Dozens of associations, non-governmental organizations and media outlets have signed an open letter alleging that President Nicusor Dan is violating constitutional provisions guaranteeing freedom of expression and the right to information by banning journalist Ovidiu Vanghele from attending press conferences at the Cotroceni Palace.

'In the press conference held on the evening of November 10, 2026, President Nicusor Dan refused to answer a question asked by journalist Ovidiu Vanghele (Media Investigation Centre) and stated that he had previously barred the journalist from attending his press conferences. The president justified the decision by claiming that the journalist had directed 'insults' at him. The president is violating Articles 30 and 31 of Romania's Constitution, which guarantee freedom of expression and the right to information, even though he should be the guarantor of these rights,' media watchdog ActiveWatch said in a press release.

The signatory organizations are calling on the president and the Presidential Administration to urgently reverse the measure and publicly express unequivocal support for press freedom, respect for journalists and citizens' right to access information of public interest.

'During the same press conference, the president endorsed the public stigmatization launched by the Judges' Section of the Supreme Council of Magistrates (CSM), through a 'decision' portraying the work of journalists and civil society as an 'unprecedented attack' on the judiciary. As we stated in an earlier reaction, blacklists, minimized by the president as merely 'a reaction', are incompatible with the rule of law and undermine the essence of democracy. Barring a journalist from press conferences constitutes a direct attack on both press freedom and citizens' right to access information of public interest. It is an explicit violation of Law No. 544/2001 on access to public information (the relevant provisions guaranteeing journalists' access to press conferences are reproduced at the end of this text),' the letter's signatories said.

In their view, President Dan's decision, which they argue effectively legitimizes 'blacklists' of journalists, represents an unprecedented abuse in Romania's post-communist history, made even more serious by the fact that it was committed by the holder of the country's highest office, whose fundamental responsibility is to safeguard compliance with the Constitution and the law.

'The institutional symbolism of this gesture may have extremely dangerous consequences for democracy, as it signals to other state authorities that such measures are acceptable, while potentially intimidating journalists. Holding the highest office in the state should serve as a model of institutional conduct for all other authorities and for society as a whole. The personal preferences, dislikes, moods or resentments of public officials cannot justify the adoption of official decisions,' the source said.

The associations argue that the only legitimate reason for denying a journalist access to a press conference held by a public institution would be inappropriate conduct within premises managed by the public authority, such as disruptive behavior or threats. They maintain that no such circumstances existed in this case.

Article 18(3) of Law 544/2001 states: 'Public authorities may refuse accreditation or withdraw a journalist's accreditation only for actions that impede the normal functioning of the public authority and which do not concern opinions expressed by that journalist in the press, under the conditions and within the limits established by law.'

'The professional activity and editorial work of journalist Ovidiu Vanghele contain no element that would support President Dan's claims. Beyond the fact that such a move is prohibited by law, it would be even more serious if President Nicusor Dan based his abusive decision on Ovidiu Vanghele's personal social media posts. Arbitrariness and abuse of power are defining characteristics of authoritarianism, a danger that has posed an increasingly visible threat to our democracy in recent years. In fact, the current president was elected precisely to counter this threat and protect democratic values,' the associations said.

The signatories also called on the Presidential Administration to confirm that there is no 'blacklist' containing other journalists deemed undesirable by the president and similarly barred from attending his press conferences.

'We call on the Presidential Administration to urgently organize consultations with journalists and their representatives in order to establish an institutional framework for cooperation with the media. Such a meeting would signal that last night's event was an individual error and that the president remains committed to protecting democratic values and respecting the independence of the press,' the letter says. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Eusebi Manolache; EN - writing by: Simona Klodnischi)