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Romania Page |
Welcome to ElectionInfo.com's pages on Romania
Official Name: Romania
Capital: Bucharest
Area : 237,500 square kilometres (91,699 square miles)
Major cities (Population)
Bucharest 2,090,000 (1995 estimate)
Constanïa 350,476 (1992)
Iaêi 342,994 (1992)
Timiêoara 334,278 (1992)
Cluj-Napoca 328,008 (1992)
Galaïi 325,788 (1992)
Braêov 323,835 (1992)
Craiova 303,520 (1992)
Ploieêti 252,073 (1992)
Population: 22,835,000 (1995 estimate)
Population growth rate: -0.3 per cent (1990-1995 average)
Type of government: Republic
Independence: 1881 (from Turkey); republic proclaimed 30 December 1947
Constitution: 8 December 1991
Voting Rights: Universal at age 18
Government
Under the new constitution adopted in 1991, the president, who is directly elected for a four-year term, is head of state and appoints the prime minister. The bicameral legislature consists of a 143-member senate and a Chamber of Deputies whose 341 members are elected for four-year terms. The voting age is 18.
Recent History
Because of its part in the alliance with France and England in World War I, Romania acquired Bessarabia from Russia and three provinces from the defeated Austro-Hungarian Empire. This more than doubled the size of Romania but alienated it from its neighbours. Soon after the beginning of World War II, Romania was forced to give back much of the territory it had gained. It then allied itself with Germany and in 1941 joined the German army in attacking the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). In 1944 Romania switched to the Allied side, and Russian troops occupied the country. Romania came under Soviet influence, the monarchy was abolished, and a Communist regime was established under Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej. He was succeeded in 1965 by a collective leadership that soon came to be dominated by Nicolae Ceauçescu, who became president in 1967. Ceauçescu broke with the USSR and pursued an independent policy of nationalistic communism. He ruled as a dictator and consolidated the power of the Ceauçescu clan. During the 1970s Romania borrowed heavily from the West in order to fund Ceauçescu's grandiose schemes. During the 1980s he changed course and concentrated on repaying the large accumulated debt, regardless of the enormous hardships to the Romanian people. The extensive internal security system, Securitaté, stifled dissent. Corruption and human-rights violations were widespread.
In 1988 Ceauçescu announced a plan to demolish some 7,000 villages and to rehouse the people in modern agricultural-industrial complexes. When democratic movements swept through Europe in 1989, Ceauçescu vowed nothing would change in Romania. However, in December that year demonstrators took to the streets. When security forces confronted the crowds, rioting broke out, and the people occupied some government facilities. On 22 December the army switched its support to the people’s revolution, and the regime fell after several days of fighting. Ceauçescu and his wife were executed, and the National Salvation Front took control. It removed certain restrictions and organized elections. National Salvation Front leader Ion Iliescu won the election in May 1990, despite his close ties with the former regime. Iliescu's government restricted civil rights; however, some democratic reforms were carried out, including a declaration of freedom of speech. A bicameral parliament was elected and produced a new constitution that was ratified in December 1991. In the September 1992 elections Iliescu was re-elected president.
Iliescu lost the November 1996 elections to reform-oriented Emil Constantinescu of the Democratic Convention. The new centre-right president immediately accelerated free-market reforms, launched an anti-corruption campaign, and actively pursued membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
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