The neighbouring country Romania faces much more difficult issues. Here we lack a fully-developed democratic procedures, judicial practice and a self-confident population used to practicing democracy.

Yet, many people in Romania have a wake-up call these days. Too often they had to witness that the people in power decide without asking them. A most recent example is the new technique to gain energy, fracking, which harms the environment. Georgeta Ionescu, one of the founding members of the democracy group in Romania, fights against fracking with all efforts. Yet she had to realise that her hands are tied if Romania’s political system does not change at the same time, allowing people to directly decide on these issues. That is why Romanian members of Democracy International together with Georgeta Ionescu have founded a Romanian democracy group. Building the organisation is a huge task requiring sustainable support.  

On the picture you see Georgeta Ionescu, Adrian Ciobanu and Dinita Ciprian (both members of Democracy International) as well as Daniel Schily, Executive Director of Democracy International. Daniel Schily visited the Romanian democracy activists in Bucharest in July 2013. 

Please contact Adrian Ciobanu or Dinita Ciprian if you want to find out more about the new group in Romania.

Text by Daniel Schily