The presidentialization of the Romanian political system: an interplay between structures and contingencies

Abstract

The peculiarities of post-communist Romania have stirred inquiries regarding the delimitation of the governmental system, the separation of powers and the relations between these. The present analysis addresses the phenomenon labeled the "presidentialization of politics", which designates the adoption of a presidential modus operandi without an actual constitutional option for presidentialism. Since the concept revolves around the highly debated concentration of power in the hands of leaders, the potential presidentialization of the Romanian political system would be investigated by scrutinizing the increased leadership autonomy in three arenas: the executive, the party and the electoral process. Basically, this paper represents a theoretical extension of the presidentialization thesis, aiming at concluding on the phenomenon’s existence and functioning in Romania as encouraged by a series of structural and contingent factors, including the communist legacies and the dysfunctions of the democratic transition.