of senators’ terms were renewed every three years. In December, the National Renaissance Front was formed as the only legally permitted party. Suspension On 5 September 1940, King Carol signed a decree, titled “For the investment with full powers of the president of the Council of Ministers and the restriction of royal prerogatives”, which transferred his authoritarian powers to General Ion Antonescu. The 1938 Constitution was suspended and parliament dissolved. Antonescu formed the National Legionary State in alliance with the Iron Guard. He did not convene a parliament and ruled the country by decree even after breaking his alliance with the Guard in 1941. King Michael ousted Antonescu on 23 August 1944, and a constitutional and transitional regime was established until a Constituent Assembly could meet to draft a new constitution, until which time a few provisions of the cancelled 1866 and 1923 constitutions were applied. 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. On 30 December 1947, after King Michael’s abdication, Parliament adopted a constitutional law that proclaimed the Romanian People’s Republic and abrogated “the Constitution of 1866 as modified on 29 March 1923 and 1 September 1944”. 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. See also Parliament of Romania References Stoica, Stan (coordinator). Dicţionar de Istorie a României, pp. 90–1. Bucharest: Editura Merona, 2007. External links Text of the constitution Constitutions of Romania Constitution Of Romania, 1938 Romania 1938 in law Greater Romania 1938 documents February 1938 events 1938 in politics