Romania | Temporary legislation: how parties modify the composition of the electoral commissions to serve their interest

Romanian EPDE member Expert Forum (EFOR) published a report on the modification of the composition of the electoral commissions. The way electoral commissions are setup has changed constantly in recent years. But not always through laws discussed in Parliament long before the election date, but through emergency ordinances or articles crammed into a long list […]
Romania | Expert Forum’s Response to Elon Musk’s Disinformation and Intimidation Campaign

Expert Forum’s Official Position on Elon Musk’s Intimidation Campaign Expert Forum (EFOR) and our fellow civil society organizations are facing an unprecedented attack from powerful figures like Elon Musk. We believe this is an increasingly dangerous attempt at intimidation, deliberately singling out Expert Forum (EFOR) and other Romanian NGOs in this context. Such actions aim […]
Romania: Preliminary observation report of the 1 December parliamentary elections

The Vot Corect Coalition published the monitoring report of the December 1 parliamentary elections. The coalition consists of the Expert Forum, the Center for Civic Resources, Civica, the Center for the Study of Democracy, Radautiul Civic and the Electoral Observatory. Code for Romania ensures the development of the Vote Monitor smartphone application, with which we […]
Manipulated or Mobilized? TikTok, Poll Failures, and the Surge of Romania’s Far-Right

The European Platform for Democratic Elections (EPDE) and Expert Forum (EFOR) are pleased to invite you to the second briefing on the parliamentary and presidential elections in Romania, taking place over three consecutive weekends between November 24 and December 8, 2024. Romania’s autumn elections brought a shock: an unknown far-right candidate won the first round […]
Romania: Preliminary observations for the November 24 Presidential Elections (1st round)

Summary The elections held on November 24 were competitive, and fundamental rights were generally respected. However, scheduling elections over three consecutive weeks failed to adequately separate the presidential elections from the parliamentary ones, leading to mutual influence between the two campaigns and creating significant organizational challenges. While electoral authorities generally managed the technical aspects of […]
Webinar: Breathless run for office? Media and public party finances in Romania’s election marathon

The European Platform for Democratic Elections (EPDE) and Expert Forum (EFOR) are pleased to invite you to our first briefing in a two-part series on the upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections in Romania, taking place over three consecutive weekends between November 24 and December 8, 2024. During this intense electoral period, Romanian voters will head […]
Expert Forum
Expert Forum (EFOR) is a think tank based in Bucharest, set up by well-known experts in public policy and public governance reform. The main domains covered by the organization are: administration reform and public sector integrity; decentralization, regional development, public finance; justice and anticorruption reform; energy as security issue in Eastern Europe; active citizenship and […]
Welcoming EPDE’s New Members from Romania, Bulgaria, and Slovakia

The European Platform for Democratic Elections (EPDE) is excited to announce the expansion of our election observer network with the addition of three esteemed organizations: Expert Forum EFOR (Romania), Institute of Public Environment Development IPED (Bulgaria), and MEMO 98 (Slovakia). These organizations were unanimously elected during the 2024 General Assembly, further reinforcing EPDE’s representation among […]
Final observation report on the 2024 local and European Parliament elections in Romania

The 9 June elections presented multiple electoral choices, but competitiveness was reduced by the coalition of the main ruling parties. Changes in electoral legislation very shortly before the elections disadvantaged some of the contestants and reduced the transparency of the process. Authorities were largely efficient in organizing the process, but the complex and contested procedures […]
EPDE at the EU Elections: Observing E-Day in Bulgaria and Romania

From 6 to 10 June 2024, the EPDE organized study trips for election observers to Romania and Bulgaria. The study trips were implemented in close cooperation with local partners Expert Forum (EFOR) in Romania and Institute for Public Environment Development (IPED) in Bulgaria. The trip’s program culminated in observing E-day of the European Parliament Elections […]