Romanian governing coalition reportedly agrees to dismiss Electoral Authority head Toni Greblă

Romania’s ruling coalition, composed of the Social Democrats (PSD), the National Liberal Party (PNL), the ethnic Hungarian party UDMR, and the deputies representing the ethnic minorities, reportedly agreed to remove Toni Greblă from his position as president of the Permanent Electoral Authority (AEP).

Greblă has led the AEP for two years after being appointed by PSD and elected by Parliament for an eight-year term. His dismissal will reportedly be added to the agenda of the Joint Standing Bureaus, with support from the coalition parties.

Toni Greblă was blamed publicly by coalition leaders, including prime minister Marcel Ciolacu, for mismanagement of AEP, irregularities flagged by the Court of Accounts regarding his illegal salary increase, and the rental of space at Romexpo, among others, according to HotNews.

The most serious issue, however, centered around the cancellation of the December 2024 presidential elections. Ciolacu recently stated that what bothered him most about the annulment of the elections was the precedent set and the vote recount. He also noted that Toni Greblă should no longer lead the Permanent Electoral Authority, though the final decision rests with Parliament.

The Electoral Authority head has been under fire for months. On Monday, February 24, center-right reformist party Save Romania Union (USR) requested that the head of AEP appear before Parliament to present a report on the organization of the last presidential elections. The party pointed out that three months have passed since the elections on November 24, 2024, and there is still no clarity on the exact reasons for their annulment or the measures taken to ensure the fairness and security of the upcoming elections in May.

PNL first vice-president Ciprian Ciucu, also the mayor of Bucharest’s District 6, hinted at the decision on Facebook, stating, “good news. We will clean up AEP. Romania needs institutions that operate with integrity, transparency, professionalism, and impartiality.”

Greblă has not responded to media inquiries regarding his possible dismissal.

A former PSD senator (2008-2012, re-elected in 2012), Toni Greblă was a judge at the Constitutional Court (2013-2015) and later Secretary General of the Viorica Dăncilă government. He previously served as the Prefect of Bucharest.

In 2015, the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) indicted Greblă for influence peddling, accusing him of receiving a BMW worth EUR 56,070. Three years later he was acquitted by the High Court, and in 2019 the decision became final.