President of the Senate of Romania facts for kids

Quick facts for kids President of the Senate of Romania
Coat of arms of the Senate
Incumbent Ilie Bolojan (PNL) since 23 December 2024
Term length	4 years
Inaugural holder	Nifon Rusailă (1864) Alexandru Bârlădeanu (1990)
Formation	1864 1990
Succession	First

The President of the Senate of Romania is a very important leader in Romania's government. This person is a senator who is chosen to lead meetings in the Senate. The Senate is like one of the two main groups of lawmakers in Romania. The President of the Senate also leads a special group called the Standing Bureau. Plus, if something happens to the country's President, the Senate President is the first person to step in and take over temporarily.

How the President of the Senate is Chosen

The President of the Senate is chosen by other senators. They vote in secret. To win, a candidate needs more than half of all the votes. If no one gets enough votes the first time, the top two candidates vote again. The one with the most votes in the second round wins.

What the President of the Senate Does

The President of the Senate has many important jobs. They help the Senate work smoothly and represent it to others. Here are some of their main duties:

• They call the Senate together for meetings. These can be regular meetings or special ones.
• They lead the Senate meetings. Two secretaries help them during these meetings.
• They represent the Senate when it deals with the country's President, the other group of lawmakers (the Chamber of Deputies), the Government, and the Constitutional Court.
• They also represent the Senate when dealing with other countries.
• If the country's President resigns, is suspended, can't do their job, or dies, the President of the Senate steps in as a temporary leader. They keep their job as Senate President while also acting as the country's President. They do this until a new President for the country is elected.

A Quick Look at the Senate's History

The Senate has changed its name and role over the years.

Early Years: 1864–1866

From 1864 to 1866, the upper house of Romania's law-making body was called the Corpul Ponderator. Its members were chosen by the ruler of Romania at that time.

The Senate: 1866–1946

After 1866, the upper house became known as the Senat or Camera Senatului. Most senators were elected by people voting. Some were senators automatically because of their position, like the heir to the throne.

No Senate: 1946–1989

In 1946, only one group of lawmakers was elected. After the king was removed and Romania became a communist country, the Senate was closed down. It did not exist for many years.

The Senate Returns: 1990–Today

The Senate came back in 1990. Since then, it has been led by a President, just like it is today.

List of Senate Presidents

This list shows the people who have been President of the Senate. Sometimes, a person might be listed as "acting." This means they were temporarily in charge, usually for a short time, when the main President of the Senate couldn't do their job.

The colors next to the names show which political party they belonged to. Here's what some of the colors mean:

#	Name	Portrait	Birth–Death	Took office	Left office	Party
Corpul Ponderator 1864–1866
1	Metropolitan-primate Nifon Rusailă		1789–1875	6 December 1864	1 June 1866	Ind.
Senate 1866–1947
(1)	Metropolitan-primate Nifon Rusailă		1789–1875	1 June 1866	6 June 1868	Ind.
2	Ştefan Golescu		1809–1874	6 September 1868	15 November 1868	RL
3	Nicolae Golescu		1810–1877	18 November 1868	9 July 1869	RL
4	Alexandru Plagino		1821–1894	2 September 1869	4 March 1871	MC
(1)	Metropolitan-primate Nifon Rusailă		1789–1875	4 March 1871	5 May 1875	Ind.
5	Metropolitan-primate Calinic Miclescu		1822–1886	9 June 1875	25 March 1879	Ind.
6	Constantin Bosianu		1815–1882	29 May 1879	15 November 1879	PNL
7	Dimitrie Ghica		1816–1897	17 November 1879	8 September 1888	PNL
8	Ion Emanoil Florescu		1819–1893	4 November 1888	7 December 1889	PC
9	Nicolae Creţulescu		1812–1900	13 December 1889	9 June 1890	PC
(8)	Ion Emanoil Florescu		1819–1893	17 November 1890	21 February 1891	PC
10	Constantin Boerescu		1836–1908	1 March 1891	11 December 1891	PC
11	Gheorghe Grigore Cantacuzino		1833–1913	25 February 1892	24 October 1895	PC
12	Dimitrie Ghica		1816–1897	9 December 1895	15 February 1897	PNL
13	Dimitrie Alexandru Sturdza		1833–1914	20 February 1897	31 March 1897	PNL
14	Eugeniu Stătescu		1836–1905	31 March 1897	18 November 1897	PNL
15	Nicolae Gane		1838–1916	18 November 1897	21 April 1899	PNL
(10)	Constantin Boerescu		1836–1908	13 June 1899	14 February 1901	PC
(14)	Eugeniu Stătescu		1836–1905	24 March 1901	15 November 1902	PNL
16	Petre S. Aurelian		1833–1909	16 November 1902	23 December 1904	PNL
(10)	Constantin Boerescu		1836–1908	25 February 1905	26 April 1907	PC
(16)	Petre S. Aurelian		1833–1909	9 June 1907	24 January 1909	PNL
17	Constantin Budișteanu		1838–1911	28 January 1909	10 January 1911	PNL
(11)	Gheorghe Grigore Cantacuzino		1833–1913	10 March 1911	23 March 1913	PC
18	Theodor Rosetti		1837–1932	27 March 1913	3 July 1913	PC
19	Ioan Lahovary		1844–1915	3 July 1913	11 January 1914	PC
20	Basile M. Missir		1843–1929	21 February 1914	9 December 1916	PNL
21	Emanoil Porumbaru		1845–1921	9 December 1916	25 April 1918	PNL
22	Dimitrie Dobrescu		1852–1934	4 June 1918	5 November 1918	PCP
23	Paul Bujor		1862–1952	28 November 1919	26 March 1920	PȚ
24	Constantin Coandă		1857–1932	22 June 1920	22 January 1922	PP
25	Mihail Pherekyde		1842–1926	31 March 1922	24 January 1926	PNL
26	Constantin I. Nicolaescu		1861–1945	3 February 1926	27 March 1926	PNL
(24)	Constantin Coandă		1857–1932	18 July 1926	5 June 1927	PP
27	Constantin I. Nicolaescu		1861–1945	18 July 1927	10 November 1928	PNL
28	Traian Bratu		1875–1940	23 December 1928	30 April 1931	PNȚ
29	Mihail Sadoveanu		1880–1961	18 June 1931	10 June 1932	Ind.
30	Neculai Costăchescu		1876–1939	4 August 1932	18 November 1933	PNȚ
31	Leonte Moldovan		1865–1943	10 February 1934	15 November 1935	PNL
32	Constantin Dimitriu-Dovlecel		1872–1945	15 November 1935	15 November 1936	PNL
33	Alexandru Lapedatu		1876–1950	16 November 1936	20 March 1937	PNL
34	Nicolae Iorga		1871–1940	9 June 1939	13 June 1939	Ind.
35	Constantin Argetoianu		1871–1955	15 June 1939	5 September 1940	FNR/PN
Senate since 1990
36	Alexandru Bârlădeanu		1911–1997	18 June 1990	16 October 1992	FSN
37	Oliviu Gherman		1930–2020	22 October 1992	22 November 1996	FDSN/PDSR
38	Petre Roman		1946–	27 November 1996	22 December 1999	PD
39	Mircea Ionescu-Quintus		1917–2017	4 February 2000	30 November 2000	PNL
40	Nicolae Văcăroiu		1943–	15 December 2000	30 November 2004	PDSR/PSD
				19 December 2004	14 October 2008	PSD
—	Doru Ioan Tărăcilă [ro] (acting)		1951–	14 October 2008	28 October 2008	PSD
41	Ilie Sârbu		1950–	28 October 2008	13 December 2008	PSD
42	Mircea Geoană		1958–	19 December 2008	23 November 2011	PSD
—	Petru Filip (acting)		1955–	23 November 2011	28 November 2011	PDL
43	Vasile Blaga		1956–	28 November 2011	3 July 2012	PDL
44	Crin Antonescu		1959–	3 July 2012	19 December 2012	PNL
				19 December 2012	4 March 2014
—	Cristian Dumitrescu (acting)		1955–	5 March 2014	10 March 2014	PSD
45	Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu		1952–	10 March 2014	21 December 2016	Ind./PLR/ALDE
				21 December 2016	2 September 2019	ALDE
—	Șerban Valeca (acting)		1956–2022	2 September 2019	10 September 2019	PSD
46	Teodor Meleșcanu		1941–	10 September 2019	3 February 2020	Ind. with PSD support
—	Titus Corlățean (acting)		1968–	3 February 2020	9 April 2020	PSD
—	Robert Cazanciuc [ro] (acting)		1971–	9 April 2020	21 December 2020	PSD
47	Anca Dragu		1972–	21 December 2020	23 November 2021	USR PLUS/USR
48	Florin Cîțu		1972–	23 November 2021	29 June 2022	PNL
—	Alina Gorghiu (acting)		1978–	29 June 2022	13 June 2023	PNL
49	Nicolae Ciucă		1967–	13 June 2023	23 December 2024	PNL
50	Ilie Bolojan		1969–	23 December 2024	Incumbent	PNL