With the diversification of services offered electronically, including by public actors, the need for electronic identification that certifies that the person who wants to access that service is, indeed, who he is and “in documents” has become a fundamental aspect for a number of services. Secure electronic identity is one of the pillars of any real digitalization of the state and the development of the digital economy. In Romania, the electronic identity infrastructure exists, but its adoption is extremely low. This paper focuses on the existing electronic identification mechanisms, analyzes the causes of this low adoption and proposes public policy directions to accelerate the use of electronic identity.

If algorithms can rewrite democracy as they did in the 2024 and 2025 election seasons, institutions must be prepared to protect it. In order to combat digital disinformation and hybrid interference, however, we need a clear governance architecture: specific roles, courageous policies and good coordination between institutions. A country project of “digital resilience” and a “digital shield” for Romania are not built in silos, but through solid governance structures. Our model is a “whole-of-government to whole-of-society” one, segmented on three levels: the strategic level (a special department at the Presidential Administration), the operational level (Hub for Digital Resilience and Cognitive Defense at the Government), and the societal level.

Romania has experienced unprecedented hybrid turbulence, turbulence that has polarized its society. These have materialized mainly in the digital space. Therefore, it is imperative for Romania to build its security antibodies in the digital space as well. Edge Institute proposes recommendations for a cross-country project of “digital resilience”, a project materialized both domestically and internationally. Starting from a diagnosis and analysis of the strategic framework, these recommendations aim to counter hybrid attacks, combat disinformation through cognitive defense, an innovative technology policy, strengthen Romania’s digital skills and digital diplomacy, among other measures.

The Pareto principle also applies to digitalization: it means 20% technology and 80% transformation management. Romania lacks neither technology nor the resources that allow it to develop it. Under these conditions, what is missing from the equation of the Romanian digital transformation? A “command”, a collective decision-making body that would bring together all relevant actors around a digital Romania project. This material explores the winding path of digital governance in Romania and proposes the option of a Digital Council for Romania, analyzing a potential structure, form of operationalization and its role as a pole for the “national digital consensus”.

We are launching the Digital Governance Framework for Romania report, commissioned by Edge Institute and produced by Digital Nation, a group of experts and leaders in digital transformation efforts in Estonia.

Despite more than three decades of initiatives dedicated to the digitalization of public administration, Romania continues to face fragmented digital governance and insufficient strategic consolidation. This analysis traces the evolution of the institutional architecture of digitalization at the governmental level, with a focus on the successive transformations of coordination structures in this field. Fragmentation is also visible at the sectoral level, with the digitalization of healthcare being an emblematic example: multiple structures coexist without a clear chain of command. International practices from Estonia, France, and the United Kingdom illustrate that digital governance, although it must be adapted to each country’s specific context, shares a common denominator: the need for a strong coordinating structure.