Political Strategies in the Post-2008 Mixed Romanian Electoral System

• In Event: Society for Romanian Studies

Abstract

In 2008 the Romanian government introduced a new system for elections to both Houses of its bicameral Parliament — the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. The system was designed to ensure that the composition of each House reflected the proportion of votes won by each political party nationally, but with each candidate elected representing a defined single-member territory. Essentially, the 2008 electoral law created a hybrid system that combined elements of both proportional and majoritarian representation. The way in which the system operates encourages the parties to undertake strategies akin to those of gerrymandering and malapportionment, a situation shown in a paper already published in EEPS. Another major effect of the electoral law implied that the number of Parliamentary seats had to be increased because one electoral alliance won more seats in a constituency’s districts with an absolute majority than its entitlement through the proportional formulae. This meant that 117 districts had two deputies & senators instead of one, puzzling public opinion and showing an unexpected effect of 2008 reform. That led to a massive überhangmandat for each Houses of the Parliament. In my research/presentation, I will explore the electoral mechanism, the political party strategies and the geography of this unprecedented electoral outcome.

Author

• Aurelian Giugal, university of Bucharest