Online ISSN 2286-0266
Print ISSN 1223-0685
© 2026 Œconomica by ASE & SOREC
 
Loredana COSTINA
Academia de Studii Economice din Bucureşti
Democracy is not just a set of institutions placed side by side or a procedure that is repeated every four years. At its core, it lives from the freedom of each person and from the conviction that all citizens have the same right to count in public life. And this “life” does not move on its own. It needs people to understand it, to maintain it, and to get involved in it, not just formally, but as something that directly concerns them. A democracy truly begins to function when people do not end their role after voting. Elections are essential, but they are not everything. Without a civil society present to ask questions, notice what is not working, come up with ideas, and raise a signal when things are getting out of hand, democracy can become a nicely placed label on a system that, in reality, is emptying itself of content. In this logic, NGOs are not just secondary “actors”, but a supporting element without which the public space becomes rigid. But for them to function well, they must be allowed to function well. The article starts precisely from the question of why, in practice, many organizations fail to achieve their goals. And one of the important explanations is related to the way the legislative framework is constructed: with unclear areas, with rules that are not connected to each other, or with procedures that, instead of helping, confuse. Starting from here, the text analyses these shortcomings and their effects on the daily lives of non-governmental organizations.

ŒCONOMICA no. 2/2025
Keywords: NGOs, legislative framework, civil society, performance, functional democracy
JEL: D71, H11, K40, L31, Z18
Legal Causes of Non-Governmental Organizations’ Lack of Performance [Cauzele juridice ale neperformanţei organizaţiilor neguvernamentale]