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Parliament (EP) is the only directly elected institution of the European Union (EU). An important forum for political debate and decision-making at EU level, the EP represents the approximately 447 million inhabitants of the 27 EU Member States, according to www.europarl.europa.eu.
The Members of the European Parliament are directly elected by voters in all Member States to represent people's interests with regard to EU law-making and to make sure other EU institutions are working democratically. The European Parliament acts as a co-legislator, sharing with the Council of the European Union the power to adopt and amend legislative proposals and to decide on the EU budget.
The European Parliament is the guardian of the Charter of Fundamental Rights, enshrined in the Lisbon Treaty, as well as the right of citizens' initiative, which allows 1 million citizens from at least a quarter of the EU Member States to ask the European Commission to propose legislation in areas that fall within its competence.
On July 3, 2019, the President of the EP became the Italian politician and journalist David Maria Sassoli, elected by the members of the Parliament. David Maria Sassoli passed away on January 11, 2022. In accordance with Parliament's Rules of Procedure, the first Vice-President must hold the office of President until a successor is elected. Thus, on January 11, 2022, the interim President of the EP became Roberta Metsola from the European People's Party in Malta. The Maltese MEP has been the EP's first Vice-President since November 12, 2020.
The role of the President of the European Parliament is to ensure that parliamentary procedures are followed closely, to oversee various activities and committees, to represent Parliament in all legal matters and in international relations, to give final agreement on the EU budget, says the official EU portal - europa.eu.
The possibility of being elected a Member of the European Parliament requires any candidate to be a national of a Member State, and the additional conditions differ from state to state. Since 1979, MEPs have been elected by direct universal suffrage for a five-year term, notes www.europarl.europa.eu. Members of the European Parliament are grouped by political affinity, not by nationality.
The allocation of mandates, as specified in the European Treaties, takes into account the size of the population in each state, with smaller countries still obtaining more seats than would result from the proportional calculation.
European Parliamentary Elections in Romania, 2007
The first European elections in Romania took place on November 25, 2007. There were 13 parties and one independent candidate registered for the election. According to the algorithm of the European Parliament, Romania had 35 seats available in 2007. According to alegeri.roaep.ro, 29.47% of the voters went to the polls.
PD (the Democratic Party) got 13 seats, the representatives of the party elected to the European Parliament being: Sorin Frunzaverde, Roberta Anastase, Petru Filip, Monica Iacob-Ridzi, Marian-Jean Marinescu, Maria Petre, Rares Niculescu, Marian Zlotea, Dragos David, Mihaela Popa, Constantin Dumitriu, Nicodim Bulzesc and Sebastian Bodu.
PSD (Social Democratic Party) won ten seats in the European Parliament, with Titus Corlatean, Adrian Severin, Rovana Plumb, Daciana Sarbu, Catalin Nechifor, Silvia Ticau, Ioan Pascu, Gabriela Cretu, Corina Cretu and Victor Bostinaru going to Brussels.
The PNL (National Liberal Party) had six representatives elected in the European Parliament: Renate Weber, Daniel Daianu, Adina Valean, Cristian Busoi, Ramona Manescu and Magor-Imre Csibi.
The Liberal Democrats won three seats in the European Parliament, being represented by Theodor Stolojan, Dumitru Oprea and Nicolae Vlad Popa. UDMR (Democratic Union of Hungarians of Romania) had two seats and was represented by Gyorgy Frunda and Csaba Sogor. Independent candidate Laszlo Tokes also received a seat in the European Parliament.
A number of 13 MEPs elected on November 25, 2007, had their seats won on January 15, 2007, revalidated. At that time, 35 Romanian MEPs, former Euro-observers, were given the right to speak in the EP plenary and to vote in committees and plenary sittings. The decision to turn observers into MEPs, until the European Parliament elections, was taken by the European Council.
2009 European Parliament Election in Romania
The 2009 European Parliament election was held in all EU member states June 4 to June 7. In Romania, the European Parliament election took place on June 7, 2009. Six political parties, an electoral alliance and two independent candidates filed for the election campaign for 33 seats that Romania was to hold in the European Legislature. According to the BEC, turnout was 27.67%.
The PSD + PC alliance sent Adrian Severin, Rovana Plumb, Ioan Mircea Pascu, Silvia Ticau, Daciana Sarbu, Corina Cretu, Victor Bostinaru, Sabin Cutas, Catalin Ivan, Ioan Enciu and Vasilica Viorica Dancila to the European Parliament for a five-year term
The MEPs elected on the PD-L list were Theodor Stolojan, Monica Macovei, Traian Ungureanu, Cristian Preda, Marian-Jean Marinescu, Iosif Matula, Sebastian Bodu, Petru Luhan, Rares Niculescu, and Oana Elena Antonescu.
The PNL candidates who won a seat in the European Parliament were Norica Nicolai, Adina Valean, Renate Weber, Ramona Manescu and Cristian Busoi.
UDMR sent Laszlo Tokes, Iuliu Winkler and Sogor Csaba to Brussels, and PRM sent Corneliu Vadim Tudor, Gigi Becali and Ciprian Claudiu Tanasescu. Elena Basescu was the only independent candidate to win a seat in the European Parliament.
2014 European Parliament election in Romania
On May 25, 2014, the Romanian voters elected Romania's 32 members to the European Parliament. It was the second European Parliament election held in Romania for full term MEPs. According to the BEC, turnout was 32.44%.
The candidates of the PSD-UNPR-PC Alliance who won seats were Corina Cretu, Ecaterina Andronescu, Catalin Ivan, Dan Nica, Maria Grapini, Damian Draghici, Daciana Sarbu, Ioan Mircea Pascu, Viorica Dancila, Ionel Sorin Moisa, Victor Bostinaru, Claudiu Ciprian Tanasescu, Doru Claudian Frunzulica, Constantin Laurentiu Rebega, Claudia Tapardel, Andi Lucian Cristea.
The Liberals elected Norica Nicolai, Adina Valean, Ramona Manescu, Cristian Busoi, Renate Weber, and Eduard Hellvig.
The Liberal Democrats who made it to the EP were Theodor Stolojan, Monica Macovei, Traian Ungureanu, Marian-Jean Marinescu, Daniel Buda. PMP and UDMR sent two representatives to Brussels - Cristian Preda and Siegfried Muresan, and Iuliu Winkler and Csaba Sogor, respectively. Also, non-affiliated Mircea Diaconu won an MEP seat.
2019 European Parliament election in Romania
The most recent European Parliament election was held on May 26, 2019. The BEC validated the candidacies of 13 parties and alliances and three independent candidates. In order to elect the 33 Romanian MEPs, 49.02% of the total number of Romanian voters went to the polls, according to BEC.
The list of PNL members elected to the European Parliament consisted of Rares Bogdan, Mircea Hava, Siegfried Muresan, Vasile Blaga, Adina Valean, Daniel Buda, Dan Motreanu, Gheorghe Falca, Cristian Busoi, and Marian-Jean Marinescu.
The list of PSD members elected to the EP consisted of Rovana Plumb, Carmen Avram, Claudiu Manda, Cristian Vasile Terhes, Dan Nica, Maria Grapini, Tudor Ciuhodaru, Adrian Benea, and Victor Negrescu.
The following 2020 USR PLUS Alliance candidates won MEp seat: Dacian Ciolos, Cristian Ghinea, Dragos Nicolae Pislaru, Clotilde Armand, Ioan Dragos Tudorache, Nicolae Stefanuta, Vlad Botos, and Ramona Victoria Strugariu.
Pro Romania won two seats for Victor Ponta and Corina Cretu, UDMR for Iuliu Winkler and Lorant Gyorgy Vincze, and PMP for Traian Basescu and Eugen Tomac.
In the current legislature, the Romanian MEPs are distributed in the political groups in the European Parliament as follows: 14 are affiliated with the group of the European People's Party; 10 are affiliated with the group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats; 8 are affiliated with the Renew Europe group and one is affiliated with the European Conservatives and Reformists group, according to mae.ro.
Leadership positions currently held by Romanian MEPs in the EP
According to europarl.europa.eu, MEP Carmen Avram is currently the vice-chair of the Delegation to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly.
Traian Basescu holds the position of vice-chair of the Delegation to the EU-Ukraine Parliamentary Association Committee.
Adrian-Dragos Benea is vice-chair of the Committee on Regional Development.
Vlad-Marius Botos is vice-chair of the Committee on Regional Development, as well as of the Delegation to the EU-Albania Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee.
Daniel Buda is vice-chair of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development.
Cristian-Silviu Busoi is chair of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy.
Tudor Ciuhodaru is vice-chair of the Delegation for relations with India.
Maria Grapini is vice-chair of the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection.
Mircea Gheorghe-Hava is vice-chair of the Delegation for Relations with Canada.
Dan Stefan Motreanu is vice-chair of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety.
Siegfried Muresan is chair of the Delegation to the EU-Moldova Parliamentary Association Committee.
Victor Negrescu is vice-chair of the Committee on Culture and Education.
Dan Nica is vice-chair of the Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly.
Nicolae Stefanuta is vice-chair of the Delegation for Relations with the United States.
Ramona Strugariu is vice-chair of the Delegation to the EU-Moldova Parliamentary Association Committee.
Dragos Tudorache is chair of the Special Committee on Artificial Intelligence in a Digital Age.
Lorant Vincze is vice-chair of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs.
Iuliu Winkler is vice-chair of the Committee on International Trade, Agerpres informs.
