The new Senate and Chamber of Deputies met on Tuesday separately to set up their committees to validate the mandates of the new MPs.
The sessions in the two chambers are chaired by the oldest Members, assisted by the youngest four deputies, senators, as secretaries.
In this case, the Senate session is chaired by Leon Dănăilă (National Liberal Party), aged 83 and by deputy Miron Ignat (national minorities), aged 75.
Dănăilă is assisted by Cătălin George Stângă (34yo, PNL, Galaţi), George Edward Dircă (3yo, USR, Galaţi), Alexandru Marius Dunca (36yo, PSD, Braşov) and Bogdan Constantin Matei (36 yo, PSD, Vâlcea).
Miron Ignat will have the youngest four deputies by his side: Mara Mareş (24yo, PNL, Braşov), Andrei Pop (25yo, PSD, Ialomiţa), Vlad Emanuel Duruş (26 yo, USR, Maramureş) and Apjok Norbert (27 yo, UDMR, Maramureş).
To validate the mandates, the lower and upper chambers are electing a committee consisting in 30 deputies and 15 senators respectively to reflect the political configuration of the chamber.
The Chamber of Deputies unanimously voted the mandate validation committee in a sitting attended by 256 deputies out in 329.
In the Senate there were 126 lawmakers present, with 10 not attending.
Liberal Leon Danaila, chairing the first Parliament sitting of this legislature stated that their new term as lawmakers should regain the Parliament’s reputation in front of the citizens.
“We have the chance of a mandate that will enable us all to contribute to enhancing the Parliament, an iconic institution for every democracy (…) The Romanian Parliament must regain the reputation and the authority that citizens badly need,” Dănăilă stated.
Deputies and senators are expected to swear in most probably on Wednesday, when the new speakers of the two chambers will be also elected, as well as the other members of the Standing Bureaus and the parliamentary committees.