1938 Constitution of Romania

Soon afterward university professor Istrate Micescu began working on a new constitution, based on suggestions from the King.

He could dissolve Parliament at any time and rule by decree, and was the sole person empowered to amend the Constitution.

The lower house, the Assembly of Deputies, was to be elected every six years and composed of members of the following professional categories: agriculture and manual labour; industry and commerce; intellectual occupations.

The proportion of appointed and elected members was equal, while senators by right had to meet the same conditions as set out in the 1923 Constitution.

On 15 July 1946, the Petru Groza government issued a decree that bore a constitutional character, which abolished the Senate and established a unicameral system (the Assembly of Deputies) and granted universal suffrage to all citizens over 21, including women.

Until the 1948 Constitution was adopted, legislative power was in the hands of the Assembly of Deputies that met following the 1946 elections, while the executive was composed of a five-member presidium elected by the Assembly: Constantin Ion Parhon, Mihail Sadoveanu, Ştefan Voitec, Ion Niculi and Gheorghe Stere.