Les référendums en Roumanie : une voie vers le capital politique

The article analyzes the use of referendums in Romania, specifically the 2018 constitutional referendum on the definition of family and a 2019 consultative referendum on anti-corruption. It argues that these tools of direct democracy have been used by political actors to increase popularity and legitimacy. The 2018 referendum, which failed to reach a 30% quorum with only 21% participation, is highlighted as a mechanism that gave visibility to far-right organizations. This rhetoric contributed to the 2019 formation of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), which subsequently won 9% of the vote in the 2020 elections and entered Parliament as the fourth largest group.

• Referendums in Romania have been used by political actors as strategic tools to increase their own legitimacy and popularity rather than as genuine instruments of direct democracy.
• The 2018 constitutional referendum aimed to redefine marriage as the union between a man and a woman, but it was declared invalid because only 21% of voters participated, failing to meet the required 30% quorum.
• The 2018 referendum cost 40 million euros and was perceived by the opposition as a waste of funds and a government attempt to distract the public from corruption scandals and protests regarding the penal code.
• The 2018 referendum provided a platform for far-right rhetoric and organizations, facilitating the creation of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) in 2019, which won 9% of the vote in the 2020 elections.

APA

Besliu, R. (2021). Les référendums en Roumanie : une voie vers le capital politique. Green European Journal. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/referendums-en-roumanie%e2%80%af-une-voie-vers-le-capital-politique/

Chicago

Besliu, Raluca. Les référendums en Roumanie : une voie vers le capital politique. Green European Journal, 2021. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/referendums-en-roumanie%e2%80%af-une-voie-vers-le-capital-politique/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Besliu |first1=Raluca |title=Les référendums en Roumanie : une voie vers le capital politique |publisher=Green European Journal |date=26 November 2021 |url=https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/referendums-en-roumanie%e2%80%af-une-voie-vers-le-capital-politique/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{besliu2021les, author = {Besliu, Raluca}, title = {{Les référendums en Roumanie : une voie vers le capital politique}}, institution = {Green European Journal}, year = {2021}, month = nov, url = {https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/referendums-en-roumanie%e2%80%af-une-voie-vers-le-capital-politique/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }