Washington has postponed Romania’s entry into the Visa Waiver Programme (VWP), citing an ongoing review of security requirements, in a move widely interpreted as political retaliation after Bucharest barred a presidential candidate from elections, according to bne IntelliNews.
The US Department of Homeland Security announced the deferral on 26 March—just days before the program’s scheduled 1 April launch—without specifying a timeline. The decision follows Romania’s Constitutional Court canceling its 2024 presidential vote over disqualifying frontrunner Călin Georgescu.
Romanian authorities annulled the election after uncovering evidence of electoral manipulation, later barring Georgescu from the rescheduled May vote. His ally, politician George Simion, remains on the ballot but lacks comparable support.
The court’s actions drew sharp criticism from US Vice President JD Vance, who denounced the annulment as politically motivated during a February speech in Munic, a message later amplified by the US embassy in Bucharest.
While Romanian PM Marcel Ciolacu insisted the VWP delay was unrelated to the election controversy, he acknowledged working to address US concerns. The deferral mirrors Romania’s prolonged exclusion from Schengen despite meeting technical criteria.
Analysts suggest the delay may persist until after Romania’s May election, testing relations with a NATO ally amid growing US-EU friction over democratic norms.
