Referendums in Romania: a route to political capital

The document analyzes the use of referendums in Romania, specifically focusing on the 2018 constitutional referendum on the definition of family. It argues that such plebiscites are often used by political parties to increase popularity rather than as genuine tools for direct democracy. The 2018 referendum, which failed to meet the 30 per cent quorum with only 21 per cent participation, is cited as a catalyst for the far-right Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), which entered parliament in 2020 with 9 per cent of the vote. The author notes that the referendum's cost of 40 million euros and its timing were seen as attempts to deflect from corruption scandals and urgent social issues like poverty and healthcare.

• Referendums in Romania are frequently used by political actors as strategic tools to enhance their own legitimacy and popularity rather than serving as instruments of direct democracy.
• The 2018 constitutional referendum to redefine family as a union between a man and a woman failed because it did not reach the required 30 per cent quorum, achieving only 21 per cent voter participation.
• The 2018 referendum cost 40 million euros and was viewed by critics as a government tactic to distract the public from corruption-related turmoil and pressing issues such as poverty, infrastructure, and healthcare.
• The rhetoric and visibility generated by the 2018 anti-same-sex-marriage campaign facilitated the emergence of the right-wing nationalist party Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), which won 9 per cent of the vote in the 2020 elections.

APA

Besliu, R. (2021). Referendums in Romania: a route to political capital. Green European Journal. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/referendums-in-romania-a-route-to-political-capital/

Chicago

Besliu, Raluca. Referendums in Romania: a route to political capital. Green European Journal, 2021. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/referendums-in-romania-a-route-to-political-capital/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Besliu |first1=Raluca |title=Referendums in Romania: a route to political capital |publisher=Green European Journal |date=26 May 2021 |url=https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/referendums-in-romania-a-route-to-political-capital/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{besliu2021referendums, author = {Besliu, Raluca}, title = {{Referendums in Romania: a route to political capital}}, institution = {Green European Journal}, year = {2021}, month = may, url = {https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/referendums-in-romania-a-route-to-political-capital/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }