A delegation of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) visited Romania in preparation for the presidential election to be repeated on May 4, and issued recommendations in this regard, according to the report of the visit published by the OSCE.

During this visit, which was conducted at the invitation of the Romanian authorities and took place between March 3 and 5, meetings were held with officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Permanent Electoral Authority (AEP), as well as with representatives of political parties and civil society organizations.

All interlocutors with whom the ODIHR delegation spoke stressed the need for long-term election monitoring by the institution, as a way to increase confidence in the electoral process and ensure an independent and impartial assessment, the report says.

Representatives of state institutions and political parties also highlighted the added value of ODIHR’s electoral recommendations in improving the framework and practices of the electoral process.

In addition to the views conveyed during the 2024 assessment process, interlocutors focused on monitoring the pre-election period, underlining the need for comprehensive campaign assessment and monitoring, especially with regard to the regulation and financing of online campaigns and their oversight.

Interlocutors also noted specific issues that would require further assessment, such as the recently revised legal framework, including the emergency ordinance on the organization of the 2025 presidential elections and its implementation, the work of the electoral administration at all levels, and the effectiveness and promptness of the resolution of electoral disputes.

While some interlocutors expressed concerns about the transparency of the vote count in certain localities, as well as the quality of training of polling station officials, most appreciated that there is a long tradition of efficient organization of elections and expressed confidence in the electoral procedures in place and in the voting process as a whole, without anticipating systemic deficiencies.

However, several interlocutors with whom the ODIHR delegation spoke expressed concerns about the lack of public debate prior to the adoption of the emergency ordinance on the organization of these repeat elections following the annulment of the elections held last year, and suggested that certain provisions of this normative act are too vague and could restrict freedom of expression online.

In response to these concerns, the AEP issued implementing regulations aimed at clarifying the procedures for posting and marking electoral materials and informed the ODIHR delegation that the emergency ordinance does not apply to persons who are not candidates. The AEP also highlighted the challenges of regulating an electoral campaign in a rapidly evolving online environment.

All interlocutors agreed on the need for comprehensive electoral reform after these presidential elections, including ensuring voters’ access to information that is not manipulated.

Based on these considerations, the ODIHR reiterates its recommendation issued in September 2024 to deploy a Limited Election Observation Mission (LEOM) for the presidential elections to be held in May.

In addition to the team of experts that will assess the elections, the ODIHR delegation recommends that the participating States of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) appoint 24 observers to monitor the electoral process at the national level throughout the election. According to the standard ODIHR methodology, a Limited Election Observation Mission also includes a media monitoring element.

AGERPRES