2008–12 legislature of the Romanian Parliament

Parliament of Romania
LIII legislature
December 2008 – present
< 2004–2008 LIV >
Parliamentarians
Senators	137
Deputies	334
Sessions
1st Session December 2008 - February 2009
2nd Session February 2009 - September 2009
3rd Session September 2009 - February 2010
4th Session February 2010 - September 2010
5th Session September 2010 - February 2011
6th Session February 2011 - September 2012
7th Session September 2012 - (current)
Party standings
Government
PD-L, PSD, PC PD-L/PDL, UDMR, UNPR PSD, PNL, PC, UNPR
Opposition
PNL, UDMR PSD, PNL, PC PD-L/PDL, UDMR
Senate
Political structure of the Senate
President of the Senate	Crin Antonescu 3 July 2012 - present (National Liberal Party) Vasile Blaga 28 November 2011 - 3 July 2012 (Democratic Liberal Party) Mircea Geoană 19 December 2008 - 23 November 2011 (Social Democratic Party)
Senate Political Groups Leaders
Democratic Liberal Party	Cristian Rădulescu
Social Democratic Party	Ilie Sârbu
National Liberal Party	Mario Oprea
Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania	Andras Levente Fekete Szabó
National Union for the Progress of Romania	Şerban Mihăilescu
Chamber of Deputies
Political structure of the Chamber of Deputies
President of the Chamber of Deputies	Valeriu Zgonea 3 July 2012 - present (Social Democratic Party) Roberta Anastase 19 December 2008 - 3 July 2012 (Democratic Liberal Party)
Chamber of Deputies Political Groups Leaders
Democratic Liberal Party	Mircea Toader
Social Democratic Party	Marian Neacşu
National Liberal Party	Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu
Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania	András-Levente Máté
Minorities	Varujan Pambuccian
National Union for the Progress of Romania	Luminiţa Iordache
Government
Boc I Cabinet coalition Cabinet Emil Boc 22 December 2008 - 23 December 2009
Boc II Cabinet coalition Cabinet Emil Boc Cătălin Predoiu 23 December 2009 - 9 February 2012
Ungureanu Cabinet coalition Cabinet Mihai Răzvan Ungureanu 9 February 2012 - 27 April 2012
Ponta Cabinet coalition Cabinet Victor Ponta 27 April 2012 - present

In Romania's 2008 legislative election, held on November 30, no party won an outright majority. The Democratic Liberal Party won the largest number of seats, closely followed by the Social Democratic Party + Conservative Party Alliance. It was thought that the third-placed National Liberal Party would hold the key for the new Government, and asked for the post of Prime Minister in the negotiations with both parties.

In the end, the Democratic Liberal Party and Social Democratic Party signed a coalition agreement, with Theodor Stolojan as Prime Minister designate. Two days later, inexplicably, Stolojan renounced to this designation, and was quickly replaced by Emil Boc, Democratic Liberal Party president and incumbent Mayor of Cluj-Napoca at that time. The National Liberal Party, Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania, and the 18 Minorities Parties form the Parliamentary Opposition.

The coalition originally had approximately 70% Parliament support, but the Social Democrats pulled out of the coalition on October 1, 2009, in protest of the sacking of interior minister Dan Nica,^[1] and the government fell in a vote of no confidence on October 13.^[2]

Senate

The President of the Senate for this legislature was Mircea Geoană, former president of the Social Democratic Party, between 19 December 2008 and 23 November 2011. He was replaced by Vasile Blaga on 28 November 2011. In July 3, 2012, Crin Antonescu replaced Blaga at the Senate Presidency. During Antonescu's tenure as ad interim President of Romania, the day-to-day business of the Senate was carried by the Vicepresident Petru Filip, who switched parties form PDL to PSD during the vote of no confidence for the Ungureanu Cabinet. He also served as interim President of the Senate between the removal from office of Mircea Geoană and the election of Vasile Blaga in 2011. At that time he was a PDL Vicepresident.

Chamber of Deputies

On 19 December 2008, President of the Chamber of Deputies was elected Roberta Anastase member of Democratic Liberal Party. She was removed from office on 3 July 2012, and replaced the same day by Valeriu Zgonea, Chamber Vicepresident at that time.

During the 2009 Spring Session of the Parliament, there were constituted two Inquiry Committees, and an Inquiry Sub-Committee. The two Committees were formed for the Minister of Youth and Sport Monica Iacob-Ridzi, regarding the possible misuse of money spent by the Ministry she was running on the Youth Day festivities, and Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development, Nicolae Nemirschi, regarding the possible misuse of money spent by the Ministry he is running on the promotion of Governmental Programs. The Sub-Committee was formed for the former Prime Minister Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu, regarding the possible fraudulent allocation of oil drilling rights in the Snake Island area, recently gained by Romania.

The Chamber of Deputies was called in an Extraordinary Session in July, to vote the reports of the Ridzi Inquiry Committee and Tăriceanu Inquiry Sub-Committee, and the formation of a new Inquiry Committee for the Minister of Tourism, Elena Udrea, regarding the possible misuse of money spent by the Ministry she is running on the tourism promoting TV spots.

By-elections

Romania
This article is part of a series on the politics and government of Romania
Constitution Referendums 1991 (adoption) 2003 (amendments) 2015 (amendments) Constitutional Court
Parliament Senate President: Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu Standing Bureau Chamber of Deputies President: Valeriu Zgonea Standing Bureau
Government President (list) Klaus Iohannis Prime Minister (list) Dacian Cioloș Cabinet (current list)
Judiciary High Court of Cassation and Justice Constitutional Court Ombudsman Judicial reform
Political parties Parliamentary Social Democratic Party (PSD) National Liberal Party (PNL) Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE) Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR) National Union for the Progress of Romania (UNPR) People's Party – Dan Diaconescu (PP–DD) Other ethnic-minority parties Non-parliamentary People's Movement Party (PMP) Greater Romania Party (PRM) Green Party (PV)
Elections Permanent Electoral Authority Recent elections Presidential: 2014 2009 2004 Legislative: 2016 2012 2008 Local: 2012 2008 2004 European: 2014 2009 2007
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Politicians Heads of state National Salvation Front Council members Presidents by time in office Prime Ministers Ministers of Finance
Other countries Atlas

See also

• Parliament of Romania

References

Legislatures of the Parliament of Romania
1864–66 1866–66 1866–69 1869–70 1870–71 1871–75 1875–76 1876–79 1879–83 1883–84 1884–88 1888–91 1891–92 1892–95 1895–99 1899–1901 1901–05 1905–07 1907–11 1911–12 1912–14 1914–18 1918–19 1919–20 1920–22 1922–26 1926–27 1927–28 1928–31 1931–32 1932–33 1933–37 1937–39 1939–46 1946–48 1948–52 1952–57 1957–61 1961–65 1965–69 1969–75 1975–80 1980–85 1985–90 1990–92 1992–96 1996–2000 2000–04 2004–08 2008–present