The global polycrisis and the Romanian elections of 2024

Abstract

This article serves as an introduction to the Forum on the recent Romanian elections, outlining several perspectives and themes which are then explored in the following contributions. It begins with an overview of the immediate political context and main political actors, which it then situates within the broader social dynamics and class compositions that have evolved in Romania over the past decades. The paper then examines several crucial yet often overlooked factors that shaped the elections: the rising influence of right-wing movements, the social and political configuration of local civil society, the expanding self-help and spirituality sector, and the disruptive role of digital platform-driven “loony” politics. It concludes by addressing the legal conundrums surrounding these events, particularly the Constitutional Court’s unprecedented decision to annul the first round of the presidential elections.