Romania’s first revenge on Austria’s veto: Bucharest blocks Vienna’s intention to take over the chairmanship of the OSCE, a key institution for security in Europe

Romania will block Austria’s bid to win the December 2023 chairmanship of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), a key institution in which top posts are filled by consensus of member states, according to G4Media sources. A hint of Romania’s intention was given on Monday by Marcel Ciolacu at a press conference. The OSCE is expected to play a major role in the post-conflict situation in Ukraine.

„If you used an unjustified veto, then don’t expect, for example, when Austria asks to have the chairmanship of the OSCE, that Romania will not use the same veto. But maybe before this parallel is reached, there are diplomatic steps to close these things”, said Marcel Ciolacu in a press conference at PSD headquarters.

According to G4Media information, Austria is already working to gather the necessary support for its representative to the OSCE to become Secretary General of the organisation in 2023.

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The appointment of the new candidate will take place in December 2023, when the three-year term now held by Helga Maria Schmid (Germany), who was appointed to the post in December 2020, expires.

In 2020, Romania supported Cristian Diaconescu, former Minister of Justice, Foreign Affairs and Head of the Presidential Administration in President Traian Basescu’s second term, for the post of OSCE Secretary General, but negotiations between member states led to the appointment of his German counter-candidate. At the time, reports from the diplomatic world indicated that Diaconescu was pushed into the race so that, as a result of the negotiations, Romania would actually block the appointment of a Hungarian candidate as High Commissioner for National Minorities. In the end, the Hungarian candidate missed out.

Unlike other international organisations, the appointment of the Secretary General of the OSCE and other senior officials is a matter of negotiation between member states and consensus is required. Usually the hearing of candidates takes place in Vienna, with the country holding the rotating chairmanship playing the role of facilitator.

The OSCE is an organisation that brings together 57 countries and manages security situations. Its representatives play a key role in conflicts such as the frozen conflicts in Transnistria and the Caucasus.

Traducere (Ovidiu Harfas)