Site of the Month:
Euranet:
A network of 16 radio-stations from 13 EU-countries informs citizens through interviews and reports about the European Union.
Romania
Website of Politeia Members from Romania: Pro Democracy Association - Bucharest Club (Romania) and Pro Democracy Association - Timisoara Club (Romania)
The year 2007 was one of the best moments to start debates and discussions on the necessity of a constitutional revision of the Romanian fundamental law. The decision by the Romanian Parliament to suspend the Romanian President and the campaign for the validation of this decision, the decision to call and organize the referendum for the introduction of the single constituency vote electoral reform, and the subsequent conflicts between the central institutions of the state have stirred discussions on specific constitutional provisions and their ammendments.
Asociatia Pro Democratia has taken a leading role in promoting and supporting transparency of political parties and electoral campaigns financing since early 2000. It has monitored electoral spending of political parties and candidates for national elections organized in 2000 and 2004 and promoted its results among citizens and journalists, advocated for legislative improvements in accordance to its findings, supported the public consultation process run by Romanian authorities in their attempts to improve the legislation in this field, and, last but not least, attended all debates in the Commissions of the Romanian Parliament to advocate such improvements.
Between December 2007 and October 2008 Asociatia Pro Democratia continues its campaign for promoting good governance at the local level and runs the project “Partnership for Good Governance and Local Government”, aiming to consolidate and promote the principles of good governance and local development through participatory mechanisms.
Asociatia Pro Democratia implements the project “Your Silence Is Expensive! Campaign for a Clean Local Public Administration” between December 2007 and October 2008. As far as the fight against corruption is concerned, Asociatia Pro Democratia has a specific approach among Romanian NGOs active in the field. It focuses on promoting integrity, so preventing corruption rather than fighting corruption by pushing for punishments for individual acts. Consequently, the purpose of this project is to develop a stimulating environment for fighting corruption at the level of six municipalities in Romania. In order to do so, the main instrument APD will use and further develop is the activity of whistle-blowers as a discouraging practice for corruption acts, different types of abuses and incompatibilities in local government.
The forthcoming European Parliamentary elections should be an important political event, marking another step in Romanian’s long way to European integration. Besides receiving the more or less important European Commissioner for Multilingualism post for a bureaucrat, Romania would have its legitimated voice heard in European agora. Moreover, EU sounds excellent, the May 2007 Barometer of Public Opinion revealing that EU is the third institution as degree of trust after the Church and the Army. All in all, it should be an important event. Nevertheless, here we are, two months before the elections and any debate on European issues is absent. But this is only an apparent paradox. To become important, elections need to have both a political stake and issues to debate on, aspects that miss at the moment.
One of the most important political opportunities related to Romania’s accession to European Union is the task of organising the elections for choosing Romania’s future European Parliament representatives.
Asociatia Pro Democratia is pleased to announce the launching of its Electoral Code proposal. Asociatia Pro Democratia (APD) is a Romanian non-governmental, non-profit and non-party affiliated organization established in 1990. APD currently has 31 clubs in which more that 1200 citizens (members and volunteers) participate in implementing its projects. The mission of Asociatia Pro Democratia is to strengthen democracy in Romania by encouraging civic participation.