PM Orban: Election date - Sept 27; if all candidates wear mask, risk is low

Prime Minister Ludovic Orban reconfirmed that the date of the local elections remains the one set by Parliament, September 27, and stressed that other countries have held elections this year, too, without any negative effects on public health.

"The date of the elections is set by the Romanian Parliament, the date is September 27. Other countries have also held elections this year. And I give you these examples: Poland, Croatia. And there were no negative effects on public health after these elections. Of course, it depends on how you organise them, on what campaign rules you set, so that there won't be any public meetings, in order to avoid risk. But if all candidates wear masks in their interaction with people, the risk is low. The organisation of polling stations is also very important. Of course, our goal is to reduce the number of cases, to stop the spread of the infection," Ludovic Orban said on Friday at the Interior Ministry headquarters, when he was asked about local elections in the context of the COVID pandemic.

The head of the Executive participated, together with the Minister of Interior, Marcel Vela, in a videoconference with the prefects and heads of the institutions involved in the fight against the COVID epidemic.