Under the campaign "STOP abuses by public officials"The Foundation For The Defense Of Citizens Against State Abuses (FACIAS) organised a webinar with international participation, including representatives from the Laboratorio per la sussidiarietà (LABSUS) and the European Association for Local Democracy (ALDA), with the aim of identifying viable solutions for improving the mechanisms of disciplinary accountability of public officials, with the ultimate aim of preventing abuses and strengthening trust between citizens and institutions.
The European Association for Local Democracy (ALDA), an association of more than 300 members, including local authorities, associations of local authorities and civil society organisations from more than 45 countries in the wider Europe, has expressed its interest in becoming more involved in FACIAS projects and in creating a stronger European network of cooperation between its members in order to promote positive initiatives and support democratic development at local and European level.
One of the proposals put forth was the establishment of a collaborative platform where citizens and public administration professionals could collectively examine grievances in order to guarantee a balanced assessment of them. This mechanism would enhance transparency and accountability within the realm of public administration.
The presentation of international examples from cities such as Gdansk (Poland), Poitiers and Strasbourg (France) and Helsinki (Finland) provided insight into the ways in which local authorities can collaborate with citizens for the effective management of shared resources.
The Association Laboratorio per la sussidiarietà (LABSUS) posits that one of the principal solutions to reinstate citizens' trust in the institutions is the implementation of the principle of subsidiarity. This approach has been a notable success in Italy since its inception in 2014. It is therefore plausible to suggest that this model could prove an effective solution for Romania, facilitating the restoration of trust between citizens and their institutions.
The event addressed the challenges and vulnerabilities of Romanian public administration, presenting solutions to prevent abuses of power in the public sector. A FACIAS analysis has revealed that the Romanian administrative model is characterised by significant shortcomings. Despite the country's decentralised approach, mirroring that of other EU member states, an overwhelming majority (98%) of complaints filed by citizens against public officials are dismissed. This suggests that either there is a lack of awareness among citizens about their rights or that the accountability system is not functioning effectively. Either way, this creates an imbalanced and mistrustful relationship between citizens and the administration, which in turn hinders the reporting of malpractice.
There is a notable decline in public trust in the Romanian state, as evidenced by the fact that only 4,000 complaints have been filed against public officials over the past five years. This mistrust is exacerbated by the prevalence of bureaucratic processes, which contribute to the perception that the Romanian state is primarily concerned with its own interests, and by concerns about corruption.
The proposals of the international partners of FACIAS will also be presented at a debate to be held in Bucharest on 22 October 2024 at the Palace of Parliament. During this event, FACIAS will present the data obtained during the "STOP abuses by public officials" campaign and a discussion will be held with experts on the content of a concrete reform of the system of disciplinary liability of civil servants.
FACIAS remains dedicated to its mission of safeguarding citizens from exploitation and advancing sound practices in public administration. It collaborates with international partners to develop cutting-edge and efficacious solutions.