Romania Election Poll: Results from Avangarde on December 26, 2020

According to Avangarde, 5 parties are projected to surpass the electoral threshold and enter the Romanian Parliament: PSD with 122 representatives, PNL with 91 representatives, USR with 52 representatives, AUR with 48 representatives and UDMR with 17 representatives.

Romania operates a bicameral parliamentary system, comprising the Chamber of Deputies (Camera Deputaților) and the Senate (Senat). Both chambers are simultaneously elected every four years through a closed-list proportional representation system. A distinctive feature of Romania's electoral framework is the guaranteed representation of national minorities: minority organizations that fail to meet the general electoral threshold are still allocated a seat in the Chamber of Deputies, provided they secure a specific nationwide vote count. This ensures broad ethnic diversity within Parliament, encompassing over 18 distinct minority groups.

To enter both chambers of the Romanian Parliament, individual parties face a nationwide electoral threshold of 5% of the total votes cast. For electoral alliances, the hurdle is tiered: 8% for two-party coalitions, 9% for three parties, and 10% for four or more parties. Alternatively, a party can secure parliamentary representation if it garners over 20% of the votes in at least four constituencies for the Chamber of Deputies and in at least two constituencies for the Senate. These regulations aim to foster the formation of stable parliamentary factions and prevent excessive fragmentation.

As Romania's electoral system rarely yields an absolute majority for a single party, coalition governments are the norm. Following consultations with parliamentary parties, the President nominates a candidate for Prime Minister. This nominee must form a cabinet within 10 days and secure a vote of confidence from both chambers of Parliament in a joint session. Romanian politics often features dynamic and shifting coalition alliances, which rely on a solid majority in both houses for stable legislation.