BUCHAREST, 25 March 2025 – The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) today opened an election observation mission for the 4 May repeat presidential election in Romania, following an official invitation from the national authorities.
The mission is headed by Eoghan Murphy and consists of a core team of 13 international experts based in Bucharest and 22 long-term observers, who will be deployed throughout the country from 2 April.
The mission will assess the conduct of the election for its compliance with OSCE commitments and other international obligations and standards for democratic elections, as well as with national legislation.
Observers will closely monitor all key aspects of the election, such as the conduct of the campaign, including on social networks, the work of the election administration at all levels, election-related legislation and its implementation, campaign finance, media coverage and the resolution of election disputes. Observers will also assess the implementation of previous ODIHR election recommendations.
Meetings with representatives of national authorities and political parties, judiciary, civil society, the media and the international community form an integral part of the observation.
While mission members will observe in a number of polling stations across the country to follow election day procedures, in line with ODIHR’s methodology for limited election observation missions, the mission will not carry out systematic or comprehensive observation of the voting, counting and tabulation on election day.
An interim report will be published some two weeks prior to the election, and the day after the election, the observation mission’s preliminary findings and conclusions will be presented at a press conference. A final report with an assessment of the entire election process and containing recommendations will be published some months after the elections.
For further information on ODIHR’s election observation activities in the country, please visit: https://www.osce.org/odihr/elections/romania
Media contacts:
Ružica Jovanović, Media Analyst: [email protected] or +40 759 160 575
Katya Andrusz, ODIHR Spokesperson: [email protected] or +48 609 522 266
Picture by U.S. Mission to the OSCE
