A recent poll shows a wide support for Romania's belonging to the EU and NATO. However, the data also indicate the reconsibility of political parties, reflecting that the west direction of the state is not without threats, the narratives of the political leaders playing an important role in the electorate option.
Some politicians respond to conspiracy theories photo Inquam Photos / Octav Ganea
The data of a recent survey conducted by the insc, at the command of the think-touch politthink, shows a support for Romania's belonging to international organizations. Among other things, 38.1% of Romanians believe that Romania's belonging to the European Union limits the national independence too much, while 52.4% are of the opposite opinion.
EU membership, dependent on the narratives of political leaders
Although the latest data also indicates a declining difference of almost 10 percent from December 2024 (88.1% vs. 78.9%), sociologist Remus Stefureac emphasizes that “The overwhelming majority of the population supports the orientation of Romania to the west (EU, USA, NATO), which reflects a stable anchorage in the Euro -Atlantic space, perceived as a guarantor of national security and prosperity.”
The sociologist emphasizes, at the same time, that “The critical attitude regarding the relationship between EU belonging and the defense of national interests reflects the emergence of a dual political culture, in which integration and sovereignty are perceived simultaneously as needs and sources of tension”.
We can say that this percentage of supporters sees the EU as a power multiplier for Romania, says Carmen Mitrea, Coordinator Polithink. “But almost four out of ten Romanians (38.1%) feel the opposite, perceiving the Union as a constraint factor. This proportion is high enough to generate political resistance to any initiative “imposed in Brussels”, any reform labeled thus starts with a reputational handicap. “
According to her, the conclusion of the data emphasizes that “The EU belonging has legitimacy, but it is not an immutable given. It depends on how the political leaders manage to convey that the pro-European direction of Romania does not cancel, but amplifies our independence. In the absence of such narrative, Romania remains vulnerable to geopolitical shocks and to the exploitation of the EU and to the EU and to the EU cage ”.
PSD and gold, the parties that propagate conspiracy messages
I believe that Romania's belonging to the European Union limits the national independence, especially the PSD and gold voters, parties whose representatives propagate consumerist messages and racist tint in Parliament. Only in the last days, a gold senator has made several conspiracy statements and with racist temptation right from the Parliament. Andrei Dîrlău accuses the European Union of encouraging “Immigration and racial merit“To produce”an ethnically forced mixture“His plenary message comes from the exhortation made by a party colleague for people to boycott migrant supplies.
The statements in the Romanian Legislature complement those launched by members of the “sovereign” parties in the European Parliament, where deputies of gold have submitted a censorship motion against the head of the European Commission, Ursula von Der Leyen, whom he accuses of the faulty spending of EU money and “mixture” in the Romanian elections. The head of the commission is often the target of such accusations launched by MEP Diana Şoșoacă.
Among those who respond to the conspiracy themes in recent days, he was even the former Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, who noted in an interview with Romania TV a possible “Hidden interest” of the Government on the current economic situation from an economic point of view: “If they somehow presented this apocalypse to be a reason and we begin to lower the revenues, if these things are made to sell Hidroelectrica, Nuclearelectrica, CEC, Constanta Port, my opinion is that the PSD has nothing to look for in this coalition.”.
Why do I use negative messages parties
“Leaves room for more theories of conspiracy” – Radu Delicote, expert in public communication
“The fact that we have today in the Parliament or the fact that we have today among the officials who represent political opinion leaders, people who go out with messages, who inspire fear, panic or who go on this purely emotional side, especially at a time when trust in the state institutions is very low, in which the level of conflict is very high.
There are simply deputies and senators who go out to the Parliament's stands, who post on Facebook or who make statements in the press, without any consequences. I can say practically anything. From the conspiracy theory that there is gold at the bottom of Lake Vidraru, until tomorrow in the morning we will sell CEC, Hidroelectrica and Nuclearelectrica as if there are empty beer doses from the corner store. These things only plant an even greater fear, an even greater panic, and obviously leaves room for more theories of conspiracy inside the target audiences ”, points out the public communication expert Radu Delotte for “Adevărul”.
The interest is different depending on the party, but such messages from political leaders are rather skidding, stresses the communication expert. Skids through which politicians who use them win when “The state institutions fail to communicate coherently with its citizens ”.
“In today's context, in which we see what happens at the governmental level and at the level of Parliament, that is, this sad tennis match, which we see including between the palaces, in fact, the opposition increases a lot on the background of dissatisfaction and frustration at the society level. (…) The PSD tests the waters now. It migrates, some even naturally, to gold, and then, through such messages, be they and skids, try to test the waters, to see if they manage to regain these people back ”, Radu Delotte also points out.
“The emotional will always be a king in social media and in the media” – Radu Delotote, expert in public communication
Regarding the measures that the state institutions can take to counteract the attacks on the confidence of citizens in the European Union or NATO, the expert first of all points out that at least parliamentarians should be sanctioned in such situations. “It is very serious and should be sanctioned by a Parliament Code of Condition, which exists today, but which is not put into practice or is too little in practice regarding these types of messages ”explains Radu Delotote.
Also, the state institutions should ensure a much more intense communication regarding the effects of belonging to the European Union, the expert in public communication shows. But not anyway, because such negative messages of the politicians have a stronger impact due to the emotions they access: “As much as you try to communicate or to fight or rationally explain certain facts, the emotional will always be king in social media and in the media. And then you have to be, as a state actor, say, as emotionally in communication ”.
