Romania

Romania’s democratic process faces significant threats due to endemic corruption and civic action is response to government abuses. Recent efforts have seen progress and political will to shift practices and legal frameworks toward robust governance. IFES partners with civil society in Romania to shift incentives around implementation of international and regional anti-corruption standards and commitments, including those issued by the Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) and the European Union, including on challenges such as judicial integrity, transparent political finance and the misuse of state resources. IFES programming in Romania began in 1990 and largely focused on electoral process strengthening; civic and voter education; and countering corruption to improve democratic engagement and foster compliance with international standards.

IFES currently works with Expert Forum in Romania, focusing on preventing abuse of state resources in elections; improving political finance oversight systems; and advocating for judicial integrity reforms in line with European Union standards and obligations. IFES has also engaged state institutions in peer exchanges on cybersecurity in elections and election administration.