Source: http://archive.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/2262.htm
Timestamp: 2019-10-21 16:26:24
Document Index: 627948887

Matched Legal Cases: ['Art. 66', 'Art. 67', 'Art. 160', 'Art. 67', 'Art. 171', 'Art. 67', 'Art. 171', 'Art. 67', 'Art. 67', 'Art. 67', 'Art. 97', 'Art. 71', 'Art. 69', 'Art. 69', 'Art. 69', 'Art. 69', 'Art. 149', 'Art. 69', 'Art. 168']

﻿ IPU PARLINE database: ROMANIA (Senatul), Full text
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Chamber name (generic / translated) Senatul / Senate
Related chamber (for bicameral parliaments) Camera Deputatilor / Chamber of Deputies
President Calin Popescu-Tariceanu (M)
Notes Elected on 10 March 2014, re-elected on 21 Dec. 2016.
Secretary General Ion Vargau (M)
Members (statutory / current number) 136 / 136 PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN
Women (current number) 19 (13.97%)
Mode of designation directly elected 136
Address Senatul
Nr. 1-3, Intrarea A1,
Phone (40 21) 312 30 79
Fax (40 21) 312 11 84
E-mail webadmin@senat.ro
Last updated on 24 July 2015 (Law no. 208)
Constituencies - 41 constituencies at county level (one constituency per county) for 121 seats
- 1 constituency in Bucharest for 13 seats
- 1 constituency abroad for two seats
There is one Senator for every 168,000 inhabitants.
Political parties contesting the election on their own must be above the following thresholds to win parliamentary representation: 5% of the total number of valid votes cast at national level or 20% of the total number of valid votes cast in at least four constituencies.
Vacancies arising between general elections are filled by unsuccessful candidates declared substitutes on the corresponding party-list. By-elections can be held in exceptional situations.
Voter requirements - minimum age: 18 years
- disqualifications: persons with mental deficiencies, placed under interdiction and persons disenfranchised pursuant to a final court decision
- minimum age: 33 years
- domicile in Romania
Incompatibilities - Deputies
- holders of public offices (except the members of the Government)
- prefects, sub-prefects, heads of public services and other governmental authorities of territorial administrative units (in constituencies where exercising functions)
- managers of trading companies, including banks, of publicly owned enterprises and of national companies
- public offices entrusted by a foreign State, excepting those stipulated in the international agreements and conventions Romania is a party to
- the Advocate of the People and his/her deputies
- other categories of civil servants established by organic law, who are not allowed to join political parties
Candidacy requirements - candidatures proposed on separate list submitted only by legally constituted political parties and political alliances, as well as by electoral alliances
- support by at least 5% of the total number of voters from the constituency, for independent candidates
- nominations submitted no later than 30 days prior to the polling
Number of seats at stake: 136 (full renewal)
Number of candidates: 2,226
Name of the new Speaker: Mr. Calin Popescu-Tariceanu (Liberal-Democrat Alliance, ALDE)
Senate (20.12.2016, 21.02.2017)
Term - duration: 4 years (term of House), may be prolonged in the event of war or catastrophe
- reasons for interruption of the term: resignation, disenfranchisement, incompatibility, death, suspension subsequently to grave acts infringing upon constitutional provisions while ensuring the interim as President of Romania, ( the dissolution does not automatically interrupt the status of President of the Senate),
- term is prolonged until the newly elected Senate legally meets, upon request of the President of Romania and within 20 days from the date of the elections
Appointment - elected by the Senate plenum after the legal constitution of the Senate
- after 2/3 of the number of Senator's mandates have been validated
Eligibility - any Senator whose mandate has been validated - in practice, each parliamentary group makes a proposal
Voting system - formal vote by secret ballot at one or two rounds
- the candidate who obtains a majority of votes shall be declared elected - if no candidate obtains the majority, a second ballot is held between the two candidates who obtained the largest number of votes
Procedures / results - the oldest Senator -the senior Speaker- presides over the Senate during the voting
- 4 Secretaries, who assist the senior Speaker, supervise the voting
- one of the Secretaries announces the results
Status - ranks second in the hierarchy of State, after the President of Romania, whom he replaces on a temporary basis, and before the President of the Chamber of Deputies (joint sittings of both Chambers are alternatively presided by the President of the Chamber of Deputies and the President of the Senate)
- represents the Senate within internal and foreign relations
- ensures the link between the Senate and the President of Romania, the Chamber of Deputies, the Government, the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court of Justice
- in the Speaker's absence , the Deputy Speakers accomplish the Speaker's duties , in the order established by the Standing Bureau
Board - the Standing Bureau of the Senate is composed of 11 persons (1 Président, 4 Deputy Chairmen, 4 Secretaries and 2 Questors ) elected from the nominees made by the leaders of the parliamentary groups, according to the political configuration of the Senate, as resulted from elections
- meets every week at the initiative of the President of the Senate
- its main powers cover the conduct of parliamentary proceedings and the organization of the services of the Senate
Material facilities - monthly allowance of 1,000,500 lei (April 1995)
- physical and military protection
The Standing Bureau:
- makes announcements concerning the Assembly - according the importance, these are done by one of the Secretaries
- gives and withdraws permission to speak, Secretaries establishe the list of speakers,
- precises, before the beginning of the proceedings , if there is a legal quorum
Special powers - proposes the Clerk who is appointed by the Senate plenum
(the Quaestors and the Secretary General draw up the Senate's budget, the Standing Bureau and the Secretary General are in charge of the staff and the Standing Bureau checks over the services of the Senate)
Others powers :
- is responsible of the relations with forein Parliaments
- intervenes in the case of interpellation
- signs laws before transmitting them to the President of the Republic for promulgation
- has the right to intimate the Constitutional Court with regard to the constitutionality of laws
Nature of the mandate · Free representation (Art. 66 of the Constitution of 08.12.1991)
Start of the mandate · When the Senate holds its constituent meeting, subject to the validation of mandates (Art. 67 (1) of the Constitution, Art. 160 of the Standing Orders of the Senate)
Validation of mandates · Validation by the Senate, on a proposal by a Validation Committee [references, texts or comments]· Procedure
End of the mandate · On the first day when the newly elected Parliament meets (Art. 67 (2) of the Constitution)
Can MPs resign? Yes · Yes, of their own free will (Art. 171 of the Standing Orders of the Senate)
· Procedure (Art. 67 (2) of the Constitution, Art. 171 of the Standing Orders of the Senate)
· Authority competent to accept the resignation: the President of the Senate
Can MPs lose their mandate ? Yes (a)	Loss of electoral rights (Art. 67 (2) of the Constitution)
(b)	Loss of mandate for incompatibility (Art. 67 (2) and 68 of the Constitution ; also for assets not accounted for, see Consequences of the obligation to declare personal assets)
(c)	Death (Art. 67 (2) of the Constitution)
Rank in hierarchy · Within Parliament (Law on the allowances and other pecuniary rights of senators and deputies).:
2.	The Vice-Presidents of the Standing Board
3.	The Secretaries and Questors of the Standing Board, the Chairpersons of standing committees and the leaders of parliamentary groups
4.	The Vice-Chairpersons and Secretaries of standing committees
5.	The other Senators
· Outside Parliament (Art. 97 of the Constitution) : the official order of precedence ranks the President of the Senate in the 2nd position.
· Basic salary (Art. 71 of the Constitution): ROL 2 million/month + Sitting allowance: 2% of the basic salary per day of presence in parliamentary activities + Specific allowances for senators who fulfil functions on the Board, the standing committees, and for leaders of parliamentary groups
(a)	Secretariat/assistants
(c)	Security guards for the President and Vice-Presidents of the Senate; upon request also for the other senators with the approval of the countrys Supreme Defence Council
(d)	Postal and telephone services: expenses reimbursed
Parliamentary immunity - parliamentary non-accountability · The concept exists.
Parliamentary immunity - parliamentary inviolability · The concept exists (Art. 69 of the Constitution).
· Derogations: in cases of flagrante delicto, senators may be detained and subjected to a search. The Minister of Justice shall immediately inform the President of the Senate accordingly. Should the Senate note that the detention is not grounded, it shall immediately move that this measure be revoked (Art. 69 (2) of the Constitution).
· Parliamentary immunity (inviolability) can be lifted (Art. 69 (1) of the Constitution) :
- Procedure (Art. 69 (1) of the Constitution, Art. 149 and 152 of the Standing Orders of the Senate. In this case, MPs has to be heard (Art. 69 (1) of the Constitution). They do not have means of appeal.
· It is provided by the political parties and by civil society.
Participation in the work of the Parliament · It is compulsory for MPs to be present at plenary sittings and committee meetings (Art. 168 of the Standing Orders of the Senate).
· Penalties foreseen in case of failure to fulfil this obligation: reduction of the monthly allowance and the sitting allowance
· Body competent to judge such cases/to impose penalties: the Standing Board, on a proposal by the Committee on Legal Affairs, Appointments, Discipline, Immunities and Validations
Discipline · The rules governing discipline within Parliament are contained in the IVth chapter, 5th section of the Standing Orders, and in the 1994 Decision on certain rules governing parliamentary polemics.
· Disciplinary measures foreseen [references, texts or comments]:
- Warning [references, texts or comments]
- Call to order [references, texts or comments]
- Prohibition on taking the floor [references, texts or comments]
- Exclusion from the room for the remainder of the sitting [references, texts or comments]
- Ban on taking part in the work of the Senate for 30 days maximum [references, texts or comments]
- Offence or insult (1994 Decision on certain rules governing parliamentary polemics) : all penalties foreseen
- Warning, call to order, ban on taking the floor, exclusion from the room for the remainder of the sitting, offence or insult: the Chairperson of the sitting/the committee
- Ban on taking part in the work of the Senate for 30 days maximum, offence or insult: the Board, on a proposal by the Committee on Legal Affairs, Appointments, Discipline, Immunities and Validations
- Warning, call to order, ban on taking the floor, exclusion from the room for the remainder of the sitting, ban on taking part in the work of the Senate for 30 days maximum
- Offence or insult (1994 Decision on certain rules governing parliamentary polemics
Code (rules) of conduct · This concept does not exist in the country's juridical system. For loss of mandate for incompatibility, see Loss of mandate; for declaration of personal assets, see Obligation to declare personal assets.