CRPE organized the event How can we use digital technologies to increase civic engagement and improve the quality of public services and policies on February 26, 2025. Romania faces a significant gap compared to other European countries, both in terms of citizens’ digital skills and the adoption of new digital technologies by public administration. Only 28% of Romanians have basic digital skills (DESI, 2024). This limits access to digital services and reduces opportunities for democratic participation through modern means. Additionally, public administration struggles to effectively use digital solutions, and public consultations often remain formal exercises without real impact.
Romania and its digital ambitions
Romania is currently working on or implementing three relevant digital strategies concerning open data, open governance, and innovation in the public sector. However, beyond strategies and public policy proposals, the reality shows that good practices are relatively scarce, and the challenges are numerous. Public authorities are poorly prepared for the digital decade. The administrative culture remains rather opaque, and the legislative framework still requires improvements. The lack of data literacy limits innovation and government efficiency, as well as the quality of public services and citizen relations.
Digital skills in Romania
The lack of basic digital skills remains a national challenge, leaving a significant number of citizens excluded from digital services and transformations. As mentioned, only 28% of Romanians aged 16 to 74 have basic digital skills. This figure has stagnated in recent years, significantly below the EU average of 54% and far from the EU’s target of 80% by 2030. Moreover, Romania’s own target for 2030 is just 50%, meaning that even in the best-case scenario, the country would still be below the EU average from 2024.
The digital divide is even more pronounced in rural areas, among vulnerable individuals, and in disadvantaged communities. This already limits access to digital services and civic engagement facilitated by technology. Furthermore, the long-term impact could grow as new technologies become more widespread in the relationship between local administration and citizens, deepening societal divisions. The limited emphasis on digital skills also affects the labor market, with only 2.6% of the total workforce employed in the IT&C sector—well below the EU average of 4.8%.
Local digital ambitions
At the local government level, progress is sometimes faster, as direct interaction between citizens and authorities encourages the adoption of digital solutions. There are promising initiatives in cities and communities that have implemented innovative mechanisms to improve access to public services and decision-making transparency. However, these examples remain isolated and have not led to a systemic national change, as they face numerous obstacles—such as outdated legislation that still requires physical documentation instead of allowing digital processing. Better coordination and mechanisms are needed to expand and replicate successful local practices.
Civic engagement through technology
Public authorities’ efforts to foster civic engagement and increase citizen participation in decision-making must be amplified. Public consultation platforms, participatory budgeting tools, local policy debates, and administrative transparency—whether proactive or based on legal frameworks ensuring access to public information, decision-making transparency, or open public data—must be strengthened.
Ultimately, any digital strategy must place the citizen at its core, providing an easy-to-use and efficient experience. At the same time, ensuring that no one is left behind requires investments in digital education, access to technology, and support for vulnerable groups. Digitalization must be an inclusive process in which every individual, regardless of age, social background, or education level, can actively participate and benefit from new technologies.
We thank all participants as the nearly four hours of intense discussions have provided valuable insights. We promise to use all the input gathered during the debate to shape new public policy proposals. Our goal is to improve how digital technologies can enhance citizen participation in public decision-making processes and ensure that “no one is left behind” in technological advancement.
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The INDEU project is co-funded by the European Commission through the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) program (grant number 101147200). The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the coordinating institution can be held responsible for them.