Country profile
Romania
Europe · Eastern Europe
RO · ROU
- Capital
- Bucharest
- Population
- 19,036,031
- Area
- 238,391 km²
- Democracy index
- 72
- Regime type
- Fragmented Democracy
Events
Ballots from Romania
The latest elections, referendums, and opinion polls from Romania. Community totals are not official results.
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Classification
Democracy profile
The score and regime label are assigned by Porto Voto using our in-house democracy index and classification framework, not ratings from governments or external agencies.
Democracy index
72/100
Regime type
Fragmented Democracy
Romania maintains a functioning democratic system with regular elections and a constitutional framework that supports the separation of powers. However, the political landscape is characterized by persistent governance friction and high levels of institutional mistrust, which often lead to legislative deadlock and limited implementation of structural reforms. While civil liberties are well protected and the media remains active, concerns regarding judicial independence and the influence of patronage networks in public administration remain prominent. The political environment is marked by deep polarization between the major parties, which often prioritize short term political maneuvering over long term policy goals, thereby straining the effectiveness of democratic institutions and limiting the country's progress toward higher tiers of democratic stability.
Last evaluation:
How we classify regimes →World Factbook
Country background
A concise introduction to Romania, together with notes on how power and law are organized, to put local ballots in context.
The principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia -- for centuries under the control of the Turkish Ottoman Empire -- secured their autonomy through the Treaty of Paris in 1856. They were de facto linked in 1859 and formally united in 1862 under the new name of Romania. The country joined the Allied Powers in World War I and subsequently acquired new territories -- most notably Transylvania -- that more than doubled its size.
In 1940, Romania allied with the Axis powers and participated in the 1941 German invasion of the USSR. Three years later, overrun by the Soviets, Romania signed an armistice. The post-war Soviet occupation led to the formation of a communist "people's republic" in 1947 and the abdication of the king.
The decades-long rule of dictator Nicolae CEAUSESCU, who took power in 1965, and his Securitate police state became increasingly oppressive and draconian through the 1980s. CEAUSESCU was overthrown and executed in late 1989. Former communists dominated the government until 1996 when they were swept from power.
Romania joined NATO in 2004, the EU in 2007, and the Schengen Area for air and sea travel in 2024.