Romania: inconsistent and unpredictable policy implementation

Romania’s reaction to COVID-19 was characterized by sharp contrasts between the initial measures and subsequent developments. The country reacted swiftly in March 2020 and launched a State of Emergency to curb the virus spread. Called for the first time since the regime change in 1989, this procedure limits citizens’ constitutional rights. The country was among the first EU Member States to close schools and borders, ban public events, suspend the activity of restaurants and non-essential shops and impose movement restrictions on the population. However, one year and a half later the country had many deaths and high rate of infections. Similarly, the vaccination campaign started very well in January 2021, with clear planning, but in less than one year the country was second last in the EU in terms of vaccinated share of population. These apparent paradoxes are explained through the disempowerment of experts, inconsistent actions and limited predictability of policies in Romania throughout the pandemic