DOI: 10.1017/s2047884426100093 ISSN: 2047-8844
Romania: Political developments and data in 2025 austerity, political bickering, and polarization
Lavinia Stan, Razvan ZahariaAbstract
The Constitutional Court’s decision to invalidate the presidential round of elections, organized in December 2024, deeply divided Romanian society and led to the country being downgraded to the status of a hybrid regime characterized by high volatility, high polarization, and the rise of far-right parties. Nicușor-Daniel Dan, the pro-European Mayor of Bucharest, won the presidential elections of May 2025, while the cabinet of Ilie-Gavril Bolojan adopted policies to avoid economic collapse in the summer. However, the structural problems that led to the rise of far-right parties remain unaddressed, whereas the economic austerity measures and the continued hold on power of corrupt politicians could lead to more public dissatisfaction.