Suchergebnisse

The article analyses the implementation of the transparency law and investigates whether its adoption generated more citizens' participation in the decision making process at municipal level in Romania. The research consisted of an analysis of the transparency reports that municipal authorities need to compile every year. We analysed the reports compiled by 28 cities and 5 sectors of the Bucharest municipality for the years 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017. Additional information about the challenges of the implementation of the law was collected from previous studies conducted by nongovernmental organizations on this topic. The research showed that public institutions increased the transparency of the decision making process by disclosing draft normative proposals and the documents the proposals were based on. The level of citizens' participation in the consultation and deliberation stages of the decision making process remained low over the period analysed, even though a small increase could be observed. The number of recommendations received on draft normative acts was low. The research showed that citizens' suggestions had higher chances to be included in final decisions if they were voiced during Local Council meetings. Besides providing empirical insights in the implementation of the transparency law in Romania, the article provides the researchers with evidence that increased decisional transparency does not automatically lead to greater citizens' involvement in the decision making process.

This study is an examination of a changing judiciary in an emerging democracy. As part of the conditions mandated for European Union (EU) accession, Romania has been urged to demonstrate movement toward greater rule of law (Romania, 2008). One way in which Romania has responded to this objective is through the creation of the Superior Council of the Magistracy (CSM), a judicial body separate from the executive branch. Additionally, changes are occurring to the Romanian judiciary as a result of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) power to remand cases that are inconsistent with the European Convention on Human Rights (Janis, 2000). This qualitative research involved an attitudinal study based on semi-structured interviews of members of the Romanian judiciary. This research is unique because, although many studies of the population's perception of corruption are available, this study involves the suggestions of members of the Romanian judiciary themselves.

The public interest is a syntagm frequently used to account for the projects and the actions of the local government authorities. The study analyses the way local elected officials relate to the content and the meaning of this concept. The quality of the social dialogue, the duality of the public life, the referential models of public policies are some sources of the gap between the administrative agenda and the citizens 'agenda. Accepting the public interest as a guiding rule in designing the activities for the community welfare involves adjusting both the ambitions of the politicians and the social and economic pressures. The representation of the public interest requires temporary compromise, transparent decisions, based on evidence, innovation and creativity.