PRESS RELEASE
Policypath launched Statecraft Lab with a debate on digitalization and Romania's foreign policy
Bucharest, 10 September 2025
A survey presented by Policypath shows that Romanians want more of the West, more digitalization, and more security. From Estonia's e-governance model to the goal of joining the OECD in 2026, the conclusions were debated at Statecraft Lab, the new think tank's first public event.
Policypath, an independent think tank dedicated to governance and informed decision-making, held its first public event, Statecraft Lab, yesterday, 9 September, at Hotel Marmorosch.
The agenda featured two panels grounded in a national survey conducted together with INSCOP between 4 and 10 August 2025. The research, presented at the event by the institute's director, Remus Ștefureac, shows that an overwhelming majority of Romanians support a strategic orientation toward the West (EU, US, NATO) and indicates strong interest in the digitalization of public services.
The first panel, “e-Governing Romania,” moderated by Carmen Mitrea (Policypath), addressed digital transformation with numerous examples of best practice from Estonia. Guests included Elisabeta Moraru (Google Romania), Hannes Astok (e-Governance Academy), and Andrei Crăciun (West University of Timișoara). The Estonian expert stressed, for instance, that digitalization does not mean citizens' data belongs to the government, but to the citizens themselves. Authorities merely administer it, and the role of technology is to guarantee proper access to information and public services.
The second panel, “Romania's Foreign Policy in a Changing World,” moderated by Mircea Gâjâilă (Policypath), featured Luminița Odobescu, presidential adviser and former foreign minister, and Luca Niculescu, secretary of state responsible for the OECD accession process. The two senior officials emphasized that security remains the keyword of Romanian foreign policy, in the context of hybrid and asymmetric threats at the European level.
The goal of joining the OECD in 2026 was also reiterated, regarded as the “third major national project” after integration into the EU and NATO.
“Romania needs a development strategy that puts citizens' prosperity and security first. In the face of multiple crises there are two approaches: one repeated for 20-30 years, in which we put out fires and make decisions on the fly, and another, in which a group of well-trained professionals prepares strategies by domain, anchored in real data and impact analysis, meaningful over the medium and long term. We must get used to this exercise of building a plan that outlasts electoral cycles. That is what we set out to do with Policypath: to help public institutions and political decisions regain their purpose – the general good of citizens.”
With Statecraft Lab, Policypath marks its first public appearance and announces its intention to develop its own research dedicated to governance and public policy, with a focus on digitalization, security, and Romania's major strategic objectives.