Romania: Senate, 11 December 2016

At stake in this election:

• 134 seats in the Senat (Senate)

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Werner IOHANNIS (since 21 December 2014)
• Head of Government: Prime Minister Dacian CIOLOS (since 17 November 2015)
• Assembly: Romania has a bicameral Parlament (Parliament) consisting of the Senat (Senate) with 176 seats and the Camera Deputatilor (Chamber of Deputies) with 412 seats.[1]

Description of electoral system:

• For the Senate, 134 members are elected through a party-list proportional representation system, with a 5% threshold for parties and a threshold of 8-10% for electoral alliances.

Last Election:

• Elections for the Chamber of Deputies were last held on 9 December 2012. The Social Liberal Union won 122 seats, the Right Romania Alliance won 24, the People’s Party – Dan Diaconescu won 21, and the Hungarian Democratic Alliance of Romania won 9 seats.

Main candidates in the election:

• Social Democratic Party (PSD)/Partidul Social Democrat
  • Leader: Liviu DRAGNEA
  • Seats won in last election: N/A
• Party of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE)
  • Leader: Călin POPESCU-TĂRICEANU, Daniel CONSTANTIN
  • Seats won in last election: N/A
• National Liberal Party (PNL)/Partidul National Liberal
  • Leader: Alina-Ștefania GORGHIU
  • Seats won in last election: N/A
• Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania/Uniunea Democratica Maghiara din Romania
  • Leader: Hunor KELEMEN
  • Seats won in last election: 9
• People’s Movement Party / Partidul Mișcarea Populară
  • Leader: Traian BĂSESCU
  • Seats won in last election: N/A
• Save Romania Union / Uniunea Salvați România
  • Leader: Nicuşor DAN
  • Seats won in last election: N/A

Population and number of registered voters:

·         Population: 21,599,736 (July 2016 est.)

·         Registered Voters: 18,280,994 (2014)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 11,090,262 (July 2016 est.)

·         Is Romania a signatory to CEDAW: Yes (4 September 1980)

·         Has Romania ratified CEDAW: Yes (7 January 1982)

·         Gender Quota: No

·         Female candidates in this election: Yes

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 13 (7.39%)

·         Human Development Index Position: 52

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: Low (2014)

Disability Data:

·         Is Romania a signatory to CRPD: Yes (26 September 2007)

·         Has Romania ratified CRPD: Yes (31 January 2011)

·         Population with a disability: 4,903,499 (est.)