President of the Senate of Romania facts for kids

The President of the Senate of Romania is an important leader in Romania's government. This person is a senator chosen to lead meetings in the Senate. They also lead the Senate's main working group, called the Standing Bureau. If the President of Romania cannot do their job, the President of the Senate is the first person who steps in to take over temporarily.

Quick facts for kids President of the Senate of Romania
Coat of arms of the Senate
Incumbent Mircea Abrudean since 24 June 2025
Term length	4 years
Inaugural holder	Nifon Rusailă (1864) Alexandru Bârlădeanu (1990)
Formation	1864 1990
Succession	First

How the President is Chosen

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

What the President Does

The President of the Senate has several key responsibilities:

• They call the Senate together for meetings, whether they are regular or special.
• They lead the Senate meetings, with help from two secretaries.
• They represent the Senate when it deals with the President, the Chamber of Deputies (the other part of Romania's parliament), the Government, and the Constitutional Court.
• They also represent the Senate in dealings with other countries.
• If the President resigns, is suspended, becomes unable to do their job, or passes away, the President of the Senate steps in as a temporary president. They continue to be the President of the Senate while acting as the country's temporary president. They serve in this role until a new President of Romania is elected.

A Look at History

The Senate, and its leader, have changed over time in Romania.

Early Days: 1864–1866

From 1864 to 1866, the upper house of Romania's parliament was called Corpul Ponderator. Its members were chosen by the country's ruler, called the domnitor, based on suggestions from different areas of Romania.

The Senate: 1866–1946

Later, the upper house was named Senat or Camera Senatului. Most senators were elected by people voting. Some senators were "senators by right," meaning they held the position automatically because of another important role they had. This was set up by the 1866 Constitution. To vote or be a senator, you usually had to be at least 40 years old. However, the person next in line to the throne could be a senator at 18 and vote at 21.

A Break: 1946–1989

In 1946, elections were held only for the Assembly of Deputies. The Senate was put on hold. After the king was removed and Romania became a communist country, the upper house (the Senate) was completely closed down.

Modern Senate: 1990–Present

After the communist era ended, the upper house was brought back and is again called the Senat. It is led by its own president, just like it is today.

Recent Presidents of the Senate

Here are some of the people who have served as President of the Senate since 1990. Sometimes, a Vice President might step in as a temporary (or acting) President for a short time if the main President's position is empty.

#	Name	Portrait	Birth–Death	Took office	Left office	Party
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	23 June 2025	PNL
51	Mircea Abrudean		1984–	24 June 2025	Incumbent	PNL