FSP - Political Ideologies
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Item European Populism and the War in Ukraine: Populist Narratives in Support of Vladimir Putin(Faculty of Political Sciences of the National University of Political Studies and Public Administration in Bucharest, 2023) Bujdei-Tebeică, VladEuropean illiberal populists have not been very shy about their association with the RussianFederation’s Vladimir Putin. Many of them have even hailed the Russian President as a stalwart exam-ple against the liberal democratic institutions that define the European Union. However, it’s been almosttwo years since Russia invaded Ukraine and some of Putin’s previous supporters in Europe have dialledback their stance on Putin. This article seeks to create an overview of populist narratives in EuropeanUnion member states regarding Russia’s war in Ukraine, in order to assesswhether European illiberal discourses fluctuate according to external events.The analysis covers 8 European Union member states: France, Germany,Italy, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria. The periodof analysis covers the full year since the Russian invasion in Ukraine inFebruary 2022, up until February 2023, and is contrasted to statements andpositions held prior to February 2022. The analy-sis will be based on public statements made by keypopulist actors and parties from the 8 memberstates. The working hypothesis is that the pop-ulists’ support and admiration for Vladimir Putinvaries across the 8 countries. In some, support hasbeen diluted after the start of the invasion due topre-existing anti-communist sentiment, while inothers it hasn’t seen a significant drop.Item The Impact of Deep Fakes in the Age of Populism and Post-Democracy(Editura Universitaria Craiova, 2024) Gabor, Eugen; Oancea, Marian; Pripp, VladimirIn 2024, almost half of the world’s population participated in electoral processes or is due to vote. The United States of America (USA), the European Union (EU), or India are among the democratic entities which organize elections in 2024. Citizens from autocracies like the Russian Federation are also summoned to express their options at the polls, although in their cases the proceedings are obviously flawed. Disinformation can manipulate outcomes both in liberal democracies and in hybrid regimes. In this context, our endeavor tries to analyze the impact of deep fakes on elections, in particular, and on political phenomena in general. A new remarkable tool, created with the help of Artificial Intelligence (AI), is weaponized by various politicians. Thus, an already worrying process of democratic backsliding seems to be accelerating. Both populist and non-populist politicians are using deep fakes in order to create unfair competitive advantages. Through several case studies, we describe and explain the influence of deep fakes on political developments. We highlight that populist groups can benefit from the politic al instrumentalization of deep fakes. Nevertheless, AI’s dark side offers opportunities for politicians that are outside of the populist sphere too. Overall, the phenomenon described by Colin Crouch as post-democracy seems to be enhanced by the evolutions we describe. Reversing this trend would require both regulations from the authorities and a reconstruction of the public’s trust in political mechanisms.Item How Civil Societies Are Undermined: An Analysis of Factors That Endanger Civic Freedoms(UJ MANDATUM KONYVKIADO, 2024) Gabor, EugenSeveral studies highlight the fact that the first decades of the 21st century are characterized by a resurgence of authoritarianism, which contradicts the optimistic visions of the 1990s regarding the so-called end of history. For instance, Freedom House argues, presenting relevant data, that since 2006, a process of democratic backsliding has been in place worldwide. Not only developing countries or regions are affected but also countries in Europe and Northern America, where democracy once seemed inexpugnable. This illiberal wave thrives on the weaknesses of civil societies and has the effect of further reducing the dimensions of the civic space. Although those who promote open societies are on the defensive, their cause is far from being an obsolete remnant of the second half of the 20th century. However, their endeavors can be ineffective if the causes of the antidemocratic forces’ success are not properly acknowledged. The main goal of this paper is to contribute to a better understanding of the factors that are vital for building or strengthening closed societies. To shape relevant conclusions, we analyze information from projects like People Power under Attack, realized by the CIVICUS global civil society network or V-Dem (The Varieties of Democracy), managed by an institute affiliated with the University of Gothenburg (Sweden). We focus especially on countries that experienced sharp transformations regarding the state of their civil societies in the last 3–5 years. Our findings underline, among others, the importance of the electoral process and foreign policy influencing the evolution of the civic space. Cases like the Czech Republic suggest that the decline of civil society can be stopped at the polls. The Russian Federation is an example of a successful suspension of civic freedoms under the pretext of protecting the population from toxic foreign interference.Item THE CONTEMPORARY EUROPEAN SOCIAL DEMOCRACY: DOWNFALL AND RESILIENCE AS REFLECTED BY THE ROMANIAN (PSD) AND DUTCH (PVDA) CENTER-LEFT(UJ MANDATUM KONYVKIADO, 2023) Gabor, EugenAfter 2010, the European Socialist political family experienced a profound crisis that also had a notable impact on civil societies. Voices from the academic field argued that the response of the Social Democratic cabinets to the economic downturn of that period was the main reason behind the downfall. However, its roots run deeper in recent history. Some parties crossed this turmoil unscathed, and others rebounded quickly, proving their resilience. What are the main causes of this decline? Why were some parties able to move beyond it while others never recovered? The present paper tries to shape some answers to these questions by focusing on the evolution in the last 10 years of two members of the Party of European Socialists (PES): the Romanian Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the Dutch Labour Party (PvdA). Our conclusions emphasize the main factors that are relevant to our topic, highlighting that ideology still influences contemporary political fields and civil societies.Item The Missing Issue in the Romanian Security Policy. Discourses and Practices of Environmental Policy(Faculty of Political Sciences of the National University of Political Studies and Public Administration in Bucharest, 2024) Cucută, Radu-Alexandru; Stănciugelu, Ștefan; Ungureanu, Radu-SebastianThe paper proposes an analysis of Romania’s security policy from the perspective of the relation between the different Romanian authorities in the specific field of environmental policy. The paper tries to offer an explanation for the reaction of the Romanian authorities to Ukraine’s decision to dredge and deepen the Bystroye Canal, a naviga tion route through the Danube Delta, partially on the border between Romania and Ukraine, which connects the Danube and the Black Sea. The response of the Romanian state is considered a suboptimal consequence of the interaction between two different sets of logics: the tension between a conventional state-centred view on security and the imperatives of environmental protection, on the one hand, and the difficult cooperation between the Political and the Institutional Power on the other hand. The authors resort to two types of content analysis, a qualitative one of the defence and military strategies of Romania and a quantitative one of the Romanian public authorities’ communication, based on results generated by the ZeList Monitor software. The paper thus highlights the extent to which the results of public policies are significantly influenced by the interaction of distinct views on politics and international relations.Item COMING TO TERMS WITH THE COLONIAL LEGACY? IMPERIAL MORES AND ENDURING CLASSISM IN THE UNITED KINGDOM(2023) Palade, BrîndușaThe death of Queen Elizabeth II on September 8, 2022 has rekindled across the world the debate about the legacy of the British Empire, given the historical ties between the British monarch and the imperial order. Although Elizabeth II’s personal legacy has often been romanticized, she has also played an institutional role at the end of the British Empire. In colonial countries that wanted to gain their independence, the final years of the Empire were a period of authoritarian rule, abuses and violence. This brutal legacy is by no means consistent with Elizabeth II’s portrayal as a genteel champion of peaceful decolonization. Today, inquiries into past colonial injustices seem more necessary than ever, especially given the imperial amnesia that is so widespread in the UK. The oblivion coexists with a selective nostalgia for the imperial rule that has recently inflated, as well as with an upper-class paternalism preserved since imperial times.Item Totem and Taboo: Religious Features of the British Public Support for Monarchy(Faculty of Political Sciences of the National University of Political Studies and Public Administration in Bucharest, 2024) Palade, BrîndușaAs Christopher Hitchens remarked in his book about the British monarchy, the cult of theWindsor family, with its periodic rituals and the fetishizing of the most senior royals resembles a secularreligion. The British monarchy is surrounded by secrecy, as many actions of the sovereign and seniorroyals, including those having a public or political impact are not transparent, nor are most recordsfrom the royal archives available to the public or to historians. This paper will first examine the reli-gious features of the public support for the British monarchy. Then, it will ad-vance a hypothetical explanation of the enduring nature of this institutionthrough its mysterious/religious nature. It will also consider the fact that inrecent decades the image of the Windsor family has been harmed by numerousscandals related to adultery, divorce, sexual abuseand even racism. Notwithstanding this ignomin-ious behavior, the royal mystique has been pre-served with the aid of a press that seems profitablyinterested in rousing public devotion to themonarch and in demonizing scapegoats. The pro-establishment media, including the tabloids thatcombine the sacred with the profane, is thus simi-lar to a secular clergy. Republican dissenters whoadvocate the abolition of monarchy play the roleof heretics. They are often persecuted, arrestedand derided. There is also the “religiously indif-ferent” population that is uninterested in the Royal Family. British “public re-ligion” is thus a peculiar kind of pre-modern cult that strangely survived theEnlightenment and the challenges of liberal democracy. Such values are pro-moted within civil society especially by the British pressure group Republic,whose campaign for changing the form of government has gained more visi-bility and support in recent years.Item Bridging the Divide Between Structural and Actor-Oriented Explanations of Populism: A Research Agenda for the Study of Populist Euroscepticism Through a Territorial Perspective(SAGE Publications, 2024) Dunin-Wąsowicz, Roch; Crăciun, Claudiu; Olivas Osuna, José Javier; Rammelt, Henry P.This article explores the intersection of structural and actor-oriented explanations of populism through a territorial perspective, focusing on populist Euroscepticism. It builds on findings from the ‘Local Mobilisation Against the EU. Territorial Dimensions of Populist Euroscepticism’ (EULOC) project, which examined local drivers and manifestations of populism and Euroscepticism across Europe. The article highlights the importance of analysing both the supply and demand sides of populist Euroscepticism, emphasising the role of geographic inequalities, local socio-economic trajectories and collective identities. By integrating national, regional and local case studies, the article aims to bridge the divide between structural and actor-oriented approaches, offering a more comprehensive understanding of populist Euroscepticism. This approach seeks to prevent reductionist arguments and contributes to broader discussions on political participation, representation and the dynamics of populist movements in Europe. The article underscores the need for nuanced, multi-layered research that considers the unique socio-political dynamics of different regions and the impact of local contexts on the development of Eurosceptic sentiments.Item THE CRISIS OF LIBERAL DEMOCRACY BETWEEN POPULISM AND TECHNOCRACY(UJ MANDATUM KONYVKIADO, 2022-08-26) Țăranu, Andrei; Pîrvulescu, Cristian"As the latest studies of Freedom House or the American Enterprise Institute show, but also many other researches, the global social phenomenon at large seems to be the crisis of liberal democracy and its underlying principles and values. Thus, the concept of ""political crisis"" has become extremely popular, used by both the media and political analysis in general. Our article is proposed to question the concept of ""political crisis"" in relation to the institutional crisis and the crisis of representation of political parties. There is an increasing number of cases of states considered consolidated democracies or flawed democracies in which the normal election cycles are completely upset due to the inability ID structure governmental majorities (Israel, Italy, Spain) or where legislative changes cause major institutional blockages (Romania, France, USA), degenerating into social deavages near the limit of violence. Therefore, there are more and more voices who believe that democracy has been replaced by post-democracy and that the liberal principles of the state are being replaced by illiberal and populist principles. Therefore our research question would be: are the changes of political paradigm the effect or cause of the political crisis of democracy or on the contrary, we are witnessing only a change of political tendency within democracy? Our analysis is based on the comparative perspective between states and regimes considered liberal democracies and flawed democracies. But in contrast to previous analyzes based more on quantitative studies, we want to use qualitative analyzes starting with some variables: the rule of law, accountability and responsiveness - as qualitative principles, as well as access to rights and freedoms - as quantitative principles. The fact that states such as USA, Hungary or Turkey limit citizen rights and freedoms, considered a decade ago as fundamental to the definition of democracy, can be empirically questioned in the analysis of the crisis of democracy."Item What about populism? : is the populism a “thin” ideology or a neutral political instrument?(Filodirito, 2018) Pirvulescu, CristianIn the last years, the populism has become a very popular concept. So, popular that it becomes difficult to explain. Sometimes populism is used to describe radically different speeches. In Europe, the politicians from all the parties had adopted populist tactics by branding their opponents as tools of the “establishment”. In the Central and Eastern Europe, the populism was adapted at the historical traditions of each society and made a natural junction with iliberalismul that now gives an ideological universal sense. This is the reason because it was quite natural that populism from Eastern Europe takes an illiberal turn and no an openly fascist orientation.Item “They all are the red plague” : anti-communism and the Romanian radical right populists(Routledge, 2023) Popescu, Liliana; Vesalon, LucianThis paper examines how a radical right populist party uses anti-communism to produce an anti-establishment discourse and consolidate ultra-conservative political values. At the end of 2020 The Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR) entered the Romanian Parliament, taking many by surprise. We indicate how they have capitalised not only on the “normalisation” of radical right themes, but also on pre-existing anti-communist discourses. After demonstrating how anti-communism has structured the post-socialist Romanian politics, we reveal how it was used as an identifier of the political establishment and how AUR operated a gradual replacement of “communism” with “neo-Marxism” in their discourseItem Paradoxul votului popular american din 2016 : eșecul noii „democrații epistocratice”?(SNSPA, 2016) Palade, BrîndușaThis paper argues for the formation, during the U.S. presidential elections in 2016, of a hybrid „epistocratic democracy” sustained by politically competent elites who defend the interests of the most disadvantaged groups. The winning of the popular vote by the Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton supports the hypothesis that if the populist and illiberal political rhetoric gained electoral support and led to Donald Trump’s election, this process has triggered, at the same time, the reactive emergence of an „epistocratic democracy” which gets stronger through the democratic protests against Trump’s policies and their racist undertones.Item Politicization of climate change and Central and Eastern European countries’ stance towards the European Green Deal(Elsevier, 2024) Witajewska-Baltvilka, Baiba; Helepciuc, Florentina Elena; Mangalagiu, Diana; Todor, ArpadThis paper investigates the factors that led to the national adoption of the European Green Deal (EGD) in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and shows how politicization affects national governments’ positions and commitments. Using a comparative analysis of Hungary, Poland, and Romania, our study shows that while issues of public opinion ideological leaning, fossil fuel dependency, economic context, and parties’ ideological leaning all contribute to the national position on the EGD, the influence of these factors is mediated and shaped by the politicization of climate change issues. Our analysis unveils the process and actors of climate change politicization and shows the non-linearity of this process. This study sheds light on the highly intricated mechanisms between climate change and climate change action at the national level and underlines the importance of understanding the political mechanisms through which international regulation can be operationalized through national-level policies and strategies.Item Liberalismul(Polirom, 2012) Molocea, Andreea; Dobrei, NicolaeItem Fundamentalismul religios(Polirom, 2012) Dobrei, Nicolae