Romanian authorities prepare for presidential election

The heads of the institutions in charge with organising the presidential elections had a meeting with the interim president

Ştefan Stoica, 18.03.2025, 14:00

Romania’s interim president Ilie Bolojan wants everything done by the book when it comes to the presidential elections due on May 4 and 18, so that what happened in the previous elections, cancelled by the Constitutional Court over flaws in the electoral process, may not be repeated.

To this end, the head of state had a meeting with the authorities and public institutions in charge with organising the elections. The stated goal is to ensure a fair and transparent election process, taking into account both the domestic and foreign components of the ballot. Relevant institutions were represented, such as the interior and the foreign ministries, the Permanent Electoral Authority, the National Audiovisual Council, the National Communications Administration and Regulation Authority, the National Council on Combating Discrimination, the National Cybersecurity Directorate.

The main goal of the meeting was to strengthen these institutions so as to ensure that the relevant legislation is properly applied in all areas involved, with a focus on the electoral law and regulations regarding online campaigns. The participants discussed the importance of effective coordination between the institutions involved, both at a domestic level and in terms of the regulations applicable to the online environment, where measures must be implemented to address illegal content.

At international level, it was agreed that at least the same number of polling stations abroad as in the previous elections should be kept, given that some states will be holding domestic elections. The exact locations of the polling stations abroad will be decided by the end of March and communicated to the public.

A decision was also made to set up an inter-institutional task force consisting of the Permanent Electoral Authority, the Central Electoral Bureau, the National Audiovisual Council and the National Communications Administration and Regulation Authority, which will coordinate and supervise compliance with the law and will respond promptly in the event of any online rule violations.

It is essential that all the institutions involved fulfil their responsibilities in a professional and coordinated manner, in order to guarantee the smooth conduct of the elections and to ensure compliance with the fundamental principles of democracy, the Presidency pointed out.

The next steps in the presidential election process are as follows: the candidacies and campaign logos featured on the ballots are to be finalised by March 20; the campaign for the first round begins on April 4 and ends on May 3. In the country, voting will take place on Sunday, May 4, while the Romanian citizens living abroad will be able to vote over 3 days, on May 2, 3 and 4. The campaign for the second round will begin on May 9. (AMP)