Post-pandemic Quality and Performance of the Romanian Consular Services

One of the effects of the health crises caused by the emergence of the Covid-19 virus is that is has transformed the way people relate and solve their current problems. And in this context the online environment has gained a huge ground. But the field of Romanian consular activity is late at adopting these online activities as the Romanian legislation ask for in-person presence to process services such as renewal of passports, request or to sign a notarial power of attorney, etc. A system called SIMISC offers, from 2016, the possibility to obtain free appointments and to benefit from a fast service. Certain laws have been established in this regard, but, in the absence of a European coherence and in the absence of a unique instrument to check the electronic signature, this electronic communication cannot improve the quality and the performance of the consular services. Whether an exclusive electronic communication could be a coherent strategy for foreign affairs management is a question that has its merits, knowing the risks of misunderstandings and of fake news on social networks. The article argues that this communication channel should be defined as a formal post-pandemic condition, but in order to be performant and to contribute to the quality of consular services it needs to be detailed and regulated as to guarantee trust and the respect of the true information.