Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe counsels Romania to restrict deployment of emergency decrees in electoral concerns
Skipping the Noise, Straight to the Core:
Romania should steer clear of last-minute tweaks to its electoral regulations or rushed emergency ordinances for contentious matters, warns a new report from the Council of Europe. Presented at the Congress's 48th session on March 26, the report flags concerns over an emergency ordinance that merged Romania's 2024 local and European Parliament elections on a single day, a decision made mere months prior to the vote.
The report calls for the development of a unified electoral code through open and extensive consultations. The findings are based on a fact-finding visit conducted on October 24, 2024, in Bucharest, prompted by the Congress Monitoring Committee following complaints of irregularities in the June 2024 local elections.
The report highlights the significance of electoral consistency and suggests that the resort to the emergency ordinance could have been prevented, a view shared by the Venice Commission, as outlined in its March 14, 2024, opinion.
Avoiding complexities in vote tallying, enhancing election administration transparency, and implementing mandatory recounts in instances of significant discrepancies are among the recommendations made by the Congress.
Co-rapporteurs Randi Mondorf (Denmark, ILDG) and Jorge Sequeira (Portugal, SOC/G/PD) conclude that bolstering the democratic process at subnational levels in Romania necessitates more effort to boost inclusivity and rebuild public trust. Encouraging the participation of women and young people as candidates, lowering the minimum age for running for office to 18, and broadening election observer rights could serve as key steps to fortify local democracy.
The Council of Europe's Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, which is responsible for bolstering local and regional democracy in its 46 member states, consists of two chambers – the Chamber of Local Authorities and the Chamber of Regions – and three committees, representing over 130,000 local and regional authorities.
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(Photographer: George Calin, Inquam Photos)
Tips and Lessons for Reformers:
- Electoral Stability and Transparency: Sustained and transparent electoral laws reduce last-minute changes, enhancing public trust and confidence in the democratic process.
- Good Governance: Promoting good democratic governance and transparency encourages citizen participation in local authorities, which indirectly influences electoral procedures and fosters more engaged citizens.
- Multilevel Governance and Capacity Building: Strengthening local governance capacities supports electoral reforms, ensuring more effective and efficient electoral processes over time.
For comprehensive electoral law and procedural recommendations, consider seeking analysis and opinions from specialized bodies like the Venice Commission or electoral monitoring institutions within the Council of Europe framework. Organizations such as the European Platform for Democratic Elections (EPDE) offer valuable insights into electoral practices and potential issues in Romania and other member states.
- To prevent last-minute alterations and boost public trust, Romania should reconsider hasty emergency ordinances like the one merging local and European Parliament elections, as suggested by the Council of Europe's report.
- In order to prevent potential complications in vote tallying, it would be beneficial for Romania to implement mandatory recounts in instances of significant discrepancies, as recommended by the Congress.
- In an effort to strengthen democracy at the subnational level, Romania could consider promoting the participation of women and young people as candidates, lowering the minimum age for running for office, and expanding election observer rights, as suggested by the Co-rapporteurs of the Council of Europe's Congress.
- To fortify local democracy, Romania could look to organizations such as the European Platform for Democratic Elections (EPDE) for valuable insights into electoral practices and potential issues.
