ABSTRACT
This chapter strives to critically discuss the role that NGOs1 played in the democratization process of the Romanian society after the changes from 1990. In the transition process from a dictatorial system to a democratic one, NGOs functioning is absolutely necessary. There is a variety of ways in which the civil society can contribute to the democratization of a country. To some, the very proliferation of civil society organizations – no matter what their type, agenda, or influence-builds the infrastructure of democracy, because according to the supporters of this view an active associational life is a precursor of democracy. The right to free elections, the freedom of speech, and citizens’ participation to governance (including free access to public interest information) represent only few aspects whose evolution is worth studying in this paper.
