Adrian Țuțuianu accuses half of the AEP employees of having been hired without a competitive exam and proposes reducing the number of positions

The president of the Permanent Electoral Authority, Adrian Țuțuianu, said Tuesday, during hearings of Parliament’s legal committees, that half of AEP’s employees have never taken a competitive exam. According to him, some were hired for a short time by parliamentary groups and then transferred to the Authority. Țuțuianu argues that the situation makes it more difficult to reform the institution and assess professional qualifications.

The draft of the new organizational regulations provides for reducing the total number of positions from 575 to 395: 247 in the central structure and 148 in the local structure. The reform would eliminate 147 positions, including 105 executive positions and 42 management positions in the local structures. An examination would be organized within the two months following approval of the regulations for positions exceeding the new structure.

Țuțuianu said that AEP had checked all 276 registered political parties this year and that the institution had faced departures and suspensions of employment relationships. The AEP trade union is challenging the proposal, however, warning that staff reductions, especially in the local structures, would affect the institution’s capacity ahead of the intense electoral period from 2028 to 2040.

The debates were postponed to allow lawmakers to analyze the proposal. The previous regulations were annulled by a lower court, and AEP risks being left without a clear legal basis for its organization.