EIRP Proceedings, Vol 6 (2011)

Abstract

The need for decentralization of the administrative system is one of the most discussed and acclaimed topics, in the Romanian governing acts. Decentralization, however, cannot be achieved without political decentralization, a democratization process of democracy, achieved from top to bottom, in which the state supports the evolution of the civil society through partnership, by stimulating local initiative and community development. According to Anthony Giddens’ theory, which is even more relevant due to the present economic recession, it states that the civil society represents a third option (neo-liberalism and social democracy being the other two) in achieving social welfare. The welfare type state concept is replaced by the welfare society concept, in which the state and the civil society work together for progress, development and mutual support. Apart from the need for a participant democracy, the objective of this present study is to analyze the stages of the present political decentralization in Romania. We intend to find explanations and solutions regarding the fragile voice of the Romanian participant political culture. What were we lacking: logistics or the collective mentality (a consequence of the emerging democracy…)? What are the distinctive mechanisms for proper governing, by which we can monitor the citizens’ involvement in the process of public decision and the ongoing possibility of influencing the governmental authorities’ policies and decisions by the people, at a national level by empowering the citizens with more authority? Respecting the existing interests of the society and not only those of the dignitaries, constitutes a condition for representation, something that the Romanian democracy lacks. Monitoring the manner in which the citizens’ interests are represented by public decision, constitutes a fundamental element of proper governing. This study’s objective is to create certain logistic conditions for the organization of the citizens’ public policies debates, regarding the governing programs or the text of certain laws; the mechanisms should not be limited only to collecting and monitoring, but they should encompass the manner in which the citizens’, the experts’ and the civil society’s representatives proposals are existing in the public decision.