Romania is a sovereign state located in Southeastern Europe. It borders the Black Sea, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Hungary, Serbia, and Moldova. Romania's political framework is a semi-presidential, representative democratic republic where the prime minister is the head of government and the president is the head of state. Executive power is exercised by the president of the republic and the government. Romania joined NATO in 2004 and European Union in 2007.
Romania has a multi-party system, with legislative power vested in the government and the two chambers of parliament: the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.
Romania's Constitution proclaims it a democratic and social republic, deriving its sovereignty from the people. According to the Constitution, "Human dignity, civic rights and freedoms, the unhindered development of human personality, justice, and political pluralism are supreme and guaranteed values."
The president is elected by popular vote for a maximum of two five-year terms (four-year terms until 2004). S/he is head of state (charged with safeguarding the constitution, foreign affairs, and the proper functioning of public authority), supreme commander of the armed forces and chairperson of the Supreme Council of National Defense. According to the constitution, s/he acts as a mediator among the state's power centers and between the state and society. The president nominates the prime minister after consultation with the party holding an absolute majority in Parliament or, if there is no such majority, with all the parties in Parliament.
The national legislature is a bicameral parliament, consisting of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. Members are elected to four-year terms by universal suffrage in a party-list proportional representation electoral system. Beginning in 2008, members are elected by mixed member proportional representation.
Romania has a multiparty system, which makes a majority government virtually impossible.
More information about politics in Romania can be found on Wikipedia.
