The influences of the great powers located on its borders - the suzerainty of the Ottoman Empire, the protection of the Tsarist Empire and the occupation of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, made the emancipation and political-administrative changes in the 3 Romanian Principalities (Wallachia, Moldova and Transylvania) a difficult and lengthy process for centuries. However, the history of the 3 Romanian countries followed, in parallel, a similar (unitary) path.
The foundations of parliamentarism in the Romanian Principalities were laid by the Organic Regulations – adopted in 1831 in Wallachia and 1832 in Moldavia - regulations that introduced modern norms of state organization and enshrined, in a first form, the principle of separation of powers in the state.
The Union of the Romanian Principalities („Mica Unire”) in 1859 created the premises for the establishment of the Romanian unitary state and the moment for the start of a broad process of constitutional and legislative reform under the reign of Alexandru Ioan Cuza. The first Parliament of the United Principalities was opened, in the premises on the Mitropoliei Hill (located a short distance from the current parliament building) - “The Legislative Assembly of Romania” (January 24, 1862), the Ponderative Body (Senate) was established, following the French model, and the first Constitution of Romania written by a Romanian authority was drafted - – “The Statute Developing the Convention of Paris” (1864).
With the accession to the throne of Prince Carol of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, the democratic parliamentary regime (the Constitution of 1866) was introduced, based on political multi-partyism, with legislative power exercised by the Prince and a bicameral Parliament. The Parliament had the role of voting or repealing laws as well as the right to control the activity of the government.
The union of the three Romanian Provinces at the end of the First World War was ratified by decree-laws issued by the king and approved by the new Parliament of Romania.
ÎDuring the interwar period, laws were passed by parliament that aimed at completing the state unification, administrative reorganization, agrarian reform, the fiscal system and social assistance, collective labor contracts, the exploitation of natural resources, the strengthening of domestic capital and finances, the development of the defense industry, etc.
ÎIn the context of internal and international tensions, the Constitution of King Carol II (1938) imposed an authoritarian monarchy. Under the regime of the royal dictatorship, Parliament became a decorative body, devoid of its main powers. During World War II, with the establishment of the military dictatorship regime in the fall of 1940, the activity of the Parliament was suspended. During the communist period, the Parliament was reorganized, by the 1948 Constitution, as a unicameral assembly - the Great National Assembly, a formal body, entirely subordinate to the communist leadership and, later, to President Nicolae Ceauşescu. After the 1989 Revolution, the Parliament regained its bicameral structure and its role as the basic body of the multi-party regime was reestablished by the 1991 Constitution. Following a plebiscite, in 2003, 79 amendments were made to the text of the Constitution, thus becoming compliant with European Union legislation.
