Civic disenchantment and political distress: the case of the Romanian Autumn

Mărgărit, Diana

doi:10.1080/21599165.2015.1129945

Cited by 15 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…Additionally, the perceived transfer of political power from national parliaments to supranational bodies has reinforced a feeling of loss of control (Mény and Surel, ). Within this environment of disillusionment, challenges to the state are increasingly frequent and visible (see Musić, ; Mărgărit, ). Appeals to nativism can provide a form of security in this context, as these appeals seem to strengthen the nation in the face of threats (Mudde, ).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The former regimes had ensured a degree of certainty for the majority of the population, which was rapidly lost during the post‐communist transition period (Elster et al ., ). Continued political contention and change have challenged incumbent regimes and forced resignations in some countries, through the Colour Revolutions and, less spectacularly, following protests in Bulgaria and Romania (Bunce and Wolchik, ; Koycheva, ; Mărgărit, ). Radical right groups have emerged in this space, playing on themes of nationalism and ethnic purity (Mudde, ; Fox and Vermeersch, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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‘Get out of Traian Square!’: Roma Stigmatization as a Mobilizing Tool for the Far Right in Timişoara, Romania

Creţan¹,

O’Brien²

2019

Int J Urban Regional Res

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Post‐communist Central and Eastern Europe has seen far right movements and parties gain considerable ground by drawing on nativist and ethnic claims to call for a return to an imagined past. In Romania, far right groups have been able to capitalize on a sense of injustice while also playing on historically negative feelings towards the Roma community. These patterns have been observed in Timişoara, where the group Noua Dreaptă (New Right) has established a foothold over the past decade by emphasizing claims that blame the Roma for loss of built heritage and corruption in the administration of property restitution. The aims of this article are to examine the emergence of Noua Dreaptă and its use of Roma stigmatization, and to consider the ways in which extreme views are normalized by appealing to beliefs and perceptions. The findings of the article show that pre‐existing prejudices can be a powerful force that not only targets marginalized communities, but also challenges administrative practices and builds organizational support. At the level of the city, it is possible to identify the way in which these claims can be more precisely calibrated to draw on concerns that circulate within the community.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘Get out of Traian Square!’: Roma Stigmatization as a Mobilizing Tool for the Far Right in Timişoara, Romania

Creţan¹,

O’Brien²

2019

Int J Urban Regional Res

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“…Topics covered included protest targets, connections with protestors in other countries, availability of non-contentious channels, the role of the EU, and previous protest experience. Vesalon and Creţan, 2013; Creţan, 2015), education (Burean and Badescu, 2014), labour (Varga and Freyberg-Inan, 2015) and austerity (Margarit, 2016). Restrictions on civil society were extensive under the Ceauşescu regime and were slow to loosen subsequently (O'Brien, 2009;Verdery, 1996;Voiculescu and Jucu, 2016).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…[demanding] a cleaner environment, others requested more democracy and yet others targeted narrower topics such as animal protection, lowering the price of petrol or taxing pensions.' (Burean and Badescu, 2014: 387; see also Margarit, 2016). The shift in form and focus of protest points to changes in the political opportunity structure, as the regime and society consolidated, leading to increased expectations of the state.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of identity in the 2015 Romanian shepherd protests

O’Brien

Creţan

2018

Identities

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Shepherds have a special place in the history and culture of Romania. For centuries they have had rights to graze their sheep in public pastures and manage them using traditional methods. Recent changes at the national and European level have presented a threat to this way of life and provoked protest gatherings in Bucharest. The most recent of these saw 3000 shepherds gather in December 2015 and charge the parliament buildings, leading to a stand-off with riot police, over plans to limit sheepdog numbers and restrict winter grazing rights. This paper examines the nature of the perceived challenges to the shepherd's way of life and how they have responded. The aims of the paper are to (1) place the shepherd protests in the context of post-communist mobilisations in Romania, and (2) consider the ways in which competing cultural and environmental claims are presented and managed in the valuing of the shepherd identity that remains rooted in traditional rural practices.

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“…Their method is event analysis based on systematic data collection from newspaper sources, often used by the scholars working within the SPOT paradigm. Other scholars of contention and democratisation studied the role of "corrective" bottom-up protests in Bulgaria (Ganev 2014), Romania (Margarit 2016) or, comparatively, in Bulgaria, Hungary, and Romania (Margarit 2015, see also Szabó 1996. 1997-2000, the first Putin term, 2000-2004, and the second Putin term, 2005.…”

Section: Comparative Politics: Regimes Institutions and Contentionmentioning

confidence: 99%