Legal basis for direct democracy at the national level

Mandatory referendum:

• Constitution, Articles 95(3), 151(3)

• Law on Organization and Conduct of the Referendum

Optional referendum:

• Constitution, Article 90(1)

• Law on Organization and Conduct of the Referendum

Agenda initiative:

• Constitution, Articles 74(1), 150

• Law on the Exercise of Legislative Initiative by Citizens

• Regulations of the Chamber of Deputies

CONSTITUTIONOF ROMANIA

(Adopted 1991; lastamended 2003)

http://www.cdep.ro/pls/dic/site.page?id=371

TitleIII: Public Authorities

ChapterI: Parliament; Section 3:Legislation

Article74: Legislative Initiative

(1)A legislative initiativeshall lie, as the case may be, with the Government, Deputies, Senators, or anumber of at least 100,000citizens entitled to vote. The citizens who exercise their right to alegislative initiative must belong to at least one quarter of the country'scounties, while, in each of those counties or the Municipality of Bucharest, atleast 5,000 signatures should be registered in support of such initiative.

ChapterII: The President of Romania

Article90: Referendum

(1) The Presidentof Romania may, after consultation with Parliament, ask the people of Romaniato express, by referendum,their will on matters of national interest.

Article95: Suspension from office

(2) Theproposal of suspension from office may be initiated by at least one third ofthe number of Deputies and Senators, and the President shall be immediatelynotified thereof.

(3) If theproposal of suspension from office has been approved, a referendum shall be held within 30 days, inorder to remove the President from office.

TitleVII: Revision of the Constitution

Article150: Initiative of revision

(1)Revision of the Constitution may be initiated by the President of Romania onthe proposal of the Government, by at least one quarter of the number ofDeputies or Senators, as well as by at least 500,000 citizens with the right tovote.

(2) Thecitizens who initiate the revision of the Constitution must belong to at leasthalf the number of the counties in the country, and in each of the respectivecounties or in the Municipality of Bucharest, at least 20,000 signatures mustbe recorded in support of this initiative.

Article 151: Procedure of revision

(1)The draft or proposal of revision must be adopted by the Chamber of Deputiesand the Senate, by a majority of at least two thirds of the members of eachChamber.

(2) If noagreement can be reached by a mediation procedure, the Chamber of Deputies andthe Senate shall decide thereupon, in joint sitting, by the vote of at leastthree quarters of the number of Deputies and Senators.

(3) Therevision shall be final after the approval by a referendum held within 30 days of the date ofpassing the draft or proposal of revision.

LAW ON ORGANIZATION AND CONDUCT OF THEREFERENDUM

(Adopted2000; last amended 2013)

http://??www.??roaep.??ro/??legislatie/??articole-??legislatie/??579/??

Article 2(1). Referendumulna?ional constituie forma ?i mijlocul de consultare direct? ?i de exprimare avoin?ei suverane a poporului rom?n cu privire la:

    a) revizuirea Constitu?iei;

    b) demiterea Pre?edintelui Rom?niei;

    c) probleme de interes na?ional.

Article 5(1). Referendumul na?ional ?i referendumul local se organizeaz? ?i sedesf??oar? potrivit prevederilor prezentei legi.

LAW ON THE EXERCISE OFLEGISLATIVE INITIATIVE BY CITIZENS

(Adopted 1999; last amended 2012)

http://www.clr.ro/rep_htm/L189_1999_Rep1.htm

Article 1

(1)Ini?iativa legislativ? a cet??enilor se exercit? cu respectarea prevederilorart. 74 alin. (1) ?i (2) sau, dup? caz, ale art. 150 din Constitu?ie,republicat?, ?n condi?iile prev?zute de prezenta lege.

(2)Ini?iativa legislativ? a cet??enilor se exercit? printr-o propunere legislativ??ntocmit? ?n temeiul art. 74 din Constitu?ie, republicat?, ?n domeniul legilororganice sau ordinare, iar ?n temeiul art. 150 din Constitu?ie, republicat?, ?ndomeniul legilor constitu?ionale.

REGULATIONS OF THECHAMBER OF DEPUTIES

(Adopted 1994; last amended 2011)

http://??www.??cdep.??ro/??pls/??dic/??site.??page?id=243

Article92(7). As regardslegislative proposals initiated by citizens, before sending them to theDeputies and notifying the competent Standing Committee on the subject matter,the President of the Chamber of Deputies shall call upon the ConstitutionalCourt to verify that the constitutional terms are being met for the exercise ofthe right to a legislative initiative.