Romania’s Democracy Agenda: Fighting Corruption, Strengthening the Rule of Law

Twenty years ago, Romania established its first institutional initiatives to combat corruption. It has subsequently created an advanced legal framework to strengthen integrity and accountability across the public and private sectors, adopting its first national anticorruption strategy in 2016. These efforts garnered strong public support and have led to an established sense of democratic ownership among Romanians.

Russia’s war against Ukraine has again brought to the forefront the question of democratic resilience. Ukraine, Moldova, and other democratic countries in Eastern Europe are taking steps to elevate their anti-corruption capabilities and ensure strong rule-of-law fundamentals as prerequisites for accession to the European Union. What lessons can be learned from Romania’s experience, and how can these help inform policymakers in neighboring countries?

As the United States and Romania celebrate 25 years of strategic partnership, please join Hudson Institute for a discussion with Crin Bologa, Romania’s top anti-corruption prosecutor, on recent developments and opportunities for further progress.