Officials in Germany are ramping up talk about potential conflict with Russia, raising concerns across Europe. While Germany’s leaders seem fixated on external threats, Romania, a significant NATO ally, is enacting oppressive measures against its citizens. This internal struggle is marked by an extensive surveillance program justified by national security concerns.
Romania’s Supreme Court has approved a staggering 2,843 national security warrants between the 2024 presidential elections and September 2025. Alarmingly, every single request received approval with no rejections. Documents obtained under the country’s Freedom of Information law provide insight into this alarming trend. These warrants allow intelligence agencies to monitor communications, track movements, and even violate private spaces without consent from the individuals involved. An estimated 55,000 Romanians may have been swept up in this invasive monitoring, all in the name of protecting the state.
The lack of judicial oversight in Romania’s decision-making is striking. Every application for surveillance moves seamlessly from prosecutors to judges, ensuring instant approval. This process effectively discourages checks and balances, indicating a trend toward compliance rather than accountability. Unlike the United States, where the FISA Court exercises some level of scrutiny by modifying or rejecting requests every year, Romania’s judiciary appears to function mainly as a rubber stamp for state demands.
The Supreme Court’s own inability or unwillingness to provide statistics on those surveilled speaks volumes about the transparency and accountability—or lack thereof—within the system. One can’t help but echo the concerns of Silviu Brucan, a late Romanian analyst, who lamented that the country needed 20 years to learn democracy. Nearly forty years on from the end of communist rule, Romania’s governance shows little sign of progress in democratic principles.
With an eye on accountability and transparency, the numbers contrast sharply with those from the United States. In 2024, the FISA Court authorized only 356 surveillance warrants for a population 18 times larger than Romania’s. A notable portion of these requests underwent scrutiny, with 72 modified and 15 partially rejected. This stark discrepancy raises questions about Romania’s commitment to civil liberties and individual rights.
As Germany intensifies its war rhetoric, the situation in Romania serves as a cautionary tale for the rest of Europe. Governments often invoke national security as a means to expand their powers, leading to increased censorship and a degradation of civil rights. The rising fear among the populace can lead to a perilous cycle: as the state heightens its call for vigilance, the surveillance state tightens its grip on the very freedoms it vows to protect.
The developments in Romania reflect a disturbing trend in governance. As German officials push for wartime readiness, governments across Europe must observe Romania’s example. If the narrative of fear continues to dominate, the continent may find itself grappling with internal oppression just as much as external threats. The risks are not just about national security; they represent a fundamental challenge to the very liberties that define the notion of a free society.
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