2016 Romanian parliamentary election

2016 Romanian parliamentary election

←  2012 December 11, 2016 (2016-12-11) 2020  →
All 136 seats in the Senate All 329 seats in the Chamber of Deputies 69 S and 165 D seats needed for a majority
Registered	18,403,044
Turnout	39.46% ( 2.30 pp)
First party Second party Third party   Leader Liviu Dragnea Alina Gorghiu Nicușor Dan Party PSD PNL USR Leader's seat D - Teleorman S - Timiș D - Bucharest Last election 59 S / 150 D 50 S / 100 D - Seats after 67 S / 154 D 30 S / 69 D 13 S / 30 D Seat change 8 S / 4 D 20 S / 31 D New Popular vote 3,204,864 1,412,377 625,154 Percentage 45.48% 20.04% 8.87%   Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party   Leader Hunor Kelemen Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu Traian Băsescu Party UDMR ALDE PMP Leader's seat D - Harghita S - Bucharest S - Bucharest Last election 9 S / 18 D - - Seats after 9 S / 21 D 9 S / 20 D 8 S / 18 D Seat change 0 S / 3 D New New Popular vote 435,969 396,386 376,891 Percentage 6.19% 5.62% 5.35%   Seventh party   Leader Varujan Pambuccian [a] Party Minority parties Leader's seat D - Nationwide [b] Last election 0 S / 18 D Seats after 0 S / 17 D Seat change 0 S / 1 D Popular vote 94,028 Percentage 1.33%
Chamber of Deputies results Senate results
Prime Minister before election Dacian Cioloș Independent (technocratic) Prime Minister after election Sorin Grindeanu PSD

Parliamentary elections were held in Romania on 11 December 2016. ^[2] They were the first held under a new electoral system adopted in 2015, which saw a return to the proportional electoral system last used in the 2004 elections. The new electoral legislation provides a norm of representation for deputies of 73,000 inhabitants and 168,000 inhabitants for senators, which decreased the number of MPs. ^[3]

A total of 466 parliamentary seats (308 deputies, 18 minority deputies, and 134 senators) were contested, compared with the 588 parliamentarians elected in 2012. The diaspora was represented by four deputies and two senators, elected by postal vote. ^[4] The elections saw a turnout of 39.5%, lower than in 2012 but slightly higher than in the 2008 elections.

New electoral system

The parliamentary election of 2016 unfolded differently compared to 2012 and 2008. On 24 February 2015, the Electoral Code Commission decided in principle for the future electoral law to return to party-list proportional representation, thereby relinquishing the first-past-the-post (uninominal) voting system as introduced in 2008. ^[5] The option of turning the Parliament of Romania into a perfectly bicameral parliament, with some 300 deputies being elected on a closed list and 100 senators being elected by a single-round uninominal majority vote, had been discussed for years ^[6] and even agreed upon between the ruling Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the opposition. ^[7] The new electoral law promulgated by President Klaus Iohannis on 20 July 2015 however did not retain uninominal constituencies for the Senate. Closely sticking to the commission's recommendations, the new electoral law completely returned to party-list proportional representation. ^[8]

With a representation norm of one deputy per 73,000 inhabitants and one senator per 168,000 inhabitants, ^[9] a total of 308 deputies were elected, to which are added the 18 deputies of minorities, 134 senators and 6 MPs of diaspora (two senators and four deputies). ^[10] All in all this totals to a number of 466 MPs, five fewer than in 2008 and 122 fewer than in 2012. ^[8] While for single-party lists the electoral threshold is kept at 5%, a higher threshold of 8–10% is introduced for electoral alliances. For the first time the Romanian electors residing abroad were able to cast their vote via mail, in a reaction to the flawed procedures at the 2014 presidential election. ^[8]

Parties

Although the image of Victor Ponta and his Social Democratic Party (PSD) was badly affected by corruption scandals and a recent wave of protests, the party remains one of the two major parties in Romania. Besides the PSD, the Romanian party system however went through a number of substantial regroupings.

Major regroupings

Leading centre-left Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the Centre Right Alliance (ACD) of the Conservative Party (PC) and National Liberal Party (PNL) contested the 2012 parliamentary election under the joint ticket of the Social Liberal Union (USL). ^[11] They won an absolute majority to form a government headed by prime minister Victor Ponta.

Over time, the PC and PNL increasingly distanced themselves from each other, with the PC – despite its name – embracing social liberalism ^{[ citation needed ]} and being affected by corruption scandals involving its leader, Dan Voiculescu, who was subsequently sentenced to prison for money laundering. In turn, the PNL dropped out of the coalition government in February 2014. ^[12] Formerly affiliated with the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE), the party applied for membership in the European People's Party (EPP) and was later accepted as a member. ^[13] The PNL's shift to the right led to a faction led by Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu leaving to form the Liberal Reformist Party (PLR), which then merged with the PC to found the Romanian Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE), named after the European party. ^{[14] [15]} This move was criticized by Conservative MEP Maria Grapini, who accused her party of betrayal. ^[16]

Subsequently, the PNL joined forces with the Democratic Liberal Party (PDL), which itself had suffered a split when Traian Băsescu left to form the People's Movement (PMP). ^[17] Ahead of a complete merger, the PDL and PNL formed the Christian Liberal Alliance (ACL), ^[18] which successfully fielded Klaus Iohannis in the November 2014 presidential election. ^[19] The two parties fully merged on 17 November 2014 under the name of National Liberal Party (PNL).

In June 2015, the left-wing National Union for the Progress of Romania (UNPR) which was previously in the Centre Left Alliance (ACS) with the Social Democrats (PSD), absorbed the remainders of dissolved populist PP-DD ^[20] after the latter's founder Dan Diaconescu was convicted for extortion. ^[21] UNPR president Gabriel Oprea advanced an independent list for his party for the 2016 parliamentary election. ^[22] Though it aimed to win 10% of national vote on its own, ^[23] the party also reaffirmed its commitment to the Centre Left Alliance (ACS) with the PSD. ^[24] However, in July 2016, UNPR joined the right-leaning People's Movement Party (PMP) led by former president Traian Băsescu, despite protests from some UNPR members. ^{[25] [26]} Oprea, himself under investigation for abuse of power, resigned from the party and declared his intention to leave politics. ^[27]

Further developments

Further information: List of political parties in Romania

A new nationalist party, United Romania Party (PRU), was founded by MP Bogdan Diaconu on 17 August 2014 and became official by court decision on 17 February 2015.

Also notable was the rise of the Union for the Salvation of Romania (USR), a party recently created from its base in Bucharest as the Union for the Salvation of Bucharest. Led by Nicușor Dan, a mathematics professor, it was a reformist group of newcomers to politics committed to rooting out corruption. Polling suggested that the USR would exceed its goal of winning 10% of the popular vote.

The Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR/RMDSZ), the largest party representing an ethnic minority, was also projected to be represented in the parliament.

Parties to be entered in the election and their leaders ^{[28] 1}

PSD (Liviu Dragnea)

PNL (Alina Gorghiu)

ALDE [29] (Daniel Constantin, Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu)

UDMR (Hunor Kelemen)

USR (Nicușor Dan)

PMP (Traian Băsescu)

PRU (Bogdan Diaconu)

AN (Marian Munteanu)

PER (Dănuț Pop)

PRM (Emil Străinu)

PSR (Constantin Rotaru)

Opinion polls

  Parties that surpass the parliamentary threshold of 5% (except the leading party)

  Parties that do not surpass the parliamentary threshold of 5%

  Parties that maybe can surpass or not surpass the parliamentary threshold of 5%

Poll source	Date	Sample size	PNL	PDL	PLR	PSD–UNPR–PC			PPDD	UDMR	PRM	PMP	PNȚCD	M10	PRU	Other	Lead
INSCOP	1–6 Jul 2014	1,055	19.3%	11.9%		42.3%			2.8%	5.4%	3.2%	7.5%	1.2%				13.7%
CCSCC	20–26 Aug 2014	1,248	34%		5%	38%			4%	6%	2%	7%					4%
INSCOP	30 Aug–4 Sep 2014	1,058	31.5%		4.4%	42.6%			3.4%	5.8%	3.3%	7.1%	0.8%				10.1%
INSCOP	27 Nov–2 Dec 2014	1,076	41.7%		3.3%	38.8%			2.3%	5.1%	1.2%	5.6%	0.6%				2.9%
Poll source	Date	Sample size	PNL		PLR	PSD–UNPR–PC			PPDD	UDMR	PRM	PMP	PNȚCD	M10	PRU	Other	Lead
CSOP	13–18 Dec 2014	1,044	47%			34%			2%	6%	3%	3%					13%
CSOP	27 Jan–4 Feb 2015	1,036	49%			32%			2%	6%	2%	3%					17%
INSCOP	5–10 Feb 2015	1,065	44.2%		3.3%	37.4%			1.4%	5%	1.1%	4%	0.9%				6.8%
Avangarde	18–26 Feb 2015	900	40%		5%	37%			3%	5%	4%	3%					3%
CSOP	3–10 Mar 2015	1,007	49%			31%			2%	7%	2%	2%					18%
CSCI	24–28 Mar 2015	1,073	39%		6%	37%			2%	5%		2%		3%			2%
ARP	30 Mar–3 Apr 2015	1,100	44%		3%	34%			2%	5%	2.5%	2.5%	1%				10%
CSCI	20–24 Apr 2015	1,090	42%		5%	39%			1%	4%		1%		3%			3%
Avangarde	21–29 Apr 2015	950	43%		5%	40%			1%	4%	1%	2%		2%			3%
INSCOP	23–30 Apr 2015	1,085	44.7%		2.2%	39.1%			1%	5.2%	2%	2.8%	1%				5.6%
Poll source	Date	Sample size	PNL		ALDE (PLR+PC)		PSD	UNPR (incl. PP–DD)		UDMR	PRM	MP	PNȚCD	M10	PRU	Other	Lead
INSCOP	9–14 Jul 2015	1,075	44.5%		3%	37.1%			5.1%	2.1%	2.4%	1.2%	2.3%		2.3%	7.4%
CSCI	10–17 Aug 2015	1,021	41%		3%	37%	2%	5%		3%		5%	3%	1%	4%
Avangarde	1–7 Sep 2015	1,000 [c]	32%		6%		34%	7%			2%	4%	2%	5%		8%	2%
INSCOP	10–15 Sep 2015	1,085	42%		2.6%	35%	5.1%		5%	1.3%	2.5%	1%	2%	1%	2.5%	7%
INSCOP	26 Nov–2 Dec 2015	1,071	40.1%		4%	36.3%	2.6%	5.2%	1.1%	4.4%	1%	2.4%		2.9%	3.8%
ARP	2–6 Dec 2015	950	35%		6.5%		34%	2.5%	4%	5%	7.5%	2.5%	1.5%		1.5%	1%
CIADO	1–5 Feb 2016	1,157	35.45%		4.57%	36.42%									23.56%	0.97%
INSCOP	21–28 Mar 2016	1,068	37.2%		5.3%		39.2%			5%	1%	5.1%	0.4%	2.2%	1.2%	3.4%	2%
Poll source	Date	Sample size	PNL		ALDE		PSD		PMP (incl. UNPR)		UDMR		USR		PRU	Other	Lead
CIADO	1–10 Aug 2016	5,428 (urban only)	32.33%		8.2%		35.76%		7.57%		5.1%		8.1%		-	2.94%	3.43%
TNS	14–23 Sep 2016	1,000	25%		7%		45%		4%	5%		10%		3%	1%	20%
ARP	17–24 Sep 2016	1,170	30%		5.5%		38%		4%	5%		9%		-	8.5%	8%
CIADO	6–30 Oct 2016	4,500	29.3%		6.5%		44.6%		4.9%	5.2%		5.7%		2.5%	1.3%	15.3%
CCSB	1-7 Nov 2016	1,261	27.2%		5.2%		40.2%		5%		5.4%		11%		4.2%	1.8%	13%
TNS	11-21 Nov 2016	1,003	18%		7%		40%		7%		3%	19%		3%	3%	21%
Avangarde	20-27 Nov 2016	1000	27%		6%		43%		5%		5%		8%		3%	3%	16%
SOCIOPOL	23-30 Nov 2016	1006	25%		6%		40%		5%		5%		10%		5%	4%	15%
SOCIOPOL	3-7 Dec 2016	1002	27%		6%		41%		4%	4%	7%		5%	6%	14%
IRES	6-7 Dec 2016	1100	23%		6%		44%		6%		5%		7%		4%	5%	21%
Avangarde	Synthesis	Unspecified	24–31%		5–6%		40%		5–7%		-		7–15%		3–5%	-	9–16%

Graphical summary of the polls

Graphical representation of the polling for the 2016 Romanian parliamentary election

Results

Results of the election, showing vote strength by electoral district. Top: results for the Chamber of Deputies; bottom: results for the Senate.

Results of the election by electoral district. Top: results for the Chamber of Deputies; bottom: results for the Senate

Vote share by party and county

Chamber of Deputies

Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	Social Democratic Party	3,204,864	45.48	154	+4
	National Liberal Party	1,412,377	20.04	69	–31
	Save Romania Union	625,154	8.87	30	New
	Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania	435,969	6.19	21	+3
	Alliance of Liberals and Democrats	396,386	5.62	20	New
	People's Movement Party	376,891	5.35	18	New
	United Romania Party	196,397	2.79	0	New
	Greater Romania Party	73,264	1.04	0	0
	Ecologist Party of Romania	62,414	0.89	0	0
	Our Romania Alliance	61,206	0.87	0	New
	Romanian Socialist Party	24,580	0.35	0	0
	Party of the Roma	13,126	0.19	1	0
	Democratic Forum of Germans	12,375	0.18	1	0
	Democratic Union of Slovaks and Czechs of Romania	6,545	0.09	1	0
	Community of the Lipovan Russians	6,160	0.09	1	0
	Hellenic Union of Romania	5,817	0.08	1	0
	Democratic Turkish Union of Romania	5,536	0.08	1	0
	Association of Macedonians of Romania	5,513	0.08	1	0
	Union of Serbs of Romania	5,468	0.08	1	0
	Federation of the Jewish Communities in Romania	5,069	0.07	1	0
	Union of Armenians of Romania	4,868	0.07	1	0
	League of Albanians of Romania	4,640	0.07	1	0
	Bulgarian Union of Banat–Romania	4,542	0.06	1	0
	Union of Croats of Romania	3,532	0.05	1	0
	Association of Italians of Romania	3,486	0.05	1	0
	Union of Poles of Romania	3,355	0.05	1	0
	Cultural Union of Ruthenians of Romania	2,824	0.04	1	0
	Humanist Power Party	2,599	0.04	0	New
	New Romania Party	1,764	0.03	0	New
	Union of the Ukrainians of Romania	1,172	0.02	1	0
	Youth Civic Action Platform	609	0.01	0	New
	Green Party	566	0.01	0	New
	Democratic Roma Party	523	0.01	0	New
	National Unity Bloc	518	0.01	0	New
	Our Vrancea Party	511	0.01	0	New
	Independents	76,764	1.09	0	0
Total		7,047,384	100.00	329	–83
Valid votes		7,047,384	97.05
Invalid/blank votes		213,916	2.95
Total votes		7,261,300	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		18,403,044	39.46
Source: BEC

Senate

Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	Social Democratic Party	3,221,786	45.68	67	+8
	National Liberal Party	1,440,193	20.42	30	–20
	Save Romania Union	629,375	8.92	13	New
	Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania	440,409	6.24	9	0
	Alliance of Liberals and Democrats	423,728	6.01	9	New
	People's Movement Party	398,791	5.65	8	New
	United Romania Party	207,977	2.95	0	New
	Greater Romania Party	83,568	1.18	0	0
	Ecologist Party of Romania	77,218	1.09	0	0
	Our Romania Alliance	66,774	0.95	0	New
	Romanian Socialist Party	32,808	0.47	0	0
	Humanist Power Party	3,066	0.04	0	New
	New Romania Party	2,349	0.03	0	New
	National Unity Bloc	739	0.01	0	New
	Green Party	719	0.01	0	New
	Youth Civic Action Platform	719	0.01	0	New
	Our Vrancea Party	652	0.01	0	New
	Democratic Roma Party	648	0.01	0	New
	Republican Party of Romania	52	0.00	0	New
	Independents	21,395	0.30	0	0
Total		7,052,966	100.00	136	–40
Valid votes		7,052,966	97.16
Invalid/blank votes		205,973	2.84
Total votes		7,258,939	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		18,403,044	39.44
Source: BEC

See also

• List of members of the Senate of Romania (2016–2020)
• List of members of the Chamber of Deputies of Romania (2016–2020)

Notes

1. Pambuccian has been the parliamentary leader of the national minorities' group since 1996 onwards.
2. National minorities have nationwide mandates and do not represent a specific county. ^[1]
3. Bucharest only.

References

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