Political Institutions and Constitutional Procedures in Romania

Flashcards of key vocabulary terms for the Romanian Legislative System

Unicameralism

A legislative system with one chamber, often found in unitary states and preferred for its fluent legislative process and lower parliamentary costs.

Bicameralism

A legislative system with two chambers, common in federal states to represent regions and used in unitary states to divide power and increase legislative quality.

Symmetrical Bicameralism

A bicameral system where both chambers have similar powers and roles, preventing power concentration and improving legislative quality, but potentially causing paralysis.

Hybrid Parliament

A parliament that can act as both a unicameral and bicameral body, with chambers holding separate sessions but reuniting for specific situations like government investment and budget approval.

Standing Bureau

A permanent college elected by each chamber, composed of a president, vice-presidents, secretaries, and quaestors, reflecting the political composition of the chamber.

The President of the Chamber

Elected for the entire mandate, convenes sessions, organizes chamber work, maintains order, recognizes speakers, moderates debates, and represents the chamber.

Parliamentary Groups

Associations of deputies and senators from the same party or political groups, requiring at least ten deputies or seven senators, mirroring the political composition of the chambers.

Parliamentary Committees

Operational divisions of the chambers that examine draft laws, bill proposals, and amendments, drafting reports and advisory opinions, elected for the legislature's mandate.

Committee of the Leaders of Parliamentary Groups

Formed of leaders of parliamentary groups, ratifies the agenda of the Chamber’s meetings, proposes debate methods, and includes delayed drafts in the Orders of the Day.

Parliamentary Mandate

A public dignity where an individual is elected by the people to exert national sovereignty through representation, characterized by generality, independence, and irrevocability.

MP Mandate Incompatibilities

Regulations preventing MPs from holding certain offices simultaneously to protect Parliament from undue influence, differing from ineligibilities, and including restrictions on holding other public authority offices or certain positions in companies.

Parliamentary Immunity

Protects MPs from pressures, securing independence and safety, encompassing legal irresponsibility for votes and opinions, and inviolability against abusive actions.

Legal Irresponsibility

An absolute and perpetual immunity protecting MPs from liability for activities in fulfilling their mandate, not exempting them from the law for actions outside this scope.

Procedure Immunity

Protects MPs against abusive search, retention, or arrest, requiring prior authorization from their chamber, except in cases of flagrante delicto.

Constitutional Laws

Laws that revise the Constitution, passed with a qualified majority (2/3 of each chamber), and require approval by referendum.

Organic Laws

Laws passed by Parliament in specific areas outlined in Article 73, paragraph 3 of the Constitution, requiring an absolute majority (half plus one of each chamber).

Ordinary Laws

Laws that address social relations not covered by constitutional or organic laws, passed with a simple majority (the vote of the majority of members present in each chamber).

Legislative Initiative

The right to propose legislation; Government, deputies, senators, and citizens are entitled to it; it results in bills (from the Government) or legislative proposals (from parliament and citizens).

The Legislative Council

An advisory body of specialized Parliament, which approves bills, ensuring compliance with the Constitution and existing the laws in that particular field, European regulations and International Treaties signed by Romania

Emergency Procedures

An accelerated process of adopting laws due to the fluctuant dynamics of the legislative process. It may be initiated by the Government , in the Chambers of Parliament, the emergency procedures may be requested by the Standing Bureau, the parliamentary groups and the Standing Committees.

Appointment of the Government

Consists of essential stages of the procedure of forming the Government of Romania: designation by the President of a candidate for the position of Prime, applying for the Vote of Confidence for the Government and the Vote of Confidence.

Legislative Delegation

When legislative prerogatives are delegated to a body other than Parliament for a limited period of time.