Have a personal or library account? Click to login

The Rise of Populism during the Pandemic: The Case of AUR in Romania

Open Access
|May 2025

References

  1. Abi-Hassan, Sahar. 2017. “Populism and Gender.” In The Oxford Handbook of Populism, edited by Cristobal Rovira Kaltwasser, Paul Taggart, Paulina Ochoa Espejo, and Pierre Ostiguy. Oxford University Press.
  2. Ainslie, Jessica. 2019. “Populist Power: Examining the Rise of PiS and Fidesz in Poland and Hungary.” CMC Senior Theses 2193. https://scholarship.claremont.edu/cmc_theses/2193.
  3. Anduiza, Eva, and Raül Tormos. 2022. “Survey Data and Methods for the Study of Political Participation.” In The Oxford Handbook of Political Participation, edited by Marco Giugni and Maria Grasso. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780198861126.001.0001.
  4. Barlai, Melani. 2012. “Jobbik on the Web.” In Proceedings of the 2012 Conference for E-Democracy and Open Government, edited by Petr Parycek and Noella Edelmann, 229-240. Danube University.
  5. Bartlett, Jamie, Jonathan Birdwell, and Mark Littler. 2011. The New Face of Digital Populism. DEMOS. https://tinyurl.com/ywhw5r9r. Accessed November 27, 2024.
  6. BBC.com. 2024. “Far Right in Austria ‘Opens New Era’ with Election Victory.” September 30, 2024. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8rdygy5888o. Accessed October 23, 2024.
  7. Bedock, Camille, and Pavlos Vasilopoulos. 2015. “Economic Hardship and Extreme Voting under Economic Crisis: A Comparison between Italy and Greece.” European Journal of Social Sciences 53 (1): 177-196. https://doi.org/10.4000/ress.2998.
  8. Burean, Toma. 2022. Political Representation in Poland and Hungary. Cluj-Napoca: Cluj University Press.
  9. Bustikova, Lenka. 2018. “The Radical Right in Eastern Europe.” In The Oxford Handbook of the Radical Right, edited by Jens Rydgren. Oxford University Press.
  10. Cepăreanu, Alexandra. 2020. România După 30 de Ani de Economie Capitalistă. https://bit.ly/390JqtH. Accessed September 11, 2021.
  11. Chiru, Mihai, Marina Popescu, and István Gergő Székely. 2020. “Political Opportunity Structures and the Parliamentary Entry of Splinter, Merger, and Genuinely New Parties.” Politics 41 (3): 316-333. https://doi.org/10.1177/0263395720943432.
  12. Cinpoeş, Radu. 2012. The Extreme Right in Romania. International Policy Analysis. https://www.academia.edu/2056110/The_Extreme_Right_in_Contemporary_Romania. Accessed September 13, 2021.
  13. CNN. 2021. “Poland Puts New Restrictions on Abortion into Effect, Resulting in a Near-Total Ban on Terminations.” Accessed September 6, 2021. https://cnn.it/2WYS35a.
  14. Coffe, Hilde, Marta Fraile, Amy Alexander, Jessica Fortin-Rittberger, and Susan Banducci. 2023. “Masculinity, Sexism, and Populist Radical Support.” Frontiers in Political Science 5. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpos.2023.1038659.
  15. Digi24.ro. 2020. “Ce Este, de Unde Vine sşi Ce Vrea AUR, Partidul de Extremă Dreapta Care a Ajuns de la Puţin Peste Zero la Pragul Electoral.” Accessed October 16, 2024. https://tinyurl.com/pjf5b6re.
  16. Digi24.ro. 2021a. “Mii de Oameni au Protestat Sâmbătă împotriva Restricţiilor Anti-Covid în Mai Multe State Europene.” Accessed September 6, 2021. https://www.digi24.ro/stiri/externe/ue/proteste-impotrivarestrictiilor-au-avut-loc-sambata-in-mai-multe-state-europene-1471516.
  17. Dumitru, Mihai. 2022. USR. Partidul Anti-sistem. Tritonic.
  18. Dyson, Kenneth. 1975. “Left-Wing Political Extremism and the Problem of Tolerance.” Government and Opposition 10 (3): 306-331. https://www.jstor.org/stable/44483304. Accessed September 11, 2021.
  19. DW. 2020a. “Thousands Protest as Germany Passes New Virus Law.” Accessed September 6, 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLN0eR3Z-wA.
  20. DW. 2020b. “Spotmedia.ro: AUR, o Formaţiune Creată de Alchimiş ...tii Digitali, a Beneficiat de Resurse la Care Niciun Partid Tradiţional Nu Poate Visa.” Accessed September 10, 2021. https://bit.ly/3jWOk1i.
  21. Economist, The. 2024. “Who Will Control the National Assembly?” The Economist. Accessed October 23, 2024. https://www.economist.com/interactive/france-elections-2024-polls-macron-le-pen.
  22. ElPais. 2018. “RT, Sputnik and the New Russian War.” Accessed September 9, 2021. https://english.elpais.com/elpais/2018/01/02/inenglish/1514887171_124173.html.
  23. Enyedi, Zsolt. 2005. “The Role of Agency in Cleavage Formation.” European Journal of Political Research 44: 669-720.
  24. Enyedi, Zsolt. 2006. “The Survival of the Fittest: Party System Concentration in Hungary.” In Post-Communist EU Member States, edited by Susanne Jungerstam-Mulders. Routledge.
  25. Europa Liberă. 2020. “Surpriza de Sub Ochii Tuturor: Cum a Ajuns AUR în Parlament.” Accessed October 16, 2024. https://tinyurl.com/m3tfsbnu.
  26. Fassoulas, Petros, and Vanessa Cotterell. 2024. Polish Election: Analysing Why PiS Won. Accessed January 27, 2025. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpos.2023.1038659.
  27. Fromm, Erich. 1994. Escape from Freedom. Owl Books.
  28. G4media.ro. 2020. “„Surpriza” AUR: Partidul cu Mesaj Anti-Maghiar, Anti-Occidental, Unionist și Anti-Mască. Cine Sunt Liderii Partidului: George Simion, Claudiu Târziu și Dan Tănasă.” Accessed September 10, 2021. https://bit.ly/3zWoLmu.
  29. ———. 2021. “Apel Lansat de Colegiul Medicilor, După ce Senatoarea Diana Șo șoacă a Făcut Scandal la un Centru dintr-o Localitate Aflată în Scenariul Ro șu, Blocând Procesul de Imunizare a Localnicilor.” Accessed September 9, 2021. https://bit.ly/3BT5q6i.
  30. Gândul.ro. 2021. “Diana Șoșoacă le Cere Românilor să Vină la Protest: „Ie șiți în Stradă și Apăra ți-vă Copiii!” Mesaj Pentru Marcel Ciolacu.” Accessed October 10, 2024. https://tinyurl.com/2s3u62ht.
  31. Gender Equality Index. 2024. Romania. Accessed February 20, 2025. https://eige.europa.eu/gender-equality-index/2024/country/RO.
  32. Grant, Zack P., and James Tilley. 2019. “Fertile Soil: Explaining Variation in the Success of Green Parties.” West European Politics 24 (3): 495–516. https://doi.org/10.1080/01402382.2018.1521673.
  33. Girvin, Brian. 1988. “Introduction: Varieties of Conservatism.” In The Transformation of Contemporary Conservatism, edited by Brian Girvin, 1–12. Sage.
  34. Gubernat, Ruxandra, and Henry P. Rammelt. 2020. “„Vrem o Țară ca Afară”: How Contention in Romania Redefines State-Building Through a Pro-European Discourse.” East European Politics and Societies and Culture 34 (4): 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1177/0888325419897987.
  35. Harteveld, Eelco, Wouter Van Der Brug, Stefan Dahlberg, and Andrej Kokkonen. 2015. “The Gender Gap in Populist Radical-Right Voting: Examining the Demand Side in Western and Eastern Europe.” Patterns of Prejudice 49 (1–2): 103–34.
  36. Horst, Corinna, and Laura Groenendaal. 2025. Manipulating the Voter: How Populists Exploit Gender Roles. German Marshall Fund United States. Accessed January 27, 2025. https://www.gmfus.org/download/article/15559.
  37. Iglesias, Roberto Barbeito, and Ángel Iglesias Alonso. 2021. “Political Emotions and Digital Political Mobilization in the New Populist Parties: The Cases of Podemos and Vox in Spain.” International Review of Sociology 31 (2): 246–67. https://doi.org/10.1080/03906701.2021.1947948.
  38. Ignazi, Piero. 1992. “The Silent Counter-revolution: Hypotheses on the Emergence of Extreme Right-wing Parties in Europe.” European Journal of Political Research 22: 3–34.
  39. Index.hu. 2020. “A Kormány Ellehetetleníti a Nemváltást.” Accessed September 6, 2021. https://bit.ly/3A2ROoJ.
  40. Inglehart, Ronald. 1977. The Silent Revolution: Changing Values and Political Styles Among Western Publics. Princeton University Press.
  41. Inglehart, Ronald, and Scott C. Flanagan. 1987. “Value Change in Industrial Society.” American Political Science Review 81 (4): 1289–1319.
  42. Inglehart, Ronald. 1990. Culture Shift in Advanced Industrial Society. Princeton University Press.
  43. Inglehart, Ronald. 1997. Modernization and Postmodernization. Princeton University Press.
  44. Inglehart, Ronald, and Pippa Norris. 2000. “The Developmental Theory of the Gender Gap: Women’s and Men’s Voting Behavior in Global Perspective.” International Political Science Review 21 (4): 441–63.
  45. Inglehart, Ronald, and Christian Welzel. 2005. Modernization, Cultural Change, and Democracy. Cambridge University Press.
  46. Jakobson, Mari-Liis, Tõnis Saarts, and Leif Kalev. 2021.
  47. “Institutionalization of Transnationalizing Political Parties: The Case of the Conservative People’s Party of Estonia.” Comparative Migration Studies 9 (1): 9–40. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40878-021-00241-5.
  48. Kim, Soon Dae. 2016. “The Rise of European Right Radicalism: The Case of Jobbik.” Communist and Post-Communist Studies 49 (1): 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.postcomstud.2016.08.001.
  49. Kingsley, Patrick. 2018. “How a Liberal Dissident Became a Far-Right Hero, in Hungary and Beyond.” The New York Times. Accessed January 23, 2025. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/06/world/europe/viktororban-hungary-politics.html.
  50. Kitschelt, Herbert, and Anthony J. McGann. 1997. The Radical Right in Western Europe: A Comparative Analysis. University of Michigan Press.
  51. Koenig, Michael. 2012. “The Failure of Neoliberal Transition Policies in Eastern Europe Post-1989.” E-International Relations. Accessed January 23, 2025. https://www.e-ir.info/2012/10/16/the-failure-of-neoliberal-transition-policies-in-eastern-europe-post-1989/#google_vignette.
  52. Krange, Olve, Jorn P. Kaltenborn, and Martin Hultman. 2018. “Cool Dudes in Norway: Climate Change Denial Among Conservative Norwegian Men.” Environmental Sociology 5 (1): 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1080/23251042.2018.1488516.
  53. Kuruc, Juraj. 2023. “Addressing Right-Wing Extremism in Slovakia.” In Mapping Right-Wing Extremism in Central and Eastern Europe. Accessed January 27, 2025. https://tinyurl.com/4p9uzcrb.
  54. Laroze, Denise. 2019. “Party Collapse and New Party Entry.” Party Politics 25 (4): 559–68. https://doi.org/10.1177/1354068817741286.
  55. Lavine, Howard, Milton Lodge, and Kate Freitas. 2005. “Threat, Authoritarianism, and Selective Exposure to Information.” Political Psychology 26 (2): 219–44. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9221.2005.00416.x.
  56. Lazowski, Adam. 2020. “Presidential Elections in Poland.” Accessed July 17, 2020. https://www.ceps.eu/presidential-elections-in-poland/.
  57. Lipset, Seymour Martin, and Stein Rokkan. 1967. “Cleavage Structures, Party Systems and Voter Alignments: An Introduction.” In Party Systems and Voter Alignments: Cross-National Perspectives, edited by S. M. Lipset and S. Rokkan. Free Press.
  58. Magyar, Kornelia. 2013. “Hungarian Eco-politics at a Crossroads: The Challenges Faced by LMP’s Successor Parties.” Accessed August 23, 2021. https://www.boell.de/en/democracy/political-parties-hungary-eco-politics-split-green-party-16858.html.
  59. Mair, Peter. 1998. “The Problem of Party System Change.” In Party System Change: Approaches and Interpretations, edited by Peter Mair. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/0198295499.003.0003.
  60. Mares, Miroslav. 2023. “Mapping Violent Right-Wing Extremist Groups: Who’s Who in the Czech Republic.” In Mapping Violent Right-Wing Extremist Groups in Central and Eastern Europe, edited by Hans-Jakob Schindler and Marcin Zaborowski. GLOBSEC. Accessed October 18, 2024. https://tinyurl.com/mtx3t4r7.
  61. Mediafax.ro. 2019. “Valea Uzului, Locul în Care Românii și Ungurii, Umăr la Umăr, au Dezgropat Conflictul.” Accessed September 8, 2021. https://bit.ly/3jREgq5.
  62. Mediafax.ro. 2021. “Care Este Cea Mai Mare Frică a Românilor în Pandemie?” Accessed September 11, 2021. https://bit.ly/2XhRFPZ.
  63. Minkenberg, Michael. 2017. “The Rise of the Radical Right in Eastern Europe: Between Mainstreaming and Radicalization.” Culture and Society 18 (1): 27–35. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26396049.
  64. Miller, Peter. 2022. “Postmaterialism and Social Movements.” In The Wiley-Blackwell Encyclopedia of Social and Political Movements, edited by D. A. Snow, D. Della Porta, B. Klandermans, and D. McAdam. Wiley-Blackwell. https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470674871.wbespm165.pub2.
  65. Mosca, Lorenzo. 2014. “The Five Star Movement: Exception or Vanguard in Europe.” The International Spectator 49 (1): 36–52. https://doi.org/10.1080/03932729.2013.875821.
  66. Mudde, Cas. 2000. The Ideology of the Extreme Right. Manchester University Press.
  67. Mudde, Cas, and Cristóbal Rovira Kaltwasser. 2017. Populism. Oxford University Press.
  68. Mungiu-Pippidi, Alina. 2015. “Public Integrity and Trust in Europe.” Accessed September 11, 2021. https://bit.ly/3k259If.
  69. Partidulaur.ro. 2021. “Programul Partidului Politic Alianța pentru Unirea Românilor.” Accessed September 11, 2021. https://partidulaur.ro/program/.
  70. Parvu, Luminita. 2020. “Planul PSD de Amânare a Alegerilor Parlamentare.” Hotnews.ro. Accessed September 10, 2021. https://bit.ly/38SbhMO.
  71. Parvu, Luminita. 2023. “George Simion Lansează Polul Suveranist. Cine Face Parte Din El și Ultimele Mutări Negociate De AUR în Parlament.” Accessed January 15, 2025. https://tinyurl.com/y8y9nzxy.
  72. Patoka, Mariia. 2023. “From the struggle against communism to proto-authoritarianism: Hungarian Fidesz party history.” Accessed January 23, 2025. https://svidomi.in.ua/en/page/from-the-struggle-against-communism-to-proto-authoritarianism-hungarian-fidesz-party-history.
  73. Pirro, Andrea. 2015. “The Rise of Jobbik Poses a Credible Threat to Fidesz’s Dominance in Hungary.” LSE European Politics and Policy (EUROPP) Blog, April 17, 2015.
  74. Politico.eu. 2024. “It’s Not Just Boomers, Young People Are Voting Far Right Too.” Accessed October 24, 2024. https://www.politico.eu/article/europe-young-people-right-wing-voters-far-right-politics-eu-elections-parliament/.
  75. Reuters. June 15, 2021. “Anti-Lockdown Protests Boost Germany’s Far-Right, Says Security Agency.” Accessed September 12, 2021. https://reut.rs/3lhamev.
  76. RFI. 2021. “Anti-Vaccination Protesters Rally Throughout France for Eighth Successive Week.” Accessed September 6, 2021. https://www.rfi.fr/en/france/20210904-anti-vaccinationsprotesters-take-to-the-street-for-eighth-consecutive-week.
  77. Rudig, Wolfgang. 2019. “Green Parties and Elections to the European Parliament, 1979-2019.” In Greens for a Better Europe, edited by Liam Ward and James Brady. London: Publishing Partnership. https://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/67106/7/Rudig_2019_Green_parties_and_elections_to_the_European_parliament.pdf.
  78. Sieradzka, Monika. September 27, 2023. “Poland: Taking stock after eight years of PiS government.” Accessed January 27, 2025. https://www.dw.com/en/poland-taking-stock-after-eight-years-of-pis-government/a-66934698.
  79. Szczerbiak, Aleks. 2006. “Power without Love: Patterns of Party Politics in Post-1989 Poland.” In Post-Communist EU Member States, edited by Susanne Jungerstam-Mulders. Routledge.
  80. Szczerbiak, Aleks. 2002. Poles Together: The Emergence and Development of Political Parties in Post-Communist Poland. CEU Press.
  81. Soare, Sorina. 2023. “Romanian Populism and Transnational Political Mobilization.” In The Impacts of the Russian Invasion of Ukraine on Right-Wing Populism in Europe, edited by Gilles Ivaldi and Emilia Zankina. Brussels: European Center for Populism Studies (ECPS). https://doi.org/10.55271/rp0027.
  82. Soare, Sorina, and Claudiu D. Tufis. 2019. “Phoenix Populism: Radical-Right Parties’ Mobilization in Romania after 2015.” Problems of Post-Communism 66, no. 1: 8-20. https://doi.org/10.1080/10758216.2018.1460158.
  83. Spourdalakis, Michalis. 2014. “The Miraculous Rise of the ‘Phenomenon Syriza.’” International Critical Thought 4, no. 3: 354-366. https://doi.org/10.1080/21598282.2014.931022.
  84. Târziu, Claudiu. 2021. “Strângem Rândurile cu Oamenii Politici și Formațiunile Conservatoare, Alături de Care Facem Parte Dintr-un Curent Aflaț în Cre ștere în Europa și în Lume.” Accessed September 10, 2021. https://bit.ly/3yULAG1.
  85. Teleleu.ro. 2021. “De Ce a Votat Diaspora cu AUR.” Accessed September 12, 2021. https://teleleu.eu/de-ce-a-votat-diaspora-cu-aur/.
  86. Tufiș, Claudiu. 2009. “Ata șament față de partidele politice: Stabilitate și schimbare în contextul alegerilor prezidențiale din România.” In Alegerile prezidențiale din România, edited by Mircea Comșa, Andrei Gheorghiță, and Claudiu Tufi ș, 117-146. Cluj-Napoca: Presa Universitară Clujeană. ISBN: 9789735953942.
  87. Varga, Mihai. 2020. “The return of economic nationalism to East Central Europe: Right-wing intellectual milieus and anti-liberal resentment.” Nations and Nationalism 27(1): 206-222. https://doi.org/10.1111/nana.12660.
  88. Watanabe, Kohei. 2018. “Discursive Strategy of Sputnik News: How the Russian News Website Promotes Anti-Establishment Sentiments?” Paper presented at the ECPR General Conference in Hamburg, 2018. Accessed September 9, 2021. https://ecpr.eu/Events/Event/PaperDetails/39429.
  89. Widfeldt, Anders. 2023. “Populism and the Growth of the Radical Right in the Nordic Countries.” The Nordic Lexicon. Accessed October 24, 2024. https://tinyurl.com/5y3msaf3.
  90. Wieringa, Rein, and Maurits J. Meijers. 2022. “New kids on the ballot: The party-level determinants of new party success.” Party Politics 28(1): 137-148. https://doi.org/10.1177/1354068820966573.
  91. Wolebæk, Dag, Audun Fladmow, Kari Steen-Johnsen, and Øyvind Ihlen. 2022. “Right-Wing Ideological Constraint and Vaccine Refusal: The Case of the COVID-19 Vaccine in Norway.” Scandinavian Political Studies 45, no. 2: 253-278. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9477.12224.
  92. Zgut-Przybylska, Edit. 2023. “Extreme Right-wing, paramilitary organizations in Hungary: Live and Let Live.” In Mapping Right-Wing Extremism in Central and Eastern Europe. Accessed January 27, 2025. https://tinyurl.com/4p9uzcrb.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/scr-2024-0004 | Journal eISSN: 2068-8016 | Journal ISSN: 2068-8008
Language: English
Page range: 82 - 123
Published on: May 19, 2025
Published by: Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services
Publication frequency: 2 issues per year

© 2025 Toma Burean, Zoltán Pálfy, published by Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.