Adrian Țuțuianu, a member of the Permanent Electoral Authority (AEP) in Romania, has declared that early elections are currently impossible under existing legislation. He highlighted that the current electoral law, specifically Law 208/2015, was designed for regular election cycles and does not accommodate the scenario of a dissolved Parliament.

According to the Romanian Constitution, early elections must be held within three months of Parliament's dissolution. However, the deadlines stipulated in the current law cannot be met without urgent legislative amendments. This would necessitate a special normative act to shorten the legal timelines, which include the formation of electoral bureaus and the collection of signatures, among other processes.

Such changes pose significant challenges, as they would violate the transparency rules for normative acts. The shortened timelines could adversely affect access to justice and the court's ability to handle appeals in a timely manner. Adrian Țuțuianu, who was promoted to the AEP by the PSD party, emphasized that these legal adjustments are necessary to uphold electoral rights. Without them, chaos.

I Left for Bread. I Came Back with a Story

The Calves – The Second Heart

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) faces particular difficulties in organizing voting abroad. The limited time frame does not allow for the identification of venues, signing of contracts, or the organization of voting sections. Mail-in voting presents challenges. Current laws require registration by April, which would be unfeasible under shortened deadlines.

The stability of the electoral law, as per Venice Commission standards, is important for the protection of voting rights and the right to be elected. The AEP has announced plans to draft a new Electoral Code by October, which will include provisions for early elections. However, the current political situation, with no working Parliament or full-power Government, limits the ability to promote new legislative projects. This creates a legislative deadlock that threatens the constitutional timeline for early elections and undermines the democratic process that citizens expect.

While the AEP has the technical capacity to prepare a law project, it would require adoption by the government or a parliamentary group to proceed. The effective protection of fair and free elections, ensuring unhindered access for candidates and citizens, remains a priority but is currently at risk without these legislative changes.