Romania

What the government has said

“Romania, Sweden and Croatia were clearly disappointed by the deletions but accepted the proposal because of the review clause.”Council working party, 12 November 2025, as recorded in the German cable, translated

Receipt: Council working party minutes, 12 Nov 2025, via netzpolitik.org

No public national statement found. Supported the mandatory text (Sept 2025) and wanted detection negotiated now (June 2026). Both were said under previous governments; the Niculescu government, in office since 20 October 2026, has not stated a line yet, so the label stands.

How it voted in the Council

Negotiating mandate, 26 November 2025

yes The Council position adopted in Coreper: voluntary scanning only, no detection orders. Coreper does not publish votes; the split was reported the same day by the Czech news agency CTK.

Chat Control 1.0, 23 July 2026

yes The vote that brought back the temporary rules: voluntary scanning of private messages allowed until 3 April 2028.

A government can oppose mandatory scanning and still vote for the voluntary regime. The two are listed separately for that reason. Council votes need 15 states with 65 % of the population; four states with more than 35 % block.

How its MEPs voted

On 9 July 2026 the European Parliament voted on a motion to reject the Council text that brought back voluntary scanning, Chat Control 1.0. Rejection needed 361 votes and got 314, so the text passed. Of the 33 MEPs elected in Romania, 8 voted to reject it, 19 voted against rejection, 0 abstained and 6 did not vote.

• 8 for rejection, that is against voluntary scanning
• 19 against rejection, letting the text pass
• 0 abstained
• 6 did not vote

The government line above concerns mandatory scanning; this vote concerned the voluntary regime. They are different questions, which is why both are shown. Source: roll-call vote 195775 as published by the European Parliament and compiled by HowTheyVote.eu; all 27 delegations side by side on the governments page.

Who decides in Romania

Minister

Marian Neacșu, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Internal Affairs in Luca-Alexandru Niculescu’s government, invested by Parliament on 20 October 2026; Minister of Justice: Radu Marinescu. Romania’s line is known only from Council minutes, recorded under previous governments

Ministry in charge

Ministry of Internal Affairs; Ministry of Justice

Permanent representation

Ambassador Iulia Matei, Permanent Representative (Coreper II, since Jan 2022); Mihaela Vasiu, Deputy Permanent Representative (Coreper I)

Source: gov.ro/ro/guvernul/cabinetul-de-ministri

Timeline

1. 20 October 2026Parliament invests Luca-Alexandru Niculescu’s government by 280 votes to 58, ending the caretaker period that began on 5 May; the cabinet is sworn in the same day. source
2. 20 October 2026Marian Neacșu becomes Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Internal Affairs, and Radu Marinescu Minister of Justice. source
3. 15 October 2026Prime Minister-designate Luca Niculescu submits his programme and list of ministers to Parliament. Proposed: Marian Neacșu (PSD), Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Internal Affairs; Radu Marinescu (PSD), Minister of Justice. Parliament’s leaders are to set the hearings and the investiture vote; according to political sources, the vote would come on Tuesday 20 October. source
4. 15 October 2026The standing bureaus of both chambers set the timetable: hearings of the proposed ministers on 19 and 20 October, and the investiture vote in a joint sitting on Tuesday 20 October at 14:00. source
5. 6 October 2026President Nicușor Dan designates Luca-Alexandru Niculescu as candidate for Prime Minister. source
6. 30 September 2026Parliament rejects Siegfried Mureșan’s proposed cabinet: 182 votes in favour, 233 needed. The caretaker government stays in office. source
7. 30 September 2026President Nicușor Dan announces consultations with the parties on Monday 5 October and a new nomination for Prime Minister that afternoon. source
8. 21 September 2026President Nicușor Dan designates Siegfried Mureșan as candidate for Prime Minister. source
9. 23 July 2026Council vote on Chat Control 1.0, the temporary rules. Romania: yes.
10. 9 July 2026European Parliament votes on rejecting Chat Control 1.0; the motion fails, the text passes. MEPs elected in Romania: 8 for rejection, 19 against, 0 abstained, 6 did not vote. source
11. Since 26 Jun 2026Recorded as supports. Receipt: Council working party minutes, 12 Nov 2025, via netzpolitik.org source
12. 5 May 2026Parliament dismisses Ilie Bolojan’s government in a motion of censure, with 281 votes; it stays in office as a caretaker government. source
13. 26 November 2025Council negotiating mandate adopted in Coreper. Romania: yes.

Sources

• Council working party minutes, 12 Nov 2025, via netzpolitik.org (receipt)
• Council minutes, 12 Sep 2025, via netzpolitik.org
• Council minutes, 26 Jun 2026 (wants detection negotiated now), via netzpolitik.org
• Predoiu takes over the Ministry of Justice ad interim, April 2026 (Mediafax)
• Parliament rejects the Mureșan cabinet, 182 votes in favour of 233 needed (Romania Insider, 30 Sep 2026)
• Permanent Representation of Romania to the EU, team
• Method: what the labels mean and where the population shares come from