The Romanian government approved a resolution supporting the country’s candidacy for a new term on the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Council during a session held on Friday. This includes plans for a traditional reception catering to approximately 1,000 guests. The project had previously been removed from the agenda of the last cabinet meeting led by Ilie Bolojan, leading to a flurry of accusations between ANCOM representatives and the former government, as reported by News.ro.
Romania’s candidacy will be advanced at the ITU conference scheduled to take place in Doha, Qatar, from November 9 to 27, 2026.
Efforts to support Romania’s bid will be managed by ANCOM’s delegation, which may also include representatives from other public institutions, including members of the Romanian Parliament.
The approved legal framework allows for expenses related to organizing the event, adhering to the rules set by the ITU, which includes hosting a traditional meal for about 1,000 attendees. Funding for these expenses will come from ANCOM’s revenue and expenditure budget for the year 2026, according to a government press release.
Documents reviewed by Cotidianul.ro indicate that ANCOM proposed protocol expenses amounting to 250,000 lei, approximately 47,000 euros, for the reception. This is significantly lower than the 860,000 lei (about 161,000 euros) outlined in the project withdrawn by Ilie Bolojan. The budget allocated per participant stands at around 250 lei.
The ITU is the specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) for telecommunications and information technology, established in 1865, making it the oldest of the UN’s specialized agencies.
Currently, the ITU has 194 member states and over 1,000 representatives from the private sector and academia.
ANCOM Vice President Accuses Bolojan of Hypocrisy and Superficiality
Last week, ANCOM Vice President Pavel Popescu accused former Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan, who leads the National Liberal Party (PNL), of intentionally sabotaging diplomatic efforts over the past year aimed at supporting Romania’s ITU candidacy.
Popescu stated that Bolojan’s decision stemmed from his failure to grasp the significance of holding such a position for the country, accompanied by a “visceral hatred for regulatory authorities” and the superficiality with which he and his advisors approached the government resolution.
“In a display of breathtaking hypocrisy, typical of the politically mummified Ilie Bolojan, during the same cabinet meeting where he sabotaged Romania’s candidacy at the ITU, the former prime minister approved, through another government resolution, the allocation of 340,000 euros for the setup of Romania’s pavilion and cultural activities at the Francophonie Village, which will occur alongside the Summit in Cambodia, where Dacian Cioloș will announce his candidacy for the Secretary-General of the International Organisation of Francophonie,” added Pavel Popescu last week.
Bolojan’s Government: Claims of Misleading Statements
In response, Ioana Dogioiu, the former spokesperson for Bolojan’s government, asserted that Pavel Popescu from ANCOM was lying, upset that the last session led by Bolojan did not approve funding for his candidacy to the ITU Council, but rather allocated funds for Dacian Cioloș’s candidacy at the International Organisation of Francophonie.
Funding for Romania’s participation in the Francophonie Summit was approved on September 11, not during the last session, Dogioiu stated, accusing Popescu of seeking funding for “a lavish gathering of a thousand people, an artistic program, and protocol gifts.”
“Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan decided to withdraw this government resolution, which was strategically pushed onto the agenda of the last cabinet meeting. Prime Minister Niculescu can validate it if he believes it is so beneficial for the country,” Dogioiu wrote in a Facebook post on Sunday.
