7] | February 2021[7] |
| Committee for Science and Technology (Romanian: Comisia pentru știință și tehnologie) | Dragoș Zisopol[6] | Minorities[6] | 22 December 2020[6] |
| Committee for Youth and Sport (Romanian: Comisia pentru tineret și sport) | Tudor Pop[6] | USR[6] | 22 December 2020[6] |
Party composition
2020–2024
| Party | Election seating | Lost | Won | Present seating | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seats | % | Seats | % | ||||
| Social Democratic Party | 110 | 33.33% | 6 | 3 | 107 | 32.42% | |
| National Liberal Party | 93 | 28.18% | 16 | 4 | 81 | 24.54% | |
| Save Romania Union[f] | 55 | 16.66% | 13 | 0 | 42 | 12.72% | |
| Alliance for the Union of Romanians | 33 | 10.00% | 11 | 1 | 23 | 6.96% | |
| Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania | 21 | 6.36% | 1 | 0 | 20 | 6.06% | |
| Parties of ethnic minorities | 18 | 5.45% | 1 | 1 | 18 | 5.45% | |
| Force of the Right | — | — | 1 | 17 | 16 | 4.84% | |
| Renewing Romania's European Project | — | — | 0 | 9 | 9 | 2.72% | |
| Social Liberal Humanist Party | — | — | 0 | 4 | 4 | 1.21% | |
| Romanian Nationhood Party | — | — | 0 | 4 | 4 | 1.21% | |
| The Right Alternative | — | — | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0.90% | |
| Alliance for the Homeland | — | — | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.30% | |
| Association of Italians of Romania | — | — | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.30% | |
| Independents | — | — | 12 | 15 | 3 | 0.90% | |
| Total | 330 | 100 | — | 330 | 100 | ||
2016–2020
| Party | Election seating | Lost | Won | End seating | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seats | % | Seats | % | ||||
| Social Democratic Party | 154 | 46.8% | 65 | 28 | 117 | 35.56% | |
| National Liberal Party | 69 | 20.97% | 6 | 3 | 66 | 20.06% | |
| Save Romania Union | 30 | 9.11% | 11 | 6 | 25 | 7.59% | |
| Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania | 21 | 6.38% | 1 | 0 | 20 | 6.07% | |
| Alliance of Liberals and Democrats | 20 | 6.07% | 10 | 4 | 14 | 4.26% | |
| People's Movement Party | 18 | 5.47% | 9 | 6 | 15 | 4.55% | |
| Parties of ethnic minorities | 17 | 5.17% | 0 | 0 | 17 | 5.17% | |
| PRO Romania | — | — | 0 | 21 | 21 | 6.38% | |
| Humanist Power Party | — | — | 0 | 7 | 7 | 2.12% | |
| Independents | — | — | 11 | 38 | 27 | 10.94% | |
| Total | 329 | 100 | — | 329 | 100 | ||
2012–2016
2008–2012
| Parliamentary Group | Election seating | Lost | Won | Present | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seats | % | Seats | % | ||||
| Democratic Liberal Party | 115 | 34.43% | 29 | 12 | 106 | 31.73% | |
| Social Democratic Party | 114 | 34.13% | 29 | 2 | 91 | 27.24% | |
| National Liberal Party | 65 | 19.46% | 21 | 6 | 56 | 16.76% | |
| Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania | 22 | 6.58% | 2 | 0 | 20 | 5.98% | |
| Ethnic minorities parties | 18 | 5.39% | 2 | 0 | 16 | 4.79% | |
| National Union for the Progress of Romania | — | — | 16 | 16 | 12 | 3.59% | |
| Independents | 8 | 2.39% | |||||
| Vacant seats | 25 | — | |||||
| Total | 334 | 100 | — | 334 | 100 | ||
2004–2008
In Romania's 2004 legislative election, held on 28 November, no party won an outright majority. The Social Democratic Party (PSD) won the largest number of seats but is currently in opposition because the Justice and Truth Alliance (DA), the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR/RMDSZ), the Romanian Humanist Party (which later became the Conservative Party), and the National Minorities formed a governing coalition, giving it 177 seats in the Chamber of Deputies (47.9% of the total). The Conservative Party (PC) withdrew in December 2006, meaning that the government lost the majority in the Chamber of Deputies.[8] In April 2007, then national liberal Prime Minister, Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu, dismissed the Democratic Party ministers from the government and formed a minority government with the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania, marking the end of the Justice and Truth Alliance.[9][10]
During the 2004–2008 legislature, the president of the Chamber of Deputies was Bogdan Olteanu from the National Liberal Party (PNL), who was elected on 20 March 2006, after the Chamber's former president, Adrian Năstase, was forced by his own party (the Social Democratic Party, PSD) to step down amidst corruption allegations.
After the 2004 elections, several deputies from the PSD switched to other parties (including the governing Justice and Truth Alliance) or became independents, with the total number of PSD seats being reduced from 113 to 105. The number of Justice and Truth Alliance (DA) deputies also increased from 112 to 118, making it the largest formation in parliament as of October 2006. This changed again in December 2006, leaving the PSD with 107 seats and the Justice and Truth Alliance (DA) with 101. Since April 2007 the Justice and Truth Alliance (DA) has split leaving the two former members with 51 respectively 50 members. Deputies elected to the European Parliament in the 2007 election resigned, thus reducing the number of deputies to 314 as of 4 December 2007.
A new election was held in 2008. The table below gives the state of play before the 2008 election; parties in bold were part of the governing coalition. That coalition was tacitly supported by the PSD.[11]
| Party | % of seats | Seats | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social Democratic Party | 32.31 | 105 | |
| Democratic Liberal Party | 20.62 | 67 | |
| National Liberal Party | 18.15 | 59 | |
| Greater Romania Party | 6.77 | 22 | |
| Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania | 6.77 | 22 | |
| Conservative Party | 5.85 | 19 | |
| Ethnic minority parties | 5.54 | 18 | |
| Independents | 4.00 | 13 | |
| Total | 100 | 325 | |
2000–2004
Elections to the Chamber of Deputies were held on 26 November 2000, in which the Social Democratic Party of Romania (PSD) won plurality. The governing majority was formed from the PSD and the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR/RMDSZ), which, with 182 members, made up 54.8% of seats. The president of the Chamber of Deputies during this period was Valer Dorneanu, who was elected on 15 December 2000. The distribution of seats was as follows:
| Party | % of seats | Seats | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social Democratic Party | 44.93 | 155 | |
| Greater Romania Party | 24.35 | 84 | |
| Democratic Party | 8.99 | 31 | |
| National Liberal Party | 8.70 | 30 | |
| Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania | 7.83 | 27 | |
| Ethnic minority parties | 5.22 | 18 | |
| Total | 100 | 345 | |