CEU eTD Collection

T HE HE REASSIMILATION IN TH IN REASSIMILATION In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master ofArts F R ROM AN APPARENT CRIT ANAPPARENT ROM OMANIAN OMANIAN Professors Lea Sgier and Department of Political Science Central European University A Alexandru Dumitrașcu NTI Submitted Supervisors: -S YSTEMIC YSTEMIC E OLD POLITICAL SYSTEM By

to ICAL POSITION TO TO ICAL POSITION

Kalb Don 2012-2014

C YCLE

:

CEU eTD Collection variantpostsocialist arguing ofamount to neoliberala rationality has that carved been out. discuss system political old then to face and dissolution.In conflict internal t movement that seemed startas to out anti - environmental scene. development Analysing its from the 2012anti IIn paper this of birth the Romanian new at look the society civil focusing onthe Bucharest Abstr

what the ‘legacy of postsociali the ‘legacy and what develop act

Roșia Montană Roșia

anti goldI mining protests try see to was how it pos systemic to be reincorporated by factions of the the the of reincorporated byfactions be to systemic i

sm’ and ‘anti - austerity the to protest 2013 - communist discourse’ communist he process I critically I process critically he sible for a for sible

CEU eTD Collection thankI themtoo. Imust and be not allmyhere friends would today so Borbathfor and Tudorache valuable their Cristian help and my comments. Without family, critical paperI comments this be wouldnot indebted thefeel Elena same. to Chiorean, Endre their help and Don Kalb.Lea andWithout I my Sgier thank supervisors, all First must of Aknowledgments ii In that case for government for the case In that (Bertolt Brecht, The Solution) “[…]Would it not be not easier it “[…]Would

To dissolve theTo dissolve people another?” elect And

CEU eTD Collection INTRODUCTION 1. ofContentsTable 2. METHODOLOGY 3. THEORETICAL 3. 4. HOW TO BE AGAINST AUSTERITY WITHOUT ACTUALLY BEING AGAINST IT AGAINST BEING ACTUALLY WITHOUT AUSTERITY AGAINST BE TO HOW 4. 2.3 Archive M 2.4. Data A 2.1. Status ofThe Participant O 2.2. Interviews with I 3.2. Neoliberalism Complex as Unity: From Power Bottom State to 3.1. Local Histories, Global Linkages 4.1. How Austerity Politics Met Little Societal Resistance… 3.3. ConstructionThe Romanian of CivilSociety Disabling and its Political Effects 4.2. …Until Resistance Did Come, DidIt? or The 2012 Anti ...... 2.2.1. Ethical Issues 2.2.2. Sel 1.2 TheStructure of the Paper 3.2.1. Neoliberal Governmentality Hegemony and 3.2.2. Historicizing Neoliberal Governmentality: CaseThe of Postsocialist Romania 4.2.3. Drifting Through Postsocialist Romania: Failing to Articulate Material Claims 4.2.2. Eerie Coexistences: Unlikely Alliances Against Commona Enemy 4.2.1. Delineating t 4.2.4. RomanianThe Variety Anti of nalysis ection Procedure aterial AND HISTORICAL OVERVIEW HISTORICAL AND

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- ...... Governmental Protests - Up Governmentality, Back and ......

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...... 10 11 12 16 16 20 14 22 29 34 25 34 45 41 38 47 51 9 7 5 1 8 CEU eTD Collection EXISTING POLITICAL SYSTEM ANTI A SUPPOSED REASSIMILATING 5.

References Appendix III –Arti Appendix II – Appendix I –List of Interviews CONCLUSIONS 6. 4.3. Screening Indignados an Sequel: Different Director, Different Script oi Montană 5.2. The Story Roșia the of 5.1. PoliticalThe Context: Changes amount that Nothingto Environmental Protest Support to for the Same OldPolitical Class 5.3 Uni Cited Data: Newspaper articles, Documents and Video Material 5.2.1. Protest Com 5.2.2. A Strict Environmental Framing, Apoliticism Cynical Masked and Ideology 5.2.3. ReturnThe of the Anticorruption Master Frame 5.2.4. Silently Bringing Nationalism Back...... ț i Salvămi (

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...... 55 59 57 61 66 69 75 71 91 92 85 78 84 81 96 CEU eTD Collection jurnalul/cine Square?). University from worms the are (Who Universităţii.” Piaţa – 5 Figure all existing political parties (and their shifting names since 1989). 4 Figure 3 Figure (youth protesters) 2 Figure 1 Figure List offigures - - - - Protesters with placard reading “All “All reading placard with Protesters 2012 in sites Square of protest University Map A protester’s placard featuring a skull t askull featuring placard protester’s A Scene from the 2012 University Square protests 2012Universityonthe Architecture the F Square from Scene “Cine Sunt Viermii Şi Ciumpalacii Din Ciumpalacii Şi Viermii Sunt “Cine analysis: data in used article of Fragment - sunt -

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...... aculty side side aculty 91 52 41 53 44 CEU eTD Collection spatial relation to the cente afocu with emerging society newly civil this struggles surrounding hegemonic the track dynamics of the existing literature on protests the PoenaruIancu,F. 2014a) and (Mihailescu, Gutu2012; in two important cities: Cluj and Bucharest, participation numbers, saw the crystallization as protagonists of groups of society civil actors Roș the biggestdoubts, protests post were, no with 2013 the which of out 2014, and 2013 in movements Subsequent social society. civil of form the in actor political and newimportant social It be wouldnot an claim overstatementto thatthe 2012protests were the scene of of birth an (Kalb 2009) hands of power creating interpretation according to which anti discourse via often corruption rule and governmental protest: from aper for were, views Manifold narratives. diverging struggleItBucharest.multiple the scene of was hegemonic between a discursive country’scities, includingcapital, major the of werecountry. the heldmost in Manifestations of the healthcare No later the throughout than the system. next day, spread the pro tests of partprivatization against the andemonstration unplanned of Transylvania,was the scene On the 12 INTRODUCTION 1. th s on the Bucharest scene, as, scene, Bucharest the on s .

of January - of - -

law enforcement liberal discourse, or discourse, liberal enforcement law communist paranoia based on the already well already paranoiaonthe based communist ‘a self ‘a

02 Tru ue, medium a Mureș, Târgu 2012, r of power. political

a

- dangerous serving fake capitalism that is that serving actually amasked fake capitalism communism’ ‘former communists now dressed communists upas‘former capitalists’

anti symbolically iod, stuck in a problematic coexistence of a coexistence of a in problematic stuck iod, that first appeared January2012.Building in on 1 -

capitalist discourse, to - 2000s protests in Romania in terms of terms Romania protestsin of 2000s in , the - sized Romanian city situated in

most important scene i to important due most a otn anti Montană ia

a

soft and hard nationalist hard and soft

a -

known post known neat and clean anti clean neat and - gold mining - socialist n

anti took took

ts ts - - I

CEU eTD Collection went underdifferent name. a and change form a in had now it suffered admitted, be though, must it was 2012, in power in that party same the of candidate wing right center the supported actively actors society civil Moreover, round the in second of the same presidential elections so who, whe candidate a race, the 2014presidential the focusedonthefirst againstround fight corruption,of in program libertarian economically claimingwasan power independent, in 2012protests, now be to an duringwith the ending up,two for the same neoliberalforces that had been initiallycriticized; the mo anti be to seemed what of The paper aimof this understand to such is thatthe whit newlyat made society civil born out factions. movementpolitical mainstream for support active upoffering ended andwere captured movements fail, but led to a less impressive result. Not only didfew the attempts to create alternative political of anti the in context grew power substantially Spain or Greece If in becomes clear that the Romanian protests did not lead in any way to similar political result s. Indignadosas the i link as seen Widely - called anti called earnings, not the state [...]” state not the earnings, hisin own place according to merit, it means work, meansit you administer your fair one each meritocracy, means it [...] ‘morality’ word the [muncă]’, ‘work word the Romania, 10been has poweroftoborn.means:M ‘M’ [M10] the “Today the[…] mo dernizing

- systemic new political party, wouldprogrammatically declare as follows: y ears after the 2012protests, supportingears after a of former politician the party which n Spain or(On Spain the Aganaktismenoi ed the to global anti , in the end, the in ,

the

support for movements alternativethathad political ever not been in - austerity a major performed ledsupport reversal to which protests (Monica Macovei quoted Popescuin 2015)

importantof parts the seemingly anti- - systemic movement represented by movements such such movements by represented movement systemic 2 - systemic movements,Romanian the situation n,

after the p the after utraged) in Greece, from a first glance it it glance afirst from Greece, in utraged) residential elections, launched elections, residential

a large majority of these

systemic movements vement thus largely largely thus vement

a CEU eTD Collection antiBulgarian,and Romanian out the possibility of emergence of formscritical of politics.It seems to me that both discussions related the to actual politics being implemented in East Europe, thus emptying corruption use to gets as put discourse,a political thatannihilates instrument an story the way does accountfor respective not issueand the corruption its counterpart, anti Europe, ge 2006) important issue in postsocialist countries all social problems. According to mainstrea exclusivelyalmost onanti focused Balkanwe bethatthe new not protests of surprised sceneryshould society this political civil adescripti offering literature mainstream by the abide to are If we historical- the into look depth an in require will possible was dynamics surprisingthis discursive range the of to materials related social movements from 2012onward understandings, how constant reshuffling of the elite” at the same time with it, where massive anti- that of Bulgaria,neighboring had country gained Romania that is comes mind to cases that evident the most of respective states;one givenresponses bytheir austerity neoliberal the and crisis financial 2008 the after appear did movements social where an In isolated example. fact, situations similar have developed post in by is of a neoliberalmovements reintegrationinto form nomeans and their discourse quick While the way . It. the not caseI is that am arguing doesas exist not thatcorruption a problem East in contextual possibilities offered possibilities contextual byRomanian post nerally, and more specifically in Romania. Instead, I argue that the mainstream mainstream the that argue I Instead, Romania. in specifically more and nerally,

the movements evolved does seem surprising, the case of the Romanian social the Romanian social case of surprising,the seem evolved does movements the - systemic movements ascribedsystemic such to an overinflated movements account

(Medarov 2014) - corruption, which was often seen as a means of explaining (Krastev 2004; Krastev 2002; Sajo 1998; Mungiu 1998; Sajo Krastev2002; 2004; (Krastev m explanations corruption indeed explanations is m the most 3 “[t]he austerity protests led nofurther than“[t]he to . Thus, along with an analysis of a diverse analysis of . Thus,alongan with - socialist space. space. socialist access the to European Union on of East European and - socialist countr y possible ies ies - CEU eTD Collection can be followed. cours life forare responsible their entrepreneurialensures subjects that i.e. subjectivity, thatneoliberal Isuch discourse show how this silencesthataimat ensuring critiques a better and livelihood, As stance. critical a totalitarian of past, but a articulation political the discourse that prevents according which to anti narrative, Poenarufollowing paper, my in mainstream this to the however. social stateEurope, As welfare opposed continuously East in of ders the remain reduce use orderto to in were put extended sucharguments thatthey were It is not my point here to discuss how sometimes legitimate claims made around such 1993) culture, d) culture.” everyday culture,culture, c) b)politic or civic discourse For ‘ him Post of and Hofstetter 1997) forward puts it 1993; (Tismaneanu Krastev Sztompka 2009; Klicperová, 2004; Feierabend, mainstream social science finds itself at fault due to a form of almost racist cultural argument At a second level, when comes the it to historica - re easy relatively a Iof features the hasmaindiscursive thatled one to been argue thatthis of will corruption. imposed real by socialism. distant pre area “intangiblesthe of and imponderable the secret of current tensions and drawbacks experienced by ECE societies is to be sought in . - Communist Societies"Communist e andonany depend donot assistance, of social becomes form only the modelthat civilizational incompetence - modern past of this societies and the more recent syndrome of “fake modernity”

assimilation of the movements back into the old political system. . In his ressivelyexp titled Incompetence: article "Civilizational TheTrap - communism is not just a legitimate reaction to the horrors of the (Sztompka 1993)

Piotr Sztompcka arguesPiotr that ’

means having “ having means s”, the deep cultural legacyinherited both from the (F. A. Poenaru 2013)

4 l legacy of postsocialist countries deficiencies in a) entrep a) in deficiencies , I forwardput an alternative

(Sztompka

reneu rial rial CEU eTD Collection second analysis ar empirical my with stop IMacovei’scandidacy. unti mining project and the subsequent emerg five In chapter antifromprotests, what differed significantly main f analysis. My an interpretative provide to central themes focus on thendevelopments and Igovernmentalof account a 2012. firstfairly provide protests of descriptive the an My empirical analysis. empirical be my in will important which anticorruption, the prevalent theme and neutral society civil of the doctrine space,focusing on postsocialist and the historical of transition Romania At this stageI also discuss the concept of society civil particular. in generally,and Romania, in space, more postsocialist the neoliberal in processes In hazy, so conceptofdoing neoliberalism. discus to me leads That crisis. financial global 2008 the after ensued that cycle systemic globalanti of the themovements in context social Romanian new relations, situating thus the indispensable t I chapterin In three, bring three. chapter to light the theoretical elements that have been analysis, preparing thus the terrain for the theoretical andI historical discussion forward put of methods data chosen and questions ethical Idata my discuss body, methodological aspects. str is paper The 1.2

l its split at the presidential elections in 2014 The Structure of the P ocus here is to show the manner in which these protests, often depicted as depicted anti protests, showwhichoften ocus the to in manner herethese is

round of the president of the round o my research. I first discuss linkages between local spaces and global global and spaces local between linkages discuss first I research. my o I at look the 2013environmental protests against the R al uctured as follows: In asuctured follows: chapter two, ysis is developed in chapter four and five. In four chapter five. andfour ysis chapterdeveloped in is

a eetos n te nț Salvă Uniți the and elections ial aper

ne n dvlpet f h Uii Salvă Uniți the of development and ence I then also offer a historical contextualization ofI alsocontextualization offer a then historical - austerity movements are usu are movements austerity 5 , when part of its members supported members Monicawhen its part of I proceed by I proceed and its practical effects on the on effects practical its and ound the events related to the related to events ound the m’s group relation to them. group relation them. to m’s o ally assumed to be. be. to assumed ally discussing certain ș

I look at the anti I at the look a Montană ia - m group group m austerity austerity

s the the s gold gold

the - -

CEU eTD Collection for rearticulating a of version emancipatory politics of the veryRomanianSociety, Newthem to recent Civil developments and limitations of alternative politics are here. R Romania provide a space further developedconceptual language of the relate to postsocialist to the concepts of postsocialist neoliberalism, and postsocialist civil- In supportings of faction the old political class. elements that allowed the anti- discursive and the 2012protests the with and discontinuities continuities concentrating onthe their rela account and the events of Following a si the final conclusion chaptertheI final conclusion the findings synthesize paper, of this link , both theoretically,both and practically, of understanding terms in wha milar structure to that of the third

systemic movement to end up splitting tion to the 2012 protests. I an analysis 2012 protests. then provide the to tion

6

eflect chapter,Ia firstfairly provide descriptive in Romanian space in ing

and findings and main on my society.I aimto thus . I s

, uggest possibilities due part to of it ing them t the possibilities

back back linking linking to

CEU eTD Collection protesters.footage and of the protests thein protests, avai groups involved platform ofcoupled from pages the onlinematerial thesocial with Facebook structured interviews with protesters, archive material: traditional and online news material approach several grounded is on types of data: participant the observation events, of semi January in observationevents of the September 2014- 2014,December three in gathered I have materials of consists thesis this for databody The materials. of set I diverse a used analysis my develop orderto Thus, in events asevents. their views during the allowed meavoid to fall 2001) (Hammersley Thurmond 2008b; especi i.e past, the of movements these groups an wouldconstitute perspective important be to taken account into when analyzing material rangingmedia from reports on movements the to manifestoswritten by protester proces research the in crucial, remained has this While analysisgathered of data from interviews participants with and keyof figures the movements. I thoughtthe researchas process protests.my onthe Thus,being out centered initially other participant protesters, while contextualizing all this with the help of thatof with of it knowledge inside my corroborate societycivil would beRomanian new to I started out my research with the intuitive idea that the best research way to into the 2. METHODOLOGY lable manifestos the of involvedin movements,lable organizations and video ing the trap into views of onthe takingprotesters’ retrospective January 2015 and April January 2015and

- February 2012 and 2014. This multiple methodresearch February and multiple 2014.This 2012

archive material with manifestos and interviews interviews and manifestos with material archive ally the 2012protests. Thus,triangulating of 7 fieldwork periods in Romania: July Romania: in periods fieldwork s I s figured that out the use of archive - May 2015 coupled with participant with May 2015coupled

media reports on - - CEU eTD Collection remai alltogether, ceased finally and numerous less became protests the 2012protests, while remaining the left informal, My continued the observation in summer participant of 2012.Constitutedthe in early of part . scene society civil Bucharest the in involved actively remains presently He community. Salvăm Uniți formed subsequently the of member active an became and protest mining gold anti highly publ were position group and own his that the showsensured broadcast at audience high news Ș was who constituted, la group the which around member representative a Ștefan, others, among with, acquainted well Igot group youthgroups.It that protest this in is thefoundwith other a in consistentinterplay liberalgroup was,atyouth time, that protest scene one the theportant of groups of most im workings the of left liberal’sgroup’s internal strategicaland politicalmeetings. The left IAlong the in daily observe participation to with streetalso had the the protests, occasion Petri, the Romanian film director who started documenting social moveme Andrei, Cornel and Cristi, who wouldlater become informants. is This also whereI metVlad It Krakow, in relocated 4months for Poland. of a where atI period these is protests met January day 14,the second city, the protests in capital the end of until of February, when themselvesfrom Bucharest in the observation protests actual the occasion of the do to observationanti of the 2012 participant gathered through research paper, data for this used the databody In building observation participant of status The 2.1. tefan, a central member of this group, had extensive access to media coverage. His presence presence His coverage. media to access extensive had group, this of member acentral tefan,

czd Șea rmie ivle i ti gop uig h 21 Rșa Montană Roșia 2013 the during group this in involved remained Ștefan icized. ter became oneof my key informants.It mentioning is worth that - governmental protests and 2014eventsI major hasrole.governmental a had protests 8 - liberal group, reduced in size when size the in group,reduced liberal ned socially involved. ned nts at thatnts time.

I CEU eTD Collection II) fragments selected transcribe and interviews actual data the in find relevant I used to when then data, analyzing while creating summaries with the key discuss Iparticipants. transcribed fully three of and the interviews, included the themin databody, protest movements I of nine semi conducteda have total informants with Interviews 2.2. the in second electionsKlaus round 2014. December Johannis, ofpresidential in the same their actions a 2015 from part of the group’s supportfor Monica Macovei’s run, and, presidential finally, late resulting 2014 and split in elections,Parliament the Mayinternal 2014 tensions Salvă Uniți the in storyof the of key three moments participantwith observation I thesecorroborate data thegain group bevaluable to able insights to ofdevelopments later too. with I touch in remained sufficiently nonetheless have st, Buchare in located always not was I fragmentedgroup as has of become the mySeptember observation participant 2013 onwards Ifrom whenBucharest, to the summerpresent. offrom relocateduntil 2012, While back theinvolved in Bucharest social and scene political theI present. until observing continued it group has remained of fiteenkeeping section this twenty to core amembers significant members, also but leaving, of membersaddition somenew changesold size, With of terms in .

m communitym of aroundthe European their 2014: actions thein boycotting round what seemedround what for an the apparent center support wing right can didate,

(for the(for transcript full Romanian of in one of see the interviews Appendix , and participants who were closer to the role of simple, yet constant simple, rolecloser of thewere to participants and who - structured interviewsstructured key both with figures of the

9 ed themes for the other six other the for themes ed

interviews which, / early early /

CEU eTD Collection poses. the it risks theerging div they positions it have, excluded be While the possibilityin of have superfluous. been would byhim, of other produced materials of use my the in context anonymity case, this in Imovements discusse discussion with him has a different status: was he researching/documenting the social Iname used my in paper. for ask decidedto him a non- ethnographic documenta by to referred are informants obtained informed from themwhile consent pledging ensure to their anonymity. Thus,my I the allof issuewith through my and research process discussed have informants the For the sake noharm done of is ensuring my to informants (Arksey Knightand 1999,126) 2.2.1. Ethical Issues the to databody.provided a addition valuable the interview was a related to research about involvementin student and thus politics European University who student had been the involvedin 2012anti Central Romanian a from taken time, that at clear not was research current the of theme the While the in databody. partlyincluded differentis project a 2014,for March in earlier, myin last taken were three another 2014– December in fieldtrip second during the taken were Three of them Two of the inter , considering the fact that most interviewees know each interviewees the know thatmost fact , considering views were my in taken first fieldwork August in trip d with him, ratherd than simply participating in them.Moreover keeping

ries onthe Romanian social movements who agreed have to real his - (Arksey and Knight 1999, 133) groupKnight identification (Arksey and 1999,

pseudonyms, with the exception of Vlad Petri, the director of exception Vlad Petri, of the pseudonyms, with

fieldtrip in May in interview,fieldtrip taken2015. An additionallast

h outweigh h outweigh researc the of benefits the that me to seems

10 anonymous interview sinceanonymous interview the other and are aware of of aware are and other - governmental protest, –September 2014. January 2015and

cannot truly cannot truly

CEU eTD Collection conversations him with what resulted was thatDorin was as not enthusiastical about the 2012 the 2012anti Roș was as theinterview not with wayhad hepleased evolved him, the with movement the in clear my in became as protests, but, it 2012 highly the was involvedin Andrei other hand, relocation, wa movements thanthe in others. Marian was the involvedin 2012protests due but, to For various reasons Cristi and Ș Montană Roșia the in and 2013. Thus,half of my informants were both in the 2012anti involved Romanian move governmental the 2013- protests and the in 2012anti i.e. both allthe events, participated in actors that access interview I to had andCristian Andrei Dorin, and Petri Vlad Ștefan, with aquainted well fairy was I (Daniel,I Cornel and Ovidiu). was the with other aquainted informants to varying If degrees. threeto infor connections. ensure Thus,to a wider variety of knew beIn intervi informants to selecting 2.2.2. Selection Procedure more involved in the Roșia Montană Roșia the in involved more ia M ia , , with aquaintednot I actors was reach theto possibilityand ontană tefan were allthese in figures movements. involvedas key highly mants that I did barely knew or was not aquainted not I at allbefore orintervieweing was thatknew mants barely did s only able to observe the 2013 and 2014 movements from a On the distance. 2014movements from and observethe to 2013 able only s -

governmental protest,couldparticipategovernmental but not at the from time, protests and ments with the with occasionments of the environmental antigold mining protests of took place when Iplace them interviewed when took , my othermy informants

gold mining protests and Uniți Salvăm community. Daniel, Cornel, Cornel, Daniel, community. Salvăm Uniți and protests mining gold voluntarly

ewed I had access to a large pool of protesters I protesters of pool alarge to access I had ewed

protests. While Ovidiu noted Ovidiu thathe sympathizedprotests. While with 2014 events, along only2014 events, those who joinedthe with

chose not to participate. to Dorin wechose and Ovidiu not 11

were more highly

the

material I reached out and gained access access gained and out I reached material . my first conversationmy first with

involved in one in of theinvolved through social network network through social - gove rnmental protests already already re both both re

my my - CEU eTD Collection Thurmond 2001) rel exclusively not Agettinghad their good views dowith actual to during the protests. was way this of around what and movements the on view a retrospective fact in was and me telling were informants my what between differentiation a clear securing been has project this for researching paper, this in hopefully visible not While material Archive 2.3 neutral as themselves Cornel and onthe standpoints. values, other Cristian, andhand progressive , between traditional mix yet ideological interesting fuzzy, a Dorin provided ideological left lef as and identified Ovidiu self ideologically interviewees my that sure made I viewpoints, of number alarge and material adiverse to access ensure to quest same the In informants who had w completely others uninvolvedin ensured the possibility obtaina to diverse from material onwards, and those who chose be to more some of involved in the actions, while being lessor Interviewing participants at constant the both actions of the B events. anti - - liberal, the others, i.e. Daniel, Cornel, Cristian and Dorin, were either fuzzy in terms of terms fuzzy in of either were and Cristian Dorin, Daniel, others, Cornel, liberal, i.e. the - asabout he the 2013 wasgovernmental protests

- ideological activists

as ideologically neutral ideologically as positioning

data thatobtained with through the research of a set of diverse archive yingon interview material.Instead i dely different moti

or claimed themselves to be ideologically neutral. Thus, Daniel and and Daniel Thus, neutral. ideologically be to themselves claimed or tists, each of a quite different sort, and Ștefan saw himself as a a as himself saw Ștefan and sort, different quite a of each tists, , and oriented leftist andtaken right people altogether. leaning , strongly depictingstrongly a dis vations to participate in social actions. 12 one of the greatest the of one - identified differently. Thus, while Andrei Thus, while Andrei identified differently. 2014 Roșia Montană and Uniți Salvăm Uniți and Montană Roșia 2014 , I triangulated (Hammersley 2008b; I triangulated n between oppositio cursive them, ucharest society civil from 2012

difficultiesI hadwhile

- conservative conservative clearly clearly saw saw

CEU eTD Collection 2015) Gandul.info their respective political Salvăm actions of the Uniți Regarding the 2013- ethnographic from Vlad Petri’s documentary (Petri video 2014) material and instrument, organizational an as used was which page, Universității Piața the protests, I this, ontheplatform of publicconversations Facebookts added participan of the online around giving direct lengthy from a diverse quotes range at of the participants protests. To constructed are they positions; of variety a large present that articles of a series selected newspaper,case is the as with all Romanian media was highly politica 2012) Neagu 2012; Mureșan 2012; Mircea 2012; Damian 2012; parties power in order atin thattime be to able get (Aligică to grasp aof the context the to vorable fa media online and by newspapers articles of aselection I added which to protests the on reporting extensively newspaper important an Național, Jurnalul in published anti For 2012 the III) see Appendix analysis datad in use material archive an of sample by the protesters online on social platforms that servedas organizational instruments produced material on focus to useful it found I protests Montană Roșia and Salvăm Uniți the se interview actual large contained that Național Jurnalul newspaper partisan opposition the in published articles Iappealed to the 2012protests Thus,while for more experience of informants. the my to subjective wouldrelate question in events social retrace to data interview of materials.In this way , but focus, but I ondatathe interviews participants. with from taken have - governmental protestsIause selection of aforementioned the articles 2014 developments, i.e. the ,

I tried to minimize the chancefalling of situation communityI media use material to contextualize the protests in (Mihai 2013; Ciobanu 2013; Sciences e Sciences 2013; (Mihai Ciobanu 2013; (Hammersley2008a, 91) 13 Roșia Montană Roșia gments the of in case of protesters, Tog te unll Național Jurnalul the Though .

in

gold mining protests and the

the trap offragments using the trap when in fa .

.

lly partisan, I have I have partisan, lly ct fragments the t Avenirt 2013;

(for a a (for CEU eTD Collection seeposition Griggs and Howarth 2011) spaceautonomous radically separated from extra a whichresearch discoursecompletely in my in Isituation becomes creatingaThus, avoid the class interestsI componence ofand the groups at look between the historicalcontext, i.e. historically existing possibilities of discursive articulation, alink establish to I try endeavour. related material and historical a more into analysis (2000, 620) diffusion frame Inhow understandsome framings orderto successful, Benford were what and call Snow counterparts. western their to master diagnostic framings that made the Romanian anti- framing understand theywere Synthesising at thewith. odds of social diagnostic issues the concepts movement” other andactivities of orientations colorsand that akindmasterrithm the as of algo constrains terms scope, of functioning attempt to establish master theare frames, in quitebroad i.e.[that] actionframes “collective ItheIn movements analyze. ontheI other maindiagnostic words, framings focus used and 2000,618) Snow (Benfordand addressed” [are] issues or problems “the which in terms the limitations brought about by their structural 1990) (Wolf position of and actors the interests accountmaterial into formeaningsare accountedbyalso taking Goffman 2008) and Snow 2000; Snow Inanalyzing Iemployed data a slightly version of Benford Snow’s(Benford modified and 2.4. Data analysis and (1974) masterI frames essential at is asforlook the , to it propose, case study, my

inspired framework and adjust itto a more materialist setting in wh

, following Don Kalb’s

framing processes in social movements framework. I their framework. take social movements processes in framing ; instead I see instead; as discursive working articulations a in 14

- (2000, 619) discursive

suggestion systemic movements be so different different so be movements systemic ,

and their dominant discourses.and their dominant practice practice

that guidedthat their attempt to (2011; 1997) . Thus,I establish to seek (for a critique of this this of a critique (for , I turn frame I frame , turn ich ich

in in CEU eTD Collection constructed bythe understand to conceptual articulations perspectives the needed discursive and historical tools 317) (2005, objects” empirical all to mechanically applied be can that techniques and rules of set neutral and freestanding of methodology andbalkanization reification oppose the “theorists according which to followingpoint context In Howarth’s this the Gramscian logicfight a of forhegemony insociety civil Gramsci (Buttigieg 1971) 1995; floating signifiers 1990) (Laclau amount of space 1990) (Wolf and conditions discourse andinterplay material historical between existing 2005, 323) mming fromindividual ste as beliefs,either or from social structures by themselves(Howarth articulations. of logics possible discursive and limit construe that structures uncover social the actors” I avoid understanding discursive articulations strongly as linked to material andhistorical processes logic continuation of the with extra

“ (2008) overplay[ing] theoverplay[ing] beliefs anddesires therelevant interpreting individual of role of . the ofThus, logics ought discursivethe level articulations be of to at studied the Thus, the logics of the discursive articulations IThus, the logics of the be discursiveokat to lo are unde articulations not . In consequence, rather than providing a psychologizing analysis, Iattempt toIn analysis,rather than a providing psychologizing . consequence, new Romani an

. , i.e. concepts whose meaning be to socially is negotiated in is le civil society. I , I three chapter n ft for reconstituting meaningsLaclau of what called - discursive. Thus,a discursive. 15

” , i.e. ,

[m]ethod is not synonymous with a synonymous not is with [m]ethod continue byconsider s Glynos and Howarth put it, by Howarth by and it, put Glynos s ,

ing the specific where limited a rstood rstood . ,

CEU eTD Collection 2 1 globeovermoreKhalil’s have and the heardmoreall been often suchBank as the one Thus,formulations (WB). bellow uttered byWael activist Egyptian and the(IMF) World Fund International Monetary such as the towards institutions neoliberal they propose, if any, itis common for these movements to articulate critica a HarveyFriedman2011; and Friedman 2008) 2005; authors some what challenge they or conservatively, one that,in moretogether another, way progressively through or the fact tacklingworld. While local thatappear issues widely movements stand these different, 2008, rise of new politics. formsSince of the contentious onset of the global economic crisis in being andwithout fathomed properly globalcontext in put be understood maneuve tactical the and movements social new Romanian The Linkages Global Histories, Local 3.1. OVERVIEW ANDHISTORICAL THEORETICAL 3. felt by millions of people, to use Mason’s words (2013) words Mason’s use to people, of by millions felt Moscow apparently disparate and unrelatedevents, unstable” chronically and hybrid, institutionally uneven, “constitutively various its and theory macroeconomic

and in Both well to the referring as project” “neoliberal the understand us let being, time the For healthcare, and the jobs that guarantee decentthem and honourable living.” (2011) Egyptians, schoolsthe where their children are educated, hospitals the where receive they new homeOurfuture a economics. with lies bureaucrats of the IMF, withnor their sacred indicators budgetof deficits andmarket “[…] country'sthis future not lies with the same paid,highly unelected, unaccountable we have witnessed the multiplication o

(Greene 2012) Kuswa (Greene and (Peck, Theodore, and Brenner 2012, 268) 2012, and Brenner Theodore, (Peck, outside outside (Cole 2011; Mason 2013) Mason (Cole 2011;

, are in fact structurally tied through an in an through tied structurally fact in are ,

have called called have from the Arab Spring to Athen Spring from the Arab

academia a strong intuition lurks according to which which to according lurks intuition strong a academia -

16 grown economics that caters for the m practical applications. f forms of social contention ..

the global neoliberal projectthe global . Whatever different political alternatives

2 s, froms, Wall Occupy Street to .

tuitive critique of capitalism capitalism of critique tuitive rs of their actors cannot

as partglobal of the - known mainstream mainstream known throughout the 1

(McMichael (McMichael ajority of ajority l discoursel

CEU eTD Collection 4 3 contrary, changes dooccur, and different actants neoliberal aremore intensely involved, than does however,This not, mean that 2012) 2009, andreforms have neoliberal enforced continuously then been (Stoiciu since Romania, a countrywhich som in Brenner 2012) Theodore, and Peck, (Postone 2012,234; clarification,I will call a of urgent need conceptin a using being, time forwhat, the are witnessing weshift, (Mason 2013) achieved has protest seemsasingle Yet,it that,while aim” “not curiously enough,its rationalities. governmental alternative of emergence the expected may have one discontent, In faced socio- with context, this bănci!” nicio for Romania” 2009) assistance 2009(“IMF in Board Executive Stand €12.9Billion Approves - hadgovernment obtained the Romanian public spendingconditional onreducingand wages, Square, the central location of the Bucharest protests. SlogansIMF, against the from which, voastră!” averea e nu noastră “Educația as such government the of measurements austerity the of effects the governance and its international counterparts.From the start the of protests, slogans critical to The Romanian movements also showed dissatisfaction the both domestic with neoliberal fortune!” we will get we get will of rid IMF!”

These three slogans would translate as follows: your not is education “Our lines: following the along go would slogans of these translation rough A dată nu vom fi, colonie FMI!” colonie fi, vom nu dată

4 and and . “Our our back hurts, creditdebteating is us!” , nowadays, more than half a decade after the debut of the crisis, far from afrom crisis, far of the debut after the decade a half more than nowadays, , , N dae ptl, e ââc ratele!” mânâncă ne spatele, doare “Ne , and , and , and other were banking, and also institutions heavily present: “Austerityfor banks!” the paradoxical, of ever domination neoliberal governance increasing,

the e of the most draconic austerity measures were taken in in taken were measures austerity draconic most the e of , “Pân’ la primăvară, FMI afară!” FMI primăvară, la “Pân’ economicaldisaster and growing worldwide popular

techniques oftechniques gover “We will never be an IMF colony!” IMF be an neverwill “We 17

. Emblematic. this is the for of case nance have remained static. On the the On static. remained have nance 3 ersity University could be heard in

or or

, “When spring comes comes spring “When “Austeritate pentru By Arrangement Arrangement By “Nu vom fi, “Nu .

CEU eTD Collection traced. be to needs project neoliberal the of dynamics the historical specificities of local political and social phenomena a linkage to the global (Simionca 2012) discourse critical onpossible imposed understand discurs the Firstly,a linkage tospecific the historical is needed. context Herea crucial point is to linkages. the society Romanian civil making without be cannot understood at least twoimportant choices ofl the different actors involvedin tactica the with, I deal case specific the in Thus, production” of relations social “the of idea Marxist the governmentality what,and is articulate.pickingonFoucault’s This to idea impossible of up - some non discursive and deployment such manoeuvresof in tactical athat action socialshaped way field is of the transactionaltactical terms (as power are manoeuvres the be Priorto to understood). and self self inhabit real things’ doing “‘realpeople that idea naïve the accept not must we at the micro going actors themanoeuvresonbetween understand tactical To properly between distinction Wolf’s hand the formsin structural of comes power and tactical level. asystemic at other each struggles, about, doing but form crisis, neoliberalism is not static, bu ever, hegemonic in globe.overcome struggles everywhere onthe to Thus,attempting - changing process. If we want to open up the terrain for the possibility of not just talkingof just not possibility terrainfor the upthe Ifwant open weto process. changing - sufficient universes” both in their in variousboth appearance historical forms of and the in way connect they to

progressive politics, it is crucial to understand these multiple hegemonic ive linksive tosocialist the past, links that largely shape limitations the discursive actions are more or lessleg more or are discursive actions

(1990, 587) t in a in t continuous multi . Power should not, thus not, should . Power 18

, Wolf calls structural, Wolf power. . Secondly, while taking into account into while taking . Secondly, - levelled, spatial and temporal, , itimate while others are be unde rstood in purely purely rstood in -

enclosed enclosed y

- here. here. level level its CEU eTD Collection in Romania (2006) in Romania ethics work of refashioning the on work Heintz’s instance, for see, explanation problematic this to resorts - post of impossibility 5 area. the in connectionsI developments parallel to draw possible, will when and,whole region, Central of bones, speak. to so case My study a of micro fully incarnated, fully penetratingcapillaries the social of relations: neoliberalism in flesh and amorphous all openingsocietyactors neo an examine to liberalism provides point at work, not as an abstract Centeringanalysis myonthe discursive struggles surrounding the emergence of new civil large localglobal to asmanifestations aof part, processes. neoliberal reaction with but the interplay goes that onaround a dynamic local culture thatcomes being, into in Romanian civil society emerging the newlyforms of discursive anof the understanding upwith that, i.e.come to Starting fromperspective the a of political micro wrong forgoes everything that factor explanation main the as culture local exclusively an of construct imaginary an positing falling in the trap of depoliticizing social phenomena thathappen peripheral due in zones to possible to articulate historically. By highlighting the local- betweeninterlink particular manifestations of global discursively processesis and what b i.e.choices, tactical reactions, as but local culture, i.e. Romaniannness, of the Romanian discourses the understand specificity to possible it is accomplished are things two as these far so in Only

See the endless chain of explanations that put “mentalities” as the central factor of explana of factor central the as “mentalities” put that explanations of chain endless the See

- Eastern European European Eastern - encompassing evil monster, but as particular,- spatio evilmonster, but encompassing .

socialist countries to reach the level of western countries. For academic work that that work academic For countries. western of level the reach to countries socialist not as something that has to do with a as dowith somethingpre thathas, not to ,

postsocialism. Thus,in significant ways, itis relevant for the not asnot having do to an with inevitable particularity of local 5 . - 19 region is anchored is region the in semi - just analysis, attemptan my work just is to do global dialectics, one avoids - posited, fixed local culture, fixed posited, temporally localized, ounded the byboth - peripheral region tion for the the for tion CEU eTD Collection neoliberalism as ofFoucauldian a ‘rationality’, sense. form the in as neoliberalism doctrine, amacroeconomic as identifies three main usesof neoliberalism inexistent the literature - meta global cosmopolitan anew of emergence the to referring an abstractcausalfrom or the forceexteriorthatleads as livelihoods, the to destruction of While mentioning that ‘neoliberalism’ is sometimes used as a sloppy synonym for capitalism, sciences social exactl gigantic,posited cause, allpowerfuland mind: first to indefinable a< comes question Hav Bottom to Power State Unity:From Complex as Neoliberalism 3.2. governmentality variant thediscuss Romanian postsocialist of neoliberal deployment. I ofanalysis. theThus, view point then of from of neoliberalism an the concept emptyuse of context in which the neoliberal project is employed is a sine the local historical an understandingpursue becomeevident: of second I will then level shall (Ferguson 2010,171) problems our all say say that really to much”“to areis not caused ‘neoliberalism’ by to attempt to provide a conceptual clarification of what neoliberalism is. As it ais concept prone civil societyglobaland the neoliberal projectI proceed at two levels: Onfirst a level, I n order to clarify the relations between the study of the hegemonic struggles of a nascent anascent of struggles hegemonic the of study the between relations the clarify to order n “appear as a kind of gigantic, all akindgigantic, as “appear of ing is thatit very accepted not use to the useful concept as ofreferring neoliberalism a to to?> refer y neoliberalism does - Back and Up Governmentality, , this term is often used in substantially different manners , clarification is imperative. - powerful first cause”powerful The issue here is that in critic 20

From this conceptual clarification itself

a regime of policies and practices and and practices and policies of a regime , often leading to emptyto , often leading analysis: - qua

- non condition for avoiding condition non (2010, 171) culture, al literature

James Ferguson Ferguson James : neoliberalism , within

What What ,

the the the the I

CEU eTD Collection spacesand times with differentclass configurations and dynamics,Hilgers right is to that say thetheoreti As not. was concretely ofinstruments deregulation were and privatization formally the similar way theyshape took main the While variation. great to subject however is region each in happened specifically 81) Hilgers 20 11, 8; 2012, (Bourdieu Kalb 1999; finance, order and law “thethe of state” left from hand shift based onderegulation and the restriction state of intervention” onpromotingReaganwas, is, and era. Thestill cap of focus aform italism, “radicalised ofimplementation neoliberal policy, the onwards, 1970s from starting the with Thatcher T that doctrine economic apolitical to doctrine refers The first two uses the of term are closely inter evident. hegemony of theory aGramscian of context the in rationality propose thatby neoliberal understanding neoliberalism is not actually in opposition/tension with the first two understandings.I then usagesI of the term. argue that,while it is often tacitlyassumed, the understanding third of doctrine and its historical two these applications, between while highlighti closeness ng the In whatfollows,I discuss the distinction between economical the theoretical neoliberal he academic body work produced of the linkedwith later bytheis neoliberals political as von Hayek, von as Ludvig von Mises, Milton Friedman, and, at least afor while, Karl Popper”. largely ignored corpus of thought that was actively shaped during the 1940s by thinkers such arrangements, market institutions, andentrepreneurial activity, began asit an isolated and governmentactive intervention beyond that required secure to private property back“goes to the 1930s. late Radically opposed to communism, socialism, and all forms of , the links betweenfirst the two ways of looking at neoliberalism will become cal principlesof neoliberalism are applied in real existing “the right hand” theright to “the inclusion, , i.e. social 21 - related. Neoliberalism as a macroeconomic amacroeconomic as Neoliberalism related. (Hilgers 2010, 352) 2010, (Hilgers (Harvey 2003,157) . How this . How this through a through

, i.e.

- CEU eTD Collection from their micro neoliberalism and work try to - of explanations Hilgers’ systemic useclassification, to break with, governmentality studies flirting interpretations” with “conspiracist - the top those focusing on created” micro- of study a below, i.e. from of politics the first two meanings of neoliberalism that I ha thatemploy towards studies opposition explicit, even tacit, or a often is In such there studies studies. governmentality of name the under sciences social the in proliferating been recently usingStudies the notion of neoliberalism as a ‘rationality’ the in Foucaul 3.2.1.Neoliberal Governmentality and Hegemony democratic politics, hegemonic strugglescivil insociety, the or world processdiscontinuous that imposing the macroeconomic same monolithic doctrine, a but spatially and temporally Thus, neoliberalism as a regime of policies and practices is not a linear top and has neoliberalism position of specific states existing neoliberalisms canapparentinvestigation between conditions paradoxreal of the ofthe differences historical riseinseen spending” social substantial also policies have macroeconomic undoubtedly pursuing neoliberal anumber regimes that of to be evaluated differently depending on context” be to differently depending evaluated on

(Ferguson 2010, 171) (Ferguson 2010, “can never be understood in radical separation from historical from be separation radical configurations understoodin “can never - level discursive genealogies. discursive level be untangled.

/ regions, may help us understand regions,/ paradoxical otherwise “the fact us may help

down implementation of neoliberal policies and accuse them of accuse them and of policies neoliberal down implementation can proceed in a large variety of ways. The contingencies of of contingencies The ways. of variety alarge in proceed can ations ofations social explan full phenomenaexclusivelyout starting , these studies often have, thesegreat often studies towards asuspicion degree of

“subjects are are “subjects which through processes political 22

(Ferguson 2010,171) ve just outlined. just With theirve focus onthe study (Hilgers 2010,356) .

. Thus, often times, Thus, . . Only by - systemic economical economical systemic - down process of dian sense have have sense dian

a

careful careful CEU eTD Collection government subject, i.e. for neoliberal the create to serve that technologies on focus ahigher for terrain the up opens U practi and policies of aregime as and adoctrine as neoliberalism a‘rationality’, as neoliberalism of a ‘rationality’could We profit more be need opposed. from seekingbetween links the notion neoliberalism as a regime of policies and and the practices understandingof neoliberalism as the not case I is understandingargueAs it opposed theview,of to outlined thatthe that resistance to local manifestations of global structural power. structure; instead, s a determined fully nor in helpless points liberalautonomous neither individuals, fully - pre maneuvering for room some is there where context an develop freely can that interpreters rasa tabula not are, Subjects thus power. ofgiven thestructural effects arethought by of cannot be that and those maneuvers varietyemployable this of be employed; however again: useful is power structural and tactical between account for possibilities the and impossibilities to articulate discourses. Here, the distinction streets” the on walk inversion of the well be as rightLacanian to argueany that the Here structural explanation flirts witconspiracy. h opposeto overreaching structural thatleave explanations noroom for agency, they may not comprehensives explanation pr to needed are perspective systemic a from neoliberalism of studies I doomed to is thatsuch hold an failure attempt from the start nderstanding ces.

“behaviouristically manipulable being” a “behaviouristically as subject the omewhere in between, agents haveagents liberty aomewhere of limited between, in find points to -

known anti is is suitable. Structures dowalk onthe streets (Zizek2003) . While governmentality. While himself,are as scholars, Foucault right ality. How and in what ways this process proceeds,in mainly process this what ways in ality. and How - structuralist slogan donot “Structures of the 1968revolts y possible discourse, instead they are placed in a given ay placedin they are instead discourse, possible 23 a wide variety of tactical maneuvers can can maneuvers tactical of variety awide existing meanings. Agents are, thus, meanings. existing

, and the instruments of instruments theand the

(Lemke 200) 2001, ovide more ovide more

and they

CEU eTD Collection producingthe things logic confusion s of use of the logic,to with of things capitalist regions. Givinggovernmentality a privileged epistemological status may endup peripheral in dominate of often power disciplinary classical techniques regions, more Western develop in mode of power a dominant governmentality concretely, is while alwaysGovernmentality is linkeder oth modes to (Hilgers power” of 2010,359) technology government” of fixed “a not are is as notes, governmentality Hilgers However, important. correctly destiny” own their entrepreneurs of as themselves actto andunderstand “incr enterprise”governmentality creation ofhighlighted a scholars the “selfas by towards generalThe governmentality drives on. muchfocuses ofstudies western the what is societies, Gramscian perspective, byputting an accent will onlocal it histories, be easier understand to a such From real the different existingtheof history enforced. civil is societies it where obtaininga in tool hegemony society civil in understanding to intrinsically becomes linked employed society. civil in governmentality, other obtainconsent as to hand, On the neoliberal complementary: n various way applications, this the twoprocesses can properlyseen be as they are, enterprise as subjects creating of process rathe hand,Thus, onthe one society. civil in mainly place take that governmentality of techniques latter these and policies, state as dowith havingthe mainly neoliberalism, first twounderstandings of to rationality, Ifgeneral societies.wecivil neoliberal of understand the context struggle hegemonic inside Iclaim thatgovernmentalitycan the techniquesasin be particular better tools understood easing competition, individualization, andpersonal and responsibility force individuals i.e. neoliberal governmentality i.e. neoliberal eoliberal policies are stateactions, level whilegovernmentality is a strategy r than having to choose between seeing neoliberalism as mainly a as a mainly neoliberalism between seeing choose to r than having : “[t]here is is “[t]here no ‘pure’governmentality. neoliberal

- as such as selfs, or as amacro as or selfs, 24 , t here is no longer an opposition betweenhere an opposition nolonger is - economical doctrine and its economical doctrine its and

(Hilgers 2010,358) (Hilgers

Marx’s words. Marx’s - employed . More , i.e. to

ed ed

CEU eTD Collection provisions. In fact, strikes focused on ensuring higher wages and a smaller working day by workinga day higher smaller In and wages strikesprovisions. fact, focusedonensuring ‘realexisting socialism generous’ and were exploitation from free benefitted social from light. working ofthat memberspositive This, class coursedoes mean not of the industrial Before 1989,the been has past socialist the of legacy negative perceived the that I argue specifically, More governmentality. neoliberal Romania of the constitution the in essential part has an been anticommunism l to transition 1990s events early of the In fullyI orderto eerie this understand situation proposethe in tumultuous an incursion 3.2.2.1. Illegitimate equivalences: socialist mentalities (Simionca 2012) tragedy, economical outdated communist mentality.In this way, sinceand socialist the moral pastseen as both a is an automatically pastof andwork,associated socialist having accused one the is with discourses. t Thus,in and anti hegemonic enforcementsubjectivity neoliberal pushing the of towards class in Cluj- managerial middle the on research In her governmentality space. postsociali in Romanian st neoliberal of content specific the to comes it when observed be can particularities Interesting Romania 3.2.2. Historicizing Neoliberal Governmentality: The Case of Postsocialist zones. in shifts the particular content and of importance neoliberal governmentality different in

Napoca, Anca Simionca traces interesting linkages between the discourse discourse linkages between the Anca interesting Napoca, traces Simionca .

state discourse was centered on the working class and presented it in a a in it presented and class working the on centered was discourse state

any sort of discourse critical to neoliberalism is immediately silenced hi s if one context, is critical towards the tene essential in enforcing neoliberal subjectivity. iberal democracy. I show how a I peculiar type of howiberal democracy. show 25 = material grievances material ts of neoliberal flexible

n - co variety of of variety mmunist mmunist

CEU eTD Collection Kideckelargues, while apparently rightly themsymbolically showing unit Throughout 90s the opinion. public disregarded bythe violent manifestations kn the a countrystandards, in and series cannot reach their of modernize westerninvolvement due‘backward people’ which to (Kideckel as seen Popularly afterchange regime 2008). the society Romanian in pariah of chemical asort workers industrial became and miners, workers disappeared from discourse abruptly in the shift working happened,class suchAfteran that important 1989 complicated. increasingly becoming is livelihood today’s surprising lack of articulated material claims in a context in which people’s working class had after the fall of ‘real existing socialism’ are crucial if one is to understand marginal in Romanian society.It seemme to thatthes new the discursiveworker position and years postsocialism 20of more than academically both I believe, It is, existed. the difficulties repressive the statecreated, workingclass strikes for Jiu Valley to calm things down. 1977 workersindustrial the era socialist were unseen not culminated and the andin miners in they discarded the in aftermath by of publicopinion the mineri unitythat their has perceivedthe ledthe in events to miners beingcompletely symbolical argue Iwould Moreover, actors. political as disenfranchisement complete contributed their to Jiu Valley miners, in which Ceauș which in miners, Valley Jiu the strike of

the ,

official discourse. As Kideckel notes in his ethnography on Romanian on ethnography his notes in As Kideckel discourse. official mine workers were caught up in these political developments that, these upin developments political caught workers were mine own as the ‘mineriade’ ultimately led tobeing them completely

What is essential is What retainto here thatpriorall 1989,with is to , and politically , articulating material based claims has become extremely extremely become has claims based material articulating 26

important to understand to important thatafter is how it escu himself was forced to come to the the to come to forced was himself escu ade . The mineriade six material conditions ed

, of the Jiuof actually actually CEU eTD Collection ‘mineriade’ the in violent discredited involvement due their to which scapegoaring of allthe workingclass as an part important of the anti general the to strongly the is in 90s linked the miners workers, scapegoating of the I would claim that, fa this situation. up asscapegoats symbolic workers through push to were of unable and political somesocial form demands, ended but actions which,political in although a unitedlarge seemingly homogenous group, mine noticingWhile that,opposed the to 1977mineworkers’ the mineriade strike,the in end, cannot thewith changing cope environment. developed a agency’ ‘frustrated have workers these way of the good sense gives a and 1989 since gonehave through fascist discourse members of the Romanian leftist jour a western become yet not having Romania for also responsible are but fate, their deserve only that,not backwardwith mentalities Rather than seeing (rural the poor or urban lose subhuman, antialmost homogenous mineworkersallindustrial to image out of workers) (thatas spread violent, Squ University central the free to cou the of capital the to marches worker mine essentially were 90s late and early the between out spread Valley has intohas itsled the turn silencing material of issueclaims: basedsince miners were

, Kideckel’s the ethnography out social tragedy clears workers industrial ntry

r from beingr from the storysingle of a and very specificgroup of industrial that often turned violent. Especially the 1 the Especially oftenviolent. turned that - modern and creatures. backward , Kideckel does not go too far in his critical reflections regardingcritical fargo too his in Kideckel not does , always struggling, for and their livelihood feeling likethey are of student protests turned violent, led to the creation of a a theto creation of turned led violent, protests are of student nal CriticAtac have not exaggerated in calling in exaggerated not have CriticAtac nal

27 - type type rs of transition) of as irresponsible lazyrs people civilized country

st and the repression of studentand the repression

mineriada, , - communist discourse; and employing what employing and when the march march the when

a

socially

were were CEU eTD Collection whatzone, predominatesis the that i dea focuses of onhighlighting those livelihood that the have remained mining the in Valea Jiului that project art dramatic arecent of announcement an of comments the in instance For per This ondrinking. their compensatoryincome spent recklessly had way whichin these some were, the but people difficult social situation an earlycompensatory receivedwhat point was incomes, publicly was the highlighted not industry was disbandedagreed largely and workers who recei to were aatin theirproblematicAs such, own for fault position. when instance, the mining past who of the discourse subjects as postsocialist were in depicted pensions, these people the in newBelivelihood regime. workers, industrial it elderly miners oraskin a andadapt make could not who allsubjects scapegoating of the partminers was of the subject socialist in Romanian postsocialist Indiscourse. fact, the scapegoating of the of typology accepted as the be seen should workers and mining arecentral industrial actors the which in sequence above The created. was subject neoliberal postsocialist the which in The discursive shift unreasonable. become has needs material for protest to itself theidea Romania postsocialist in them, with negotiate and come to forced was himself Ceausescu and security material gain to miners protested 1977when Thus,from woulddo. times, new the with cope to being able etc.) of and thatthe the ‘backward seenpast’, as was well, not as discarded people something your socialcause. ofassistancematerial protestingfor idea (wage Moreover, needsrights, the However experiencing. were workers ofSome the ‘mineriade’ protests of the were 90s direct also in the reaction to hardship the type of discoursecentered on material issues,become has illegitimate itself. Romanianprotests, society in the main type of discourse which was articula

that occurred can largely be understood by reference to the specificities specificities the to reference by understood be largely can occurred that , public opinion failed to be very failed be to public opinion sympathetic to their “these people deserve their destiny, and it is in fact a facta in is andit deserve destiny, their “these people 28 ception remains predominant to the present. the to present. ception predominant remains ve unemployment benefits at at benefits unemployment ve

ted by them,i.e. a g for their their g for

CEU eTD Collection Cohen 1994) as society civil of genealogy While there are many liberal variants of conceiving civil society, instead of attempting a Effects Political itsDisabling and Society Civil Romanian of Construction The 3.3. 2012 antirly pensioners the in elde in fact invoked, itis actually invoked to discredit material claimsas those such made by past cannot be to seen beis invoked and as a threatening when the legacy.Moreover, past is glorified Keynesian past Thus, if, as rightly Simionca gone. evidently are which class” working the of years “glory the with associated become have benefits social and workplace secure amore wages, better for claims any material which in scheme wider a in served has fact in but disappearance, effective its of theuntil industry discourse has only not leave to front in of themvoiceless the served continuous restructuring discourse. minerscommunist The anti used politically and subject neoliberal the of creation the between alliance strong T Industriale SpunePovestea VăiiOrașelor Jiului Pământ”: Muzeul 2015). DinRomânia” neo- “idiot or n of transition, conditio the losers of are gone” …humanity [whatlesson of they are leaving through]” his serveshis show to

nostalgic nostalgic that go to ought to North Korea andexperiment communism” according to this to according , I a practicallygrounded at look concept of society civil thatwas of great

that, as (2012) Simionca argues,in that,

if he is a worker in the West, the in aworker is he if

points out, one out, canpoints , a theoretical concept (for such an attemptsee Ferrarotti concept 1984; a theoretical public discourse, thus whoever tries to talk about the social about the social whoever triestalk to public discourse, thus ’ -

austerity protests. depic been have they wayand the protests , more generally more 29

at least discursively least at

, , “the glory years“the the classof working

socialand material conditions is an while the

Romanian discourse there is a is there discourse Romanian

in postsocialist Romania, the , lean ona historicallylean ted in

the

(“”Sub (“”Sub

public

-

CEU eTD Collection socio period.transition Civil society has been academic, in the buzzword non- the to state,greatallthe post has hadopposition influence on The of traditionalsociety, conception civil a structure and as clear in distinct thatis important discursive elements in the Romanian case. i wentprocess on this how an of outline could be avoided and democracyIn couldI be reinforced. the following subsection provide 6 the1989 in post In democratization of the former communist countries (Buttigieg 1995,2) but ithas had its important share influence of in the actual socio back Civi in. thebrought to state was clearin opposition and as adistinct of thatis society,structure civil conception traditional way the onthe Ifocus theperiod, transition space throughout socialist theimportance post after 1989 in encompassing and society civil being quasi totalitarianism ofcommunist the space was very much duetostate the beingall- narrativethis the to prone According to. state abuses is guards the and against possible space of non- autonomous ideally an as here conceived is society Civil society. civil and state between (2013) Romania socialist in ressistance of point a as culture football of emergence the on research Poenaru’s see resistance of points such 2013) Vari Plum, and (Giustino, space socialist post the all in emerge did society of civil part as understand could one that life p Confrontational naïve. and inaccurate factually be to position this shown

While I will not deal with this extensively here, it is important to note that anthropological studies have have studies anthropological that note to important it is here, extensively this with deal not will I While

this understanding of civil society emphasis falls on, as already mentioned, the separation the separation mentioned, on,as already falls societycivil emphasis of understanding this - political processes of democratization of the former communist countries (Buttigieg - and buzzword academic non only in not societythe l been has partisan reasoningpartisan about publicmatters, a structure thatke - socialist space was to build he emergence of of emergence the and particular in society Romanian with deals that study a For .

- . As it hasAs had it great. influence onallthe post space socialist .

- n inexistent

30 a the

civil society civil

post

6 - at remained to be done after done be to remained . Thuswhat socialist space and focus on certain certain on focus and space socialist , such totalitarian the that danger - socialist spacesocialist the throughout oints of ressistance in everyday everyday in of ressistance oints - . political processes of of processes political

eps the state in check check in state the eps academic work and and work academic academic work, work, academic - CEU eTD Collection thing, adirty as seen increasingly is politics as firstly, occur: processes discourse around of the narratives main of this new civil society, possibility the de of context In the complicated. get more things field the in discursive deployment comes their to it when However, s. grievance worthwhile are society, civil new this of objectives main the thing. Transparency of governance, anti Pro the as such transparency, increased comes the of to organization elections, or and highlightingcasesof corruption arguing for anywhen abuses it on instance, for watchdogs reporting, actactors democracy, asfor that benefidoes its have Thinking of democracy’. for a‘watchdog as acting on focused society attemp societyaccording as civil an view,element, autonomous what if this is exists andwas to this onlyFreedom, be however,the society. statecan insured, civil and the of inexistence despotism of omnipresence socialist of and by explained omnipotence could be countries the practical corollary stemming from this theoretical standpoint according to which the was this the force behind The society driving groups (NGOs). financing civil formalised iety the to one soc mimetic be to found westerncountries in by acivil creating on focused watchdog in keeps the state in control, i.e. civil society as a resistance point to totalitarianism and as a concept its respectively, and, state the and society 1995, 2). Very likethe theory much the stress fell proposes, onthe separationbetween civil ted through the subsequent encouragement of the a development formalized civil encouragement of ted through subsequent the

the already democratized countries. democratized already

post presently existing socio ts. One could hardly argue that the existence of formalized civil society society civil formalized of existence the that argue hardly could One ts. - socialist space in the terms of the traditional conception of civil society - corruption and insurance of free and fair elections, as elections, fair and free of andcorruption insurance - DemocracyAssociation a does Romania, is in bad - political 31

Thus, all Western democratizing programs ion as an autonomous part of society which which of society part autonomous asion an relations is severely limited.Two main

veloping a critical

the

public space public space

CEU eTD Collection str an of interpretation the different StartingII elements from the conceptual we discussed have couldforward would claim put corrupt political elites stealing ‘thewealth of people’. the theydiscussion se are not povertybest exclusion, secondary.problems are regardingetc. into When taken social social problemeasily bad, is linkedwith corrupt governance. Actualat is, policydiscussion poli answer any to as the appearing end up anti was an to generalized unwarranted level. contributed This focused onanti On discourse a society’s second civil level society. civil in discourses of amajority of tenants central become distinction between civil societyand politics to its extreme, apoliticism and neutrality have the past and social actors begin to see themselvesapolitic as seen is politics space: itse manifests reason public of use the where freedom of space Kantian of asort is society civil interest and partisanship of arealm as conceived is politics of of view theoretical shared the state, in actual political practice is linked to The deployment ofbetween the noble distinction society civil asand such, politics i.e. the s become becomes secondly depoliticised; lf situated outside politics, whatarrive we a at paradoxical is depoliticization of - corruption and to any socio any to answer apriori the the ,

in opposition theto clean, modern, society civil rule of law are they important, becomehighly when problematic they en as provoked policy,having bybad simply but as dowith to

post , the focus on transparency, anti ontransparency, the focus ucture of the Romanian anti ofucture the Romanian - socialistgovernmentalities according which to realm the - political problem.

tical situation. Thus, in the *** 32

depoliticization of public space.depoliticization from Starting

to a further depoliticization.

- corrupt - - based ideas and actions, while and actions, ideas while based austerity compared protests to -

corruption, andcorruption, rule

al. Moreover, taking the al. Moreover, takingthe ion and rule of andion law issues the

, Romanian space, any any space, Romanian as dirtyand stuck in

the -

of law law of public public While CEU eTD Collection duscuss the 2012Romanian anti counterparts. western their

This is whatI attempt starting with chapter the next whereI

- governmental protests at length. protests governmental 33

CEU eTD Collection now first return to the context thatledthe to eruptionnow of first return the 2012protests. the to context me Let subjects. political as themselves see to reluctant were protesters why and protester, develop has how come it thatanti anti Ithat, focus anti supposedbe to were grievances what in of a postsocialist variety of neoliberalism,I thendiscuss the surprising scarcity material of ofdiscussion the post previous the groups Taking (sections 3.2.,3.2.1.). acting protest main and the protest scene Bucharest 2012 descriptive the a accountof I proceed byproviding (sectionerupted 3.1.), this is the central thesisof this chapter. Afterfirst depicting the prototypical anti a be to what taken is from substantially different 2012) Stoiciu 2015; Cercel Bucharest 2012; they national both and i were presented in a and rate tax flat a to a progressive from switch the as such measures by caused expenditure was perceivedaeconomy vigorousgrowth increased out asof which the balanced Until the finan 4 anti protestsI call the 2012 governmental protests. 2012anti society during Bucharest the civil in the new of birth I the track chapterIn this IT AGAINST BEING ACTUALLY HOW4. TO BE AGAINST WITHOUT AUSTERITY .1. How Austerity Politics Met Little Societal Resistance… Societal Little Met Politics Austerity .1. How - austerity such as those in movements Spain or Greece (section 3.2.4). From hereI on

on the discursive specificitiesRomanian protests compared of the prototypical to cial crisis hit, under acenter under hit, crisis cial - socialist legacya - corruption became an all nd the way it has been put to use in the enforcement in use to put been way has it nd the - right government,right Romania had experienced what - 34 austerity protests (section 3.2.3). Starting from Starting 3.2.3). (section austerity protests nternational media Walker2012; an (Brand . I maintain. that theywere discursively - governmental rather than anti rathergovernmental than

- frame master explanatory context in which in the protestscontext - austerity reaction. In fact, In fact, reaction. austerity - austerity, as as austerity,

for the the for - CEU eTD Collection 7 - so this, to addition In 24%. 19to from VAT tax the the hike of and by15% benefits reduction social 25%, of the implemented the most important ones policies thatwere Amongthe austerity growth impossible. Government economic made Romanian austerity, the byoverdoing IMF that, has suggested an the even ironic twist, 2012) (Stoiciu effect ‘economic’ desired the had measures austerity draconic the that evidence little be to seems there consequences social severe to amounting while As Victoria Stoiciu sho IMF.financial and the loan contracted crisis from the of the international context the in maneuver nospace of to little had the thatthey thesis earlier, who hadpoliticians argued thattheaffect financialwouldnot crisis years the country two 2010,the same FundInternational 2009.Thus,in in athetook Monetary loan from prog austerity uncompromising an roles implementing in lead also took but too, Romania had hit fact in right However, immediately after (Fierbințeanu 2008) Romania elections Romanian politicians in power insistently maintained that the crisis would not affect Europe crisis’financial debut in larg repeated official visits to Greece. to visits official repeated

It was at this time that, for instance, the infamous Troika in Troika infamous the instance, for that, time this at was It (Stoiciu 2012, 1) 2012, (Stoiciu employees public of number the in e increase - wing governmentwing the of Liberal Democrat Party(PDL) not only admitted that the crisis

pushed for some of the most severe austerity measures taken in Europe, putting forth forth putting Europe, in taken austerity measures of severe the most some for pushed ram. Arguing that it was forced by circumstances, the Romanian government government Romanian the circumstances, by forced was it that Arguing ram. called sector other structuralin were words, jobs reformsfollowed; public ws her in policy analysis paper funded Ebert bythe Friedrich Stiftung,

.

the parliamentary elections President Traian Băsescu and the the and Băsescu Traian President elections parliamentary the 7 , carefully preparingfor imminent the parliamentary 2008

were the reduction of all state employees’ salaries by by salaries employees’ state all of reduction the were 35

stitution was starting its seemingly endless endless seemingly its starting was stitution . At the time the . of . Moreover, in in . Moreover, CEU eTD Collection en as aen burden as se tax to are employees inefficient,rent as bydefinition, On lazy, the taken other hand, totalitarian past (see 2012) Simionca claims was automatically discardedas itwas directly associated the with nightmarish prom discursive interplaywith anti - economic needs hardship/material developed Romanian post in ten hegemonic post discourse in aneoliberal of development the to linked are elements These resistance. of absence exp Two inexistent. almost was resistance spontaneous popular trade2012. While especially unions, trade against the police the protested cuts, union, January until resistance effective little with met were measures The case. the not was this resist societal strong about bring to measures such expect reasonably may One 3) 2011.” in be down cutsto caused shut health care 67hospitals cost system. The struggling trade 2012,3). (Stoiciu unions Moreover, reformsed includ “[s]tructural also the already incapacitated that Law Dialogue Social aNew with coupled rights worker’s reduced 8 slashed int (Stoiciu 2012, 3) 2012, (Stoiciu EU.” entire the in eliminated positions government total the of cent) per (54.64 half over representing positions, ter jobs total the Of countries. in EU terminated jobs total of the cent “Romania was the EU champion in job restructuring, with 78,700 jobs terminated, representing 21 per per 21 representing terminated, jobs 78,700 with restructuring, job in champion EU the was “Romania

dencycontempt directly against oriented complaints related towardsto of themes inently in Romania out of out allpost inently Romania in lanatoryelements may serve to bringlight to the mechanisms of this surprising o 8 . This was followed by the adoption of a reformed Labor of thatdrastically a reformed wasby. This adoption Code followed the

- socialist context. context. socialist On the one hand an interesting discursive communist ideologycommunist what perhaps was achieved, most .

- socialist space, was that any material needs related related needs material any that was space, socialist - paying individuals employedpayingindividuals byprivately owned 36

minated, 60,610 were government government were 60,610 minated, - socialist socialist society. Through a - seeking profiteers, state state profiteers, seeking ance. However However ance. (Stoiciu 2012,(Stoiciu CEU eTD Collection austerity, PDL, declined in the polls from over from thein polls cent”. 35per declinedMoreover,austerity, PDL, cent 15per around to In main “the fact, vector political of quo. status the with new waspopulation satisfied the that mean not does measures austerity the against protests The of popular absence their popular incomefired, employees supportfor or were state was scarce. 9 Roma I sectionscenes,following account of the discuss specificities the protestthe in of the After firstan providing wouldarise. thatthe 2012Romanian protests It context this in is public the of eye the in tendencies authoritarian with figure a as more and more appeared Băsescu prerogat power executive application ofself his Square, increasingly began be to seen of as the part problem. Furthermore, due the to famously race presidential first his impal be to ought elite corrupt declared the in who, Romania of president the Băsescu, Traian evencontext, In though ¼ game. marketlost theycompanies either this the involved in protests, asinternational in often media. assumed - Anti National the including system, justice of the elements key certain over control had have to held widely is Băsescu Furthermore, assumption. vernment go of procedure laws, bypassing public debate and the legislative power, through abusively an used extraordinary facto possessor of complete executive power, as Boc acted as a puppet prime puppet a as acted Boc as power, executive complete of possessor facto Liberal Party (PNL) minority government ledby Călin prime its as Boc Emil with power to coalition led PDL a brought elections

In Romanian so Romanian In had been announced.” (Stoiciu2012, 6) austerityof measures, but 9.8only per cent Augustin 2010,three months after t decline: 49.9 per cent of Romanians trusted him Januaryin 2009, before the implementation “[p]r nian 2012protests, arguing thatthey are faroff from the usual case of anti 9 (Cercel 2012,1139) sdn Taa Bssu te doae f utrt i Rmna eprecd similar a experienced Romania, in austerity of advocate the Băsescu, Traian esident ciety, not without reasons, it is widely acknowledged that after the 2008 parliamentary parliamentary 2008 the after that acknowledged widely itis reasons, without not ciety, - declared doctrine of a “player president” a of doctrine declared ives at most, arguably sometimes even trespassing them, Traian Traian them, trespassing even sometimes arguably most, at ives .

ed in the center of Bucharest in the Revolution the in Revolution Bucharest of the center ed in 37 - Popescu Popescu

Tăriceanu, PresidentBăsescu was the de Corruption Direction. Direction. Corruption - , i.e. a president that uses his thatuses his a president , i.e. minister,replacing the National - minister and passed crucial crucial passed and minister

he measures

- austerity austerity th

of of

CEU eTD Collection President’s 2012d) resignation (Mediafax the protesters University in Squa As capital. the Bucharest, including Romania, of cities large several in held were gatherings demonstrators’ chantedanti solidarity march place. took While proclaiming solidarityRaed with Arafat the austerityday protests. One later, Arafat’s what resignation have motion set in remained known as the Romanian 2012anti 2012) show (Constantin Spectacle of Society health and subsequentlycalled to bea reactionary blockin to reformsin invited, a seeking w compete which in companies thehealthcare private argued thatawould Arafat providers, system had lawgrant that would straightforward accessibilityto private companies to becomeemergency position. Declaring health himself proposed reform thea in newly present provision against On the 11 Băsescu, finallyemerged January2012. social in resistance Under system” care health “[F]ollowing a draft bill that implemented. were actually stipulated the privatization of the measures austerity first the after appear to years reaction Ita 3 forsignificantcietal took so Protests Governmental 4 .2. …Until Resistance Did Come, or Did It? The 2012 Anti- 2012 The It? Did or Come, Did Resistance .2. …Until - Secret th ith the public system would be vulnerable (David 2012). His position led him to be be to led him position His 2012).vulnerable (David besystem would public the ith

of January 2012, Raed Arafat, pressured by Traian Băsescu, resigned from his his from resigned Băsescu, Traian by pressured Arafat, Raed 2012, January of ary of State in theary Statein Ministry of thatopenly of Health law, and opposed the Traian

reminiscent episode, to submit his resignation in a live te (Stoiciu 2012, 7) and the subsequent scandal Raed Arafat, between an . - governmentalanti and

re, a symbolic square in the center of the Romanian capital capital Romanian the of center the in square a symbolic re, in Târgu Mureș, city of which Arafat was a local, a . On Friday, 13 the 38 - presidential asking messages for the

th

of January, protests escalated: escalated: protests January, of levision newslevision - CEU eTD Collection of the Sunday protests insistently highlighted by mass insistently highlightedof the by Sundayprotests violence The power. and bythe provoked set up as clashes being thethe violent protests saw uneducated savage as footballvoices hooligans, inside protesters depicted media mass While Bucharest of center the through erupted gendarmerie the and media, mass on the 15 small confrontation between the gendarmerie andalleged members of football the galleries, to (Stoica 2012,267) protesters other the by body external an as seen initially onfootball stadiumsindividuals a with simple recommendation fans notice, were football basica hooliganism law which hooligan Ultraș the actor: social new a curious of emergence discursive the see to was scene protest Bucharest the weekend, following In the escalated. Department 2012) Relations (Public system the changes blocksocial to any unrest, in want widesystem, lieuof public,in the the including res young while the practitioners, medical few a only by wanted misinformed and claiming that health reform, i.e.the modernization of the health system, is withdraw the health reform law 2012a) (Mediafax unrest,backedAs athe presidentandthe response government asked down the to to social 13 dominated the T anti the Palace, Presidential the that had been the sceneof violentlyrepressed uprisings student the in early marched 90s, to th become the scapegoat for the protest’s violent deviation. While the 14 deviation. While violent protest’s forbecome the scapegoat the as well. as th (Gândul 2012) (Gândul

of January violent clashes between protesters claimed to be foo be to claimed protesters between clashes violent of January

ârgu Mureș march in the prior day remained prevalent in Bucharest on the the on Bucharest in prevalent remained day prior the in march Mureș ârgu . Showing up with their own agenda, i.e. militating against anown agenda, Showinganti i.e. militating their upwith . lly permitted the gendarmerie to interdict theof gendarmerie presence permitted interdict the to lly - governmental andgovernmental anti , i.e. the Romanian equi 39 . However, protests did not cease, and, in fact, fact, in cease, and, not protests did However, . , while maintainingpublichad been , thatthe - media did not stop protesters from from protesters media stop not did - presidentialfeelings that had valent of the- so t of those involved in the the involvedin oft those th (Mediafax 2012b) tball hooliganstball by

. They were soon of January saw a saw January of called football - . CEU eTD Collection On the 6 night. president’ssuch happened was thatnomajor enough,conflict important resignation, that However, seemed it thatthe heterogeneousgroups’ major commondemand, i.e. the pa opposition supportthe manynot did of out which University protesters, Square political members of the opposition parties would be situated in the same spatial area with the (Nis protesters the partyand betweendemonstration, an collision resultingin interesting members discursive the onthe party joinedin Universit meetingended, members political meetingBucharest in inattempt an to gain political profit from the protests. After the political protests, the opposition coalition, the Social entirelygroups onthe stopped reporting thatwere and protesting, protesters gendarmerie protest go did Protests on,in a brutally unwelcoming weather, forweeks the the next but number of same government.younger PDLthe same the memberskeeping line of party of the previous Ungureanu, for the prime next The governmental policy. (Mediafax 2012c) protests werealready losing momentum. the On 19 (Neagu 2012) Five days after of the protest, the Raed debut Arafat was state called his function into back part of the protestingbody. showing upon a daily

ers progressively decreased. While most media (except opposition partisan) had almost almost had partisan) opposition (except media most While decreased. progressively ers th

of February, in the context of popular pressures, the whole go whole pressures, the of popular context the February, in of . While this not did . While make protests it stop, was becoming quiteevident that . However the executive’s change did not also signal a change in in a change signal also not did change executive’s the However . tor et al. 2012) mer head of a Romanian secret a Romanian of head mer

basis againandbasis weeks even the next the incorporating football fans as

. It was expected that there would be difficulties the once wouldbe thatthere expected Itwas . - minister nominated by President, the Mihai Razvan 40 - Liberal massive political Union,organized a - service, established a government a with service, established th

of January, almost a week into the athe almost weekinto of January, vernment resigned y Square daily daily y Square rties.

CEU eTD Collection F IGURE 2012) Bulai 2012; a movement single (Deoancă as protests cannotseen be Due the to diversity protesters, of some Romanian socialhave scientists argued thatthe 4 Ponta. Victor leader, democrat social by led the power, to came (PSD), Party Democrat Social the and (PNL) so government the of angovernment, opposition Ungureanu of the fall Followingpossible. the events these made and sides, switched power in party the of members where Parliament, the carried through and (Antoniu fell and, on the 3 the newIn motion, Ungureanu April,agovernment following parliamentary late censorship however,really happened. never warm would weather the when place take would protests the of reawakening aring sp that protesters the It of the hope was basis. a daily coming on forces kept .2.1. Delineating the Key Groups: Multiplicity in Action - called called

1 - M AP OF Liberal Socialist Alliance (USL),grand a coalition between the NationalLiberal U NIVERSITY NIVERSITY rd

of July the impeachment pr S QUARE PROTEST SITES SITES QUARE PROTEST Micu 2012)

. Social unrest changed the balance of power inside inside power of balance the changed unrest Social . 41 IN IN 2012 ocedure of the President was successfully successfully was President the of ocedure

. It. was common to - up. This, up. This, CEU eTD Collection of the opposition parties. opposition of the 10 (TNB), mostly middle with side the i.e. square, the of side one on Whereas, 1). figure (see Bucharest side and the National Theatre side were constantlyduring occupied the protests Out of the the thetwosides: Faculty four and junction, Architecture University sidesof of of Local protesters of lessmaximum than the7000 in day which in opposition political numerous. Media thatnomore reports than 2000protestersdaily were ona out a basis,with 4 lane/wayoccupied, thewas fact were roadsimply not due thatthe to protests very not exception one With name. same the with station also homean to Underground whichBucharest, is centerlarge of the in junction protests. theUniversity earlyousted at from located a and power, is student 1990s in Square Ceausescu was 1989, when resistance in social theboth of site Square, had been which As alreadythe Bucharest protests in mentioned,place took the in symbolic University speakto protest (2012). of twospacesof theIt Romanian soc as possible, is positioning. termsin of spatial differentiated clearly were lungs called so these protests, of days few first the after Especially Crăciun 2012) arguingexistence of forprotests (Stoica twolungsMihailescu 2012,282; the and the inside graphically branches, two between aseparation described protests the of aleader as seen dif

The exception is that of the 19th of January when University square protester square University when January of 19th the of that is exception The ferentiate between two protest groups. For instance, in an interview one of those who was who of those one interview an in groups. instance, For protest two ferentiate between ităţi. ‘Un ÎntregLa ‘Un Arsenal’,Protestatariităţi. Descoperit DinCapitală” 2015) (“BILANŢUL PROTESTELOR de Luni Luni de PROTESTELOR (“BILANŢUL .

- aged many and protested, pensioners ofsupporters which of were the

10 sidewalk, placeonthe took always , the protests

42 -

300 e aietni n 2 de 52 În Manifestanţi de 13.000 iologist AlfredBulai does, s were joined by members members by joined were s

the National Theatre Theatre National the members joinedthe . and the the and CEU eTD Collection 12 11 surreal- studio almost spotlights, creating an brought TV carswhich news main all boasted Theater) National Bucharest the of side (the present were protesters mostly side where more watched groups: elderly the while therepresentation two of media in acleavage by accompanied was cleavage spatial the enough, Interestingly protested. people elderly mostly visit the other side, where other side of visiting the agroups, habit protesters made some because spatial separationof the of the This is not to say that two the groups did not interact; while direct interaction was impossible betweendistinction outright loser asocial as seen be also arguably can cleavage generational this argues, Deoanca As cleavage allthroughoutwithstanding, spatial dimension generational its this the protests. kept anti more be to appeared which amessage with youngerArchitecture, the people, Facultyof i.e. onthethatof other opposition, side, political special status“ambassadors” of in his study (2012). majority. gain to they were Euros 10000 of sum lump a Romania of citizen individual each giving as such measures for arguing and corrupt all being as ellite political established the criticizing while elections parliamentary loc the 2012 in seats won party the TV channel, press yellow a of director the leader its as Having

This is what the Roma the what is This confusing. ideologically looked that movement political rising a time, that at was, Party People’s The and right per austerityand the transition quartered in offront the National Theatre; briefly put the losers of [both postsocialist] 2012). Separated a by large boulevard, the two groups rarely interacted” capitalist mode of production while fearing that they themselves risk proletarization (Zizek pa are slogans andplacards elaboratedapublic with relations affinity. Theprotesters side onthis “The pensioners, People’sthe Party rt of rt “wagedthe bourgeoisie” which rebels defending privilegedtheir position in the 12 . Moreover, at a certain point, the gra the certain. Moreover,point, at

- wing dissatisfied were yelling their indignation altogether with incisive ironical nian sociologist Alfred Bulai refers to when he speaks about protesters with the the with protesters about speaks he when to refers Bulai Alfred sociologist nian

iod. On the other side, […] students,intellectuals,otherOn side, […] the creatives iod. s of the transition, and partial winners of it: and transition, partial of ofs winners the 11 sympathizers, old

43 oup of youth marches organized of protesters tooup - systemic protested (see figure 2). Long Long 2). figure (see protested systemic - aged womenagedand unemployed the

(Deo like protest scene, the the scene, protest like

ancă 2012, 192)

al and

CEU eTD Collection the thatonthewith fact protests had do to twospacesof fundamental between the difference protest movement’s frames, Bulai suggests terms thatin of employed a discourses het two the between differences related, parties argued supporters.opposition discursive Evencan that more it so, be substantial, movements, the TNBgroupelderly was ofprotesters fully not of political composed Right (which was, however, isolated and margina from football fansnationalist with tendencies, the to outright fascist movement of New the progressive, Faculty of Architectureyouth group of protesters subgroups contained ranging Both groups were, fact, in The quiteheterogeneous. sa attention (Bulai 2012,88 Architecture PROTESTERS F IGURE IGURE 2 - S OM THE THE OM FR CENE )

Faculty side where mainly younger protesters were present received less media media less received present were protesters younger mainly where side Faculty 2012 –90).

U NIVERSITY NIVERSITY S erogeneous groups existed. In his study of the 2012 2012 ofIn studythe his groups existed. erogeneous QUARE PROTESTS ON TH PROTESTS QUARE 44 lized), andlized), left me way seemingly the more E A RCHITECTURE RCHITECTURE - liberal and left- F ACULTY SIDE SIDE ACULTY radical radical ( YOUTH YOUTH - CEU eTD Collection Architecture group, name as its indicates, was a group brought together spatial simply byits Rather than beingideological the coalesced Facultyframework, a around common of 2014 anti societycivil then be several whichinvolvedin would other the protests, including massive theyouth constituted core of ancontains new those who most emerging mainly of protesters, onthe latter.protesters, was This, focus my youthgroup elderly the group of ofand groups, payingboth to the While i.e. attention 4 IAfter issue. the heterogenou discussing of nature s the protests focus will onthis central. not were grievances based material why is here answer an begs that question the Romanian protests. Thus,if the protests wereas onanti seen a variation far go very not do we me to seems it claims, based Even so, if weremainthis first at levelappearances, of simplynoticing rarity the material of simplistic distinction between socio moral a protest wouldremain material devoid of any claims, as material opposed claims to onthe National Theater side which had a youthbyon the theprotestersFaculty of Architecture often side were most i distinction between political and socio climate a political claims, i.e. “claims anunhealthy andliberties, political related civil to rights economic claims as opposed the to protesters on the Faculty of side, who Architecture had ol the side, Theatre National .2.2. Eerie Coexistences: Unlikely Alliances Against a Common Enemy - related aspect more often. Yet, the latter were framed such that the main reason of of reason main the that such framed were latter the Yet, often. more aspect related nd ademocratic deficit” - tests. gold mining pro der, often retired, protesters were more prone to making social making to prone more were protesters retired, often der, - g this point canover point the g this Onlymissin by one. principled

(Bulai 2012,89). Notwithstanding use Bulai’s of a dubious - economic and political claims be political forward. put and economic - economicclaims, itis factually true that claims made 45 often called Faculty of Architecture group of group of Facultyof called Architecture often

in understandingin the specificity of the - austerity movements

mperatives mperatives

- - CEU eTD Collection groups chanted slogans flirting with nationalist ideas. However, most of the times no direct left more theinstance, ideologically cooperationfromForin the evident interior.often in was located two spatially spaces differentiated of even protests, but, each inside protest space, uneasiness onlythe difficultmaintainalliancegroups to was were Not there palpable. between varied groups,allianceradically but between ideologically different clear unitary body.A more careful analysis brings light to the eeriness of the temporary atFrom a first glance, an protests may external standpoint, the produceda the have image of xistence. coe eerie any and 170), 2012, attempts of established political figures to join the protest, most other groups coalesced in an (Deoancă marginalized were group, Right New Romanian fascist eco neoliberal present the president is only instrumental an part of the system, a “conventional president in the unlikely alliance with voices such as those critical of contemporary capitalism arguing that as having the dowith cleansing to of a protest of reason main the saw that voices space, political acivilized of desire the of context and engagecoexist In voices action. framing collective context, in this their the protests in Faculty Architect the of groupsallowed of the ideologicallydiverse An that question important arises the hasformations dowith nature to that of the discursive constitute important elements in this new civil society. groups, as the left such informal other and ideology liberal socially its with NGO Spirituală Miliția the tendencies, nationalist its with (Romaniathe Alive) România Vie organization focus onanticorruption, (Clean Curată România the as such groups, formal Both positioning. - oriented subgroups, it was evident for me how people were not at ease when other other at ease when me were how not for people was it evident subgroups, oriented

nomy” - liberalI drew mostmy of

(Petri 2014). While few(Petri groups, 2014). While as extremist the outright such corrupted class, political found themselves an in 46

participant observation from, would observation participant

only from an inside standpoint standpoint inside from an only Romania) NGO with its ure group to peacefully group peacefully to ure CEU eTD Collection Material Claims were interests material how stressed that one was materials media of myanalysis in emerged A theme thatwas repeatedly by onsite formulated sides, and onboth protesters that also 4 government. a with thenimpossibility wider protesting the president agenda up against come and to an in groups be making participating hand the other onthe while the protests possible, identification of a political persona problem as that,onthe one thehand, fundamental made this is It Băsescu. President oppose to need the on agreed all they differences, their despite reinstatement therepresented of incarnation ofothers neoliberalism, while monarchy, for he replacedor bya maybe, morally cleannational bourgoisie, even, be to ought that traitor national a representedBăsescu protestersthe of some for if even Thus, left the of leader responsible directly as Băsescu, Traian President particularly framings of societal issues, identified the elites in power at that moment generally, and groups that,while adifferentprotests having brought very diversityof together diagnosis straight The protesting. groups wouldrenounce thatnonerise, wasof such the when it resolved conflict direct did conflict with .2.3. Drifting T the square.”the president’s abusive use of power; it was the common point of all the very different groups in “The most important common elementwas somehow personalized and referred to the

-

forward explanation of this situationforward of the this has explanation dowith to fact tha groups promoting such messages rose. Moreover, even in the rare occasions in even Moreover, rose. suchgroups promoting messages

- liberal group in the Faculty of Architecture space argued: argued: space Architecture of Faculty the in group liberal

hrough Postsocialist Romania: Failing to Articulate (Ștefan, (Ștefan, key youth figure of newthe civil society). 47 for the situation. Thus,as the for the situation. made obsolete throughmade obsolete the

t the 2012 thet 2012

CEU eTD Collection middle class educated be to tended protesters Architecture of Faculty that fact rather thana material one. Coupling this contempt for material needs related claims with the Theatre felthighlight need the to that their protest main motivationa valu was NationalBucharest front in of the thearticulating older positioned such protesters claims, why discursive tendency for contempt for articulatingmaterial needs related claims. This explains strong developed ahistorically is there society Romanian in that suggested already have Discussing historical the d feature. discursive common level, deeper a, hide actually may reasons by proclaimed political side and of the protests one dignity” need stress to thattheir presence at the protests was one based i.e. onprinciples, protesting- for socio motivated by material interests even indeed spaceswhen, was commonboth protests: of to The prevalenceneed of justify the to protest as the one social thatis exclusively not that theystreet for were on the out value e th Instead,not mainmotivation behind the protests. many a need felt protesters highlight to principles, and the current sy and the principles, “We to for not here protest not having are what Weto because eat. here are we have neither group of protesters was eager to articulate such claims. Even when in fact in when Even claims. such articulate to eager was protesters of group neither . This seems This .

economic reasons,economic National the Theater older often protesters felt the to suggest that differentiation the between so the iscursive legacies socialism, of and anti the - (“Cine Sunt Viermii Ciumpalacii Şi Din Piaţa Universităţii” 2015a) stem leads adictatorship.”to - reasons: reasons: 48

- civic reasons of the othercivic side reasons - communist ideology,I communist called socio called

youth having “a matter of“a e based one one based e - economic economic

CEU eTD Collection 13 as anit inadequacy eliteadhering political in of the national amore to values,folding often to wildly interiorize protesters experiences.Some process differentlyThis perceived to may lead yearsintervie A 34 protester old demands. material such articulate power, inRomanian the postsocialist discursive context itbecomes extremely difficult to in thewith people unhappy the protesters many of thatmakes livelihood of a decentmeans Inincreased economic hardships. other words, while it the increasedis difficulty of e criticizing of means to access discursive arestricted is there decreases, austerity implemented I claim that this in case, even for though the politicians support thataggressively aged describes expressively it: protester such, there is a stigma associated with recognizing onehas material issues. As one middle with an impossibility, i.e. the impossibility of directly a My thata here is suggestion mainfeaturestreet in ofpolitics contentious Romania has do to material articulated rarely protesters side no immediate material needs on the other sid other on the

Or at least no immediate material needs that were as serious as those of the poor pensioners protesting protesting pensioners poor the of those as serious as were that needs material no immediate least at Or because Băsescu mocking is national values. This is what hurts me most.” “Although amI not too well off, amI not motivated by social reasons to here…be I am here illare andunemployed? It's very sad.” admit they're starving? You know how many people in their 50s start drinking, ashamed they “Fear growsalong with debts andduties. knowYou how people manyare old ashamed to e.

(“ Uite CineUite Sunt Ciumpalacii ViermiiŞi Din Piaţa Universităţii” 2015) 13

understand why Faculty Architecture why understand of to easier becomes it , wed by the Jurnalul National newspaperwed arguesas follows: bythe Jurnalul

- issue based claims. based issue 49 rticulating material based claims. As

(Petri 2014) (Petri nsuring nsuring

- CEU eTD Collection 14 a material articulate this context that material related issues were silenced in2012 the protests.One cannot easily neoliberal reformsand reinforce responsible the flexible, neoliberal subject. B It is in this context that both politicians and mainstream intellectuals discard any criticism to worlddle of ranking mid corporation managers in a large Romanian city 2012). Simionca see has happenedthe in this an accountof how the with past (for silenced association through its repudiateda as whole, any sort of discourse directly critical to neoliberalism is immediately etc. one is automaticallyassociated with the past. socialist Since the communist past is to be self neoliberal of tenants the towards critical is If one here. enforcement of subjectivity neoliberal and anti hegemonic pushingourse towards the disc the between linkage The here. work at are that mechanisms the deployment governmentality may of context neoliberal Romanian postsocialist in elucidate The thediscoursesprotests arelinkedto dominant peculiar of the much transition. very of years Romanian real fall after the than 20 Even more if happening social unarticulated by demandsremain get substituted often of andother discontent. forms silenc Common to all these reactions is however a similar structure: material based issues are PiaţaUniversităţii” Viermii2015;“Cine SuntŞi Ciumpalacii PiaţaDinUniversităţii” 2015b) like outside country “a becomes Romania and infested be broug communist cleansed Romaniansmust aonly self of fall the to in trap or less extreme nationalism. form of Other protesters, avoid dissatisfaction with the status quo. status the with dissatisfaction their expressing when expressions similar invoked often protesters outside”, like country a

In this context, “outside” designates western space. Following a popular Romanian pop hit titled “I want want “I titled pop hit Romanian popular a Following space. western designates “outside” context, In this ed; in the context of a powerful stigma associated with demanding material safety, demanding safety, associatedwith material powerfulstigma of a context ed; the in - related demand since it links back to the communist past, and as such as such past, and communist the to back since links demand it related

-

colonial attitude according to which the backward mentality of colonial attitudeaccording which of to mentality the backward 14 ” 50

(“Uite Cine Sunt Ciumpalacii Şi Viermii Din Viermii Şi Ciumpalacii Sunt Cine (“Uite - ht to western standards such that such westernstandards that to ht communist discourses is critical - responsiblisation, flexible work flexible responsiblisation, foldinga nationalist to stance - existing soc existing ut itis also in ialism , the . CEU eTD Collection my discussion of it in Chapter 3 Chapter in of it discussion my (2008) study Kideckel’s see westernization and modernization prevents that element backward the 15 the inside movement. Heconstituting own position his argued as follows: Romanian and the Spa the between the similarity declared that 2012protests, the in figure leading my a informants, of function. One an important also served resemblance movement this Moreover, the inside are“Who Indignados Bucharest?”. in the movement directly: for an in article instance, RomaniaLibera, in published Mirce 2012) (WalkerBucharest and hardships”economic international onthe protests ascuts mediaand “pay being reported over Indignadosthe in It movement Spain. from so an external appeared of view. point While anti ofAs thea point birth new society, civil anti the 2012 4 anti by dominated discursively really not were protests austerity expressed rarely and silenced are demands material

.2.4. The Romanian Variety of Anti-Austerity Reaction For account an into it.” into was an important reference how pointunderstood in I movement the and got myself involved agendas therewere think I common Indignados with points the movement, and me thisfor Romania very it wa a,not s structured in strong fact, but the outburst, essence in their of square[University] differs Spain from includingviewsheer frompointof of the In numbers. center- Spain.happening in There of common alot were points: for instance anti “For onin me went what 2012looked very much like… away parallel was in was what to - austerity throughout movements Europeas the Greek such (outraged) Aganaktismenoi or right right government, a social movement; it is true that what was happening in the

of how the traditional working class with its material related demands was shaped into into shaped was demands related material its with class working traditional the how of nish Indignadosnish anti .

, Romanian media linked the protests to the Indignados, Romanian media linkedthe the protests to

(Ștefan, key(Ștefan, youth figure ofnew the civil society) - 51 austerity movements was essential for him in 15 . Thus, ironically, the Romanian anti . Thus,ironically, the - appeared similar to similar appeared protests austerity - austerity positions. austerity

- austerity politics, a

a Kivuasks

and and

- CEU eTD Collection young Nicely thein wordsexperienced of hardships. a prot social synthesized all of cause deep the as stands that issue the as protests, the of framing diagnosis master as out the stood corruption as a symptom, mere corruptio an as diagnosis main framing. Not seen of favor the in framings related material such of Romanian anti difficulty the ensuring discourse in livelihoods, i.e.anissues, related issues to increasing related material essentially on centered claims delprotesters’ Sol Puerta instance, for Whereas, politics was actually about. that was indeed they very similar, had quitediffe as the Greek protests, thewere Spanish protesting or about against a wayof doing Romanian protesters quitedifferent created linkages.If discursive the Romanian protests, just articulating themesWhile those of to anti more common well known politics:4.2.4.1. Eliminating anti interplays anti the 2012Romanian of Ireconstruct starting the discursive a ofpoint, taking theas demands protesters the main level thereAt this an is important linkage these protests. However, between what in follows, country. each in movements social respective the of center the at were of all three countries governments’ the adoptedAfterall, theausterity by similar policies movement makes sense. The linkage betweenGreek and anti Spanish - austerity protests bypassed bypassed protests austerity

- corruption, apolitics anti and corruption, - austerity protest that worked along quitedifferent lines. 52 - austerityand the Romanian movements rent diagnoses of what this way this ofrent what diagnoses of doing PARTIES ARE COMPROMI ARE PARTIES F IGURE IGURE 3 -

P ROTESTERS WITH PLACA WITH ROTESTERS - politics - auster SED

”.

ester: ester: ity protests, the

RD READING RD READING politics

“A LL LL CEU eTD Collection NAMES SINCE SINCE NAMES EXISTING POLITICAL P INCO BY EXTENDS THAT F protests. Intriguingly,protests. have what remained as the 2012anti known if not silenced,if at not best. secondary, protest fact other anti policies. austerity associated the and program, opposed a political neoliberal and protesteddirectly people wasit the case that real manifestations tendency of the of rate the of profit to falland their unemployment status, were through the marching streets of Athens oring Madrid between explain the relations the While itwas evidently thenot case that workerswith class consciousness’ ‘fully developed implemented policies. 16 problem. the of part as seen was it problems, all of root the as seen being than rather corruption IGURE IGURE

or Greek protesters did not relate to this issue. However, in their case, case, their in However, issue. to this relate not did protesters or Greek Spanish that tosay not is This the West.the They are not faced with the same thing; in the west theyimagine cannot sucheven a government after the IMF loan. evident It is that these cannot protests be fully understood in “Foreign media asserts that people protest due to austerity the measures taken by the 4 - A

- PROTESTER austerity they protests, were inexistent almost in the Romanian anti- s in which material based issues and discourses critical to austerity policies were, were, policies austerity to critical discourses and issues based material which in s 1989).

’ ARTIES ARTIES RP S PLACARD FEATURING S PLACARD ORATING THE NAMES OF NAMES THE ORATING ( AND THEIR SHIFTING SHIFTING AND THEIR

Thus, if slogans aswere “Nocuts!” such in more ubiquitous

A SKULL A SKULL

53 ALL precluded any criticism of actually actually of criticism any precluded diagnosis of social problems is that it frame amaster as “corruption” the proteststhe level of corruption (the true reason of problems. The perverse effect of of effect perverse The problems. social of factor explanatory sole the corruptionprotesters constituted Forof Romanian the majority Viermii DinViermii Piaţa Universităţii” 2015) (“Uite Cine Sunt Ciumpalacii Şi 16 ).” - austerity protests were in in were protests austerity

austerity austerity

of of CEU eTD Collection mythical technocrat figures, Raed Arafat. Raed figures, technocrat mythical 17 prote constructions of social lives, is it seen as an immoral space Thus,any of corruption. decent alternative between choice real of a space as envisioned being than rather space, tech i.e. experts, solutions were actually proposed they came from outside the political realm: technical political when Even the to proposition. utter disgust of was one reaction the overwhelming lines: goals. afor When proposition establishing a political movement/party onthe following came organiz of issues on debate of process democratic participative frommoment myparticipant when observation protestersgathered were own a in in politics was often seen as a form of treason to the movement.Let me recall an emblematic discourse was one of clear refusal of joining theIn in political. fact, pr functioning inrealm the of the civil society/politics liberal distinction the movement’s it s anti and organization),Romania anpolitical in apolitical forth an actual has was suchnow (as brought in thepolitics brought back movement of Indignados Thomassen movement 2014) (Taiboopposed the to 2013; als was have could protesters the political the with the relation framed differently, but theproblem political was Moreover, only not

It is emblematic for the whole movement that it started out as a movement in sup in movement a as out started it that movement whole the for emblematic is It uch that the movement itself was unwilling to get involved in the political game. Clearly them!” keep letting keep changethem other each all “If the political class is compromised we should come with an alternative. Why shall we ster would want to position himself altogether outside politics.

nocrats, were onlynocrats, envisioned as saviors the possible

in power?in involved Let ourselves get us andreplace o articulated in a substantially different manner. As As manner. different asubstantially in articulated o 54 - political hegemonic discourse made ation establishingand future

oposal of involvementoposal 17 , for instance, where where instance, for , port of one of these these of one of port . As such, political CEU eTD Collection revolutionary consciousness is, the more ridiculous this vanguard becomes. vanguard this ridiculous more the is, consciousness revolutionary its truer the Thus, public. to the inaccessible discursively is that problem a addresses it since public, 18 and issues material of, spoken indeed When issues. material to related directly rarely and actual policy the Romanian so austerity along worked protests nocoherent fundamentally different With lines. critique of to a posing threat an articulation political eventual to amounting policies neoliberal critique of If prototypical anti the Romanian reaction was along these lines mistake, with disastrous consequences in terms of political s as anti prototypes for Indignados protests style Occupyor the take might instance. we for While ones, the Spanish to substantially different present space.The this Romanian- in so austerity reaction to different substantially the understand should one Romania, in of politics correctness, ofreasons bourgeois for ofsolely not is importance, This specificities. its out misses discursive features simplycalling itan anti- anti the of part as seen the 2012Romanian anti Unexpectedwere, as they Script 4 in terms of political strategy, to a situation in which a vanguard know vanguard a which in situation toa strategy, political of in terms

.3. Screening an Indignados Sequel: Different Director, Different Different Director, Different Sequel: Indignados an .3. Screening - anti prototypical the to lines similar on be to reaction Romanian the Assuming the existing political system (see Podemos in Spain, Syriza in Greece) the Romanian anti-

but for reasons of political strategy. If one wants to carve out a progressiveform a Ifcarve oneout wants ofto strategy. political reasons for but - austerity movements posed material grievances, and an explicit explicit an and grievances, material posed movements austerity - sy stemic post -

- called anti called 18 2008 worldwide reaction. However,2008 worldwide terms in of - . austerity protests delimitated fr austerity problematic. is By protest one so, doing called anti called 55 - - austerity reactions it would be a serious austerity would reactionsit governmental protests should evidentlygovernmental should protests be - austerity protests were, protests austerity - it- talks to an inexistent inexistent all elitetoan talks trategy assume to that the

austerity reaction, leads, leads, reaction, austerity om political space,

as shown, CEU eTD Collection already existing political system. political existing already the in movement the if of parts incorporation the but movements, political of alternative creation the i.e, 19 vantage class 2014)political external point. (seefrom an Poenaru cleansingthe the of ritual for a but renounces quest programpolitical austerity measures, that the society civil groups thatcontinued contentious moves against ontheir the various state will As space. reprehensible morally dirty, as a discursivelyconstructed been has politics way and the Romanian context understanding attitudecan alternatives.apolitical the paradoxical onlyby explained Such be political class for its corruption, most protesters a in realmpolitics of supposed neutrality. criticizing the While whole of the Romanian a political project. Not willing to proposea political project, theysituated themselves outside not were was thatprotesters 2012protests the feature discursiveimportant of an However, above). 4 and 3 figures (see class political existing the in alternative no te In frame. explanatory amaster as taken people, weredifficult livelihoods directly the corrupt connected elites and with their theft from the As such, what emerged as a pseudo a as emerged what such, As

However, as we shall see, these shifts, have not b not have shifts, these see, shall we as However, rms of political involvement, at their most critical stance Romanianyouth protesters saw be seen in the next chapter, this view has shifted substantially for substantially has shifted view chapter, this the be next seen in

- political solution in 2012 was not a differently oriente a not 2012was in solution political

een as in the caseof other anti 56

were skepticalattempts any of to build - austerity movements, movements, austerity willingcreate to 19 d . CEU eTD Collection allowed a controversial open cast the in Western gold part of miningthe Romania, in project streets in reaction to the promotion of a special mining law drafted in a manner which and Ciorniciuc 2013) cialist postso Odobescu 2013; onwards2000s Romania in Ciobanu 2013; et Avenir (Sciences werehappened protestsfromalso ever byfartheRomania erupted.largest the have to They quite1, 2013,in different conditions, political the first large protests in environmental so the after a half year and one than More the existing political class, which brought itto practical dissolution. theIfell trapPresidential into of how elections, theof members movement supporting show its involvement in two electoral campai Salvămcommunity the Trackinginside Uniți duringrelation the to 2012protests. the tensions I the movement discursive in of evolution itself, the Save) track established community We (United Salvăm Uniți the cast and gold project, the way,pro mining tests, these inside Montană protests against 2013environmental theFocusing Roșia onthe preeminent important parts itretreated of intomembers support for existing the of political class. and failed, movement alternative, the political a managing create to of instead Ishow how, anti InI chapter events which this tracein groups the of the new society civil of out the 2012 born SYSTE POLITICAL EXISTING THE TO BACK MOVEMENT 5. - - ANTI ASUPPOSED REASSIMILATING governmental got involvedin protests sociallycontentious 2013and movements in 2014. M

. For weeks in a row (even tens of) weeksFor row came thousands of (even a tens people in . onthe out gns, elections the Europeanand the Parliament - c alled anti alled 57 - austerity 2012 protests, on September onSeptember 2012 protests, austerity

SYSTEMIC SYSTEMIC

open

CEU eTD Collection anti keepingthe relation mind thedevelopment in to 2012 Thus, possible. criticized in be as to seen suppor it group at and later led the Salvămorganizationaldynamics then thestages, that, examine Uniți more participation homogenousand class heterogenous a ideological more participation. of the composition thediscuss different which had context, a political significantlychanged brief of 2012. the description since (Unit autonomy that,atdifferent laterI ended this, stages, Priorto uppursuing objectives. provide Salvăm Uniți group, organizational an of emergence I byconcise of start athe providing dynamics description and of the the movement after wouldhave process extraction finished. the was insurance no real there danger; environmental also posedit an cyanides, dangerous as different such substances thatused extraction proposeda methodof Moreover,extraction. with from5% dues wou state the as hole, black economic theallspectersThein endan class, project, supportedpolitical was was by of which the Poenaru 2014a) delayed been long had which locality, Montană Roșia Mountains, Apuseni different outcomes a roughly lineto similar the 2012protests, did have peculiarities their individual and led to transconnection the to singleway the environmental protests and hi

these social movement circles, analyzing circles, movement social these ghlighting the continuities and discontinuities between the two, I betweenghlighting and the two, continuities discontinuities analyze the the to finally beaction. to put to , as part of, as the part movement actually supporta and to member chose split of

- that the companyguaranteeing safety environmental wouldcontinue ideological andapolitical doctrine the of protests, while that following ting politicians fromsame the existing class had that always been - issueframing the of initial protest worked putting itinto ld basically sell its resources and only receive less than than less receive only and resources its sell basically ld

2013- 58 2014 events compared to the 2012protests: compared to events 2014

central themes that made such a a such made that themes central ed We Save), with relative relative with Save), We ed (Kalb F. 2006; - governmental governmental I I CEU eTD Collection the same party. same the popul to due which, involved) politically be to agencies secrete of members not allow does law (the minister prime become to agency intelligence of a head a as position his from resigned gesture, controversial a in who, 20 creating hopes of in Liberal Democratic Party, opposition, the, now in streets of sympathizers createthe movement not and did into out a onlyaround mass plagiarized brought his thesis had been not figure, a sympathized youthIf the in urban especially class. middle the scandal Fiercely criticized in a scandal related to him plagiarizing his Ph - prime became Ponta, Victor Party, Democratic Social the of leader The power. to the two opposition parties, the Social Democratic Partyand the National Liberal Party came governing the and Băsescu, Traian president, the enemy, common a of identification allianceopportunist Liberal named the Social Union,whose cohesion was given bythe opposition parties inParliament the and Micu 2012) (Antoniu such May thatin 2013the government it made had pressure popular and Party, Liberal Democratic the measures, austerity severe had introduced which the of party a situation of protests. fragilemajority The contingent In terms institutional of political power needed. are time that of the old political system, a few background details of the Romanian political situation at movement to reach the critical moment in which important parts of itsupported a politician the for possible of the eventsTo made understandand properly what it the dynamics 5 I tendency2014 moments the emergencea the inside movement. alsonationalist discuss of the exsting political class

.1. The Political Context: Changes that amount to N to thatamount Changes Context: Political .1. The A Democratic Liberal Party youth Party Liberal Democratic A ar pressure mounted around the 2012 protests, had already replaced the previous government of government previous the replaced already had protests, 2012 the around mounted pressure ar

. Discussing the discontinuitie

- basedgovernment, headed

the situation had significantly changed from the 2012 the 2012 changed from had significantly situation the 20 fell through promoted by a motion censorship the 59

by the young Mihai Razvan Ungureanu Ungureanu Razvan Mihai young the by s betweens the 2012 aand the2013- D thesis, from the start Ponta . In this situation, in an in situation, In this . othing

minister. party, party, CEU eTD Collection 2012 and 2013- between and continuities discontinuities I focus the reason is onhighlighting both This why alsoasprotests, but being an altogether the in dynamics dfferent new step society. of civil the being a lineof as be should seen on Thus, the both 2013protests 2012 and 2013events: that me told Ștefan him, with talk my in instance, Faculty 2012,constituted ofin Architecturethe starting nucleus of the 2013protests. side of the 2012protests, i.e, mostly theohad people protested wh at the Fountain nextthe to youth specifically, thegold protests. More themining 2013anti governmental and protests numerous post in and,It point, asa mentioned, the indeedtipping protest sc was MontanăRoșia protests, notes: Dorin, a key in figure the civil society of movements Bucharest especiallystarting with the of the goldopposition mining project bring supportdid serious active to effects. about As active his from switch back gain, move to Ponta’s ensuring political and a massmovement had explicitly stated would he not do Thisthis. was... too just much. It was a tipping point…” core ofcore 2013 were there in 2012 too. 2012andin 2013. in Experience was extremely useful here. Mostof those who at were the without 2012 from this point of view. Moreover, there are the common people th only the cause, but it got spread due to 2012. do I not think that we would have reached 2013 shock was even bigger, he practically broke hi Traian Basescu [Romania’s president at the time, Victor Ponta’s political by enemy], and so on. [..T]he supported been had project The project. Montana Roșia the cancelling proposed wassays shocking. If we think it out well,in the electoral campa ign Victor Ponta explicitly “This discrepancy between governmental the project and what governmentthe effectively “ Roș ia Montană ia 2014. - 2000 protests in Romania. There was a strong link between the 2012 anti a between Romania.the There in stronglink 2012 was 2000 protests was a clearly assumed cause in 2012. Alright, not by everyone and not as

(Dorin, key in figure the Uniți Salvămmovement) (Ștefan, key(Ștefan, youth figure ofnew the civil society) 60 s word. The prime- “there is a direct connection” adirect“there is minister [i.e. Victor Ponta] ene was by far the most most the far by was ene

continuation of the 2012 continuation at were both both were at

between the the between

For For - CEU eTD Collection et 2013) Avenir Same O Same the for Salvăm 22 21 NGO founded bythe well been already. time controversial for oriente some Environmental had project mining gold Montană Roșia The of. unheard not was protests the of theme The occupiedand the city. subsequently completelymarched University Square through fiftee to over ten of crowds sometimes protests gathered much larger Montană Roșia the protesters, the by occupied never almost was motorway, the including i.e. University thousand people in Square six five, together than more Bucharest mainprotest If scenesite. was the 2012anti the the main locationwherein institutions with symbolical political power are located, the again, Once - mining lawpower, aforementioned (Dale promoted special asthe he mining project befor gold Montană Roșia the against himself declared openly had 2012, in parties opposition the of theIf leader Victor Ponta, parliamentary parties. political 2012opposition headed bythe government by a taken ameasure against place 2012,people in were nowprotesting out anti where Bucharest, and Cluj especially cities, In large 5. political parties joined in the protest. the in joined parties political opposition the of members which in one Some even estimate a presence of over twenty thousand people in some of the protest days (Sciences days protest the of some in people thousand twenty over of presence a estimate even Some One should also consider that in the case of the 2012 protests the most numerous gathering was the the was gathering numerous most the protests 2012 the of case in the that consider also should One 2. 2. The Story of thof e Story The

Community: Community: taking into consideration that it is both the largest urban zone in Romania, and Romania, in zone urban the largest both is it consideration that into taking .

ld - prime became e he Political Class Political - f onr f ag prin o ln i Rșa otn, Eugen Montană, Roșia in land of portions large of owner off

From a From oi Montană Roșia

minister, his position shifted completely once in upport to Support Protest Environmental

61

Uniți the Uniți and Protests - - governmental protests also t austerity never protests br d NGOs, including a local includingd NGOs, a local 21

Harris 2013) Harris n thousand people n thousand , and the whole square, whole , and the .

22 ought ought that that ook CEU eTD Collection power. political the by it on attack perceived political scandals, e.g. visiting the National Directorate Anti of - opposition, that wanted to visit different political institutions in the context of different protest a clearly single the keep to wanted who those between emerged tensions different when dynamics interesting quite creation a the of at of thestood base building, also it marched the Parliament around e.g.morewhen and visible heard, the l was Whilequestion. this an opportunity terms in of of possibilities the movement become to thatwerethe movement for often marchedthe the significant events to publicinstitutions in accordingBucharest, of neighborhoods marcheswith through the the somehow street” won participants, citizens,i.e.“the the and ended uptakingform of marches the the city. through Ina sense, recounts, Petri as Vlad same slowly spatial coordinatesof the 2012protests,the University protests Square, s daily place protests, events weekly, took onSundays. the with occupation Starting of the against th If onfor the 2012protests went days a in spring row until University in the protests Square, in back protests austerity relatedanti European Parliament an the in to ofintervention the both thein protests reported figures the key of of articulated. As one often mining was gold project theme the related to the main the not project though reality. into Moreover, mining Montană Roșia the turn to taken actions opposed decade, a than more for had, David, want cyanide,want but for dictatorship, not for our democracy!” on based project criminal, Corporation Gold Montana cyanide and corruption, after days of protests, altogether Roșia they sang: “We don’t want Weit! the about here not did they the voices, All for example, avery good is andthis case for protests, our all people, even if e Roșia Montană gold mining company usually took a different form. Rather than than Rather form. different a took usually company mining gold Montană Roșia e - issue one and groups, often backing the parliamentary political political often the parliamentary backing groups, and issue one 2012:

aw passed the was throughprotesters parliament

62 me of the 2012 protests, the ecological 2012protests, me of the

as a public space. along Thus, a public as Corruption in the context of a of a thein context Corruption to relevant political events, (Crăciun (Crăciun 2012) hifted hifted

- CEU eTD Collection whi protests Montană Roșia early the from range endorsed officially it movements the see could group Salvăm Uniți the space, public ain have did voice it events. While protest quotas in control overlittle participation hadthat it started from. out However, be mentioned must it causes environmental the to related directly not protests of set adifferent in involved became it phase, which differentin a turn to the marked movement’s what be changed.is This of 2014 when they militated“citizen’s for a boycott” until the political party the in spring elections European Parliament the the of with occasion protest different type of a organize to communitySalvăm Uniți the brought what is goals immediate their of last The participation (United Save We manifesto). level, to fight for the change of a political party lawthat severelylimits democratic e related militate againstgas shale exploitation on Romanian territory,and,a onaltogether different a on also, but project, mining gold Montană Roșia the Facebook, the mainimmediate goals of the movement were militate to now,only not against other stated their in themes. manifesto, Thus,as ontheir page social platform onthe regarding aof couple itself positioned movement the ensued, Montană Roșia for marches the weekly followingOccupy as regarding repetitiveness mode of the organization model, diverse unite to protest participants onmatters they an anarchistall agree on.With horizontal trans as framed Montană, Roșia Save We United protests, the in slogans heard most the of one athe scenev of of birth positioning themselves regardsofall sorts in the adjacentissues, 2013protests political are to If organizational 2012several in small attained units relative autonomyand started - ideological,attempted it to establish itselfas structure a that wouldallow ideologically ery interesting large organizational unit. With its name inspired from ch mobilized over ten thousand people, to the meeting of the to meeting of overpeople, ch ten thousand mobilized

63 that the organizational groupthat the organizational had nvironmental theme, to nvironmental

law would not would not law CEU eTD Collection movement wouldhave ceased existing. the case a such in that asserting candidate, another supported publicly have would Salvăm happened have would what wondered ironically Ștefan on Further movement: co were who those criticized Ștefan cause, in event with talks group his after affiliation.in resistedme, For3months such who the instance, the inside who movementtensions was betweengroup now politically the affiliated and the Justice of Romania, now European Parliament member. move This brought about severe part joinedin of it ona movementpolitical launched by an Macovei, ex Monica the majority represented of mythe final break informants of the m for which movement, Salvăm Uniți the for point important an mark elections presidentialThe was much stronger.candidate mobilization president, for was forward put position related abuses to made wasprotests mobilization weak, the in wake late presidential 2014when of elections the a in the capacity people for actions. mobilize to its As such, while at the European Parliament sphe public the in voice important an retained group Salvăm Uniți The hundreds University in Square. of people couplea of than nomore which mobilized Parliament of the Euro the boycotting citizens’ longer completely independent.” position in a civic movement you ought to think better about what you do. […] You are no involved, and yes, it is so, they can have apublic voting option, b point of view it was irresponsible. Now they can say that after all it is their right getto was“It apoint that divided the movement. This is what divided it and I think, that from this

(Ștefan, key(Ștefan, youth figure ofnew the civil society) 64

byof Romania, now a the prime minister - opted in the Monica Macovei candidacy opted the in Monica

ut whenut you assume a if each member of Uniți of member each if ovement. An importantovement. re, but it did not have not did it but re, - Minister of

CEU eTD Collection fight in Romania, represented a rupturefrom the political old system. Vladtold me that anticandidacy, of thatMonicaa the symbol byarguing Macovei’s their position system the which the movement for a different cause, environmental i.e. the protests a As Vlad noticedwhile documenting new developments that arerelatedattempts to to reunite supporting factions of the same political class. stand towards the whole existing political class movement the fell into trap of ending up candidate, prime minister Victor Ponta,are clearelements thatthehow show initially critical Democratic Social the against vote anegative as legitimized self often if even Party, Democratic Liberal Iohannis, the center wing right named, differen candidate oftly the, now support for Klaus and thetheir first roundsupport for Macovei’s candidacy Monica in ironically the movement had enough, what initially is against. set out Part of the movement’s politically partisan position in favor political of factions from old the political s the movement seemed froma anstruggle take exteriorstandpoint to the inside movement, wer partisan European Parliament elections and attempts by the media to picture them as politically the case of theclearer in was position groups’ the that,while is though, remainsWhat clear, Thus, the un- legitimacy, runto and try to an create independent movement a for unimaginable it found others while MM, whoperson been has in suchpolitics a long Basescutime, closeto too, and of hadlost side the took some that fact the Salvăm: c that moment the is this think I happened. have never would Montană Roșiaprojectlike a rule, presidenther under MonicaMacovei,like imagineda they that sure “[F]or them the solution was Monica Macovei, the justice maker that will change things. For e not successful, in the casePresidential of the Elections, all with the internal co - opted group accused the former of being co- of being group former accusedopted the - the co hand, other then. On the until ycriticized had (Vlad, (Vlad, film directorfollowing Romanian social movements) 65

.” .”

opted by the same political political same the by opted ompletely broke Uniți broke ompletely opted group justified opted gainst abusive ystem, which, - corruption corruption

CEU eTD Collection thattheMontană classbut Roșia middle protest: protest were a more of i.e. anti 2012 the to than protests Montană Roșia the in involved more was who Ovidiu, difference. Many my who were connected observed of informants or less protests this more both to Montană caseRoșia similar protests. the in 2013 a all at not was it into, them scapegoated had media “beasts” and “hooligans” the all at voice” for them:coming bind something to together andfinding solidari protests, stated thatUniversity 2012was Square the scene of from “[p]eople all walks of life Craciun,youth Claudiu keyofabout figure the theEuropean protests, speech Parliament his 2012,in in Ifclasses. back of social bouquet attract same large project the not did protests, especially beginning, their 2013.For in wasin lost one, the ecological oriented is interestingWhat thatthe note rather to is wide variety present of participants the in 2012 5 old political system fragmentation is inevitable. an part important of an anti the of out not however, It is important marks: deforestation onthe 9 that started .2.1. Protest Composition and P then with MonicaMacovei.” then environment!the us Again, activistsas do it together!’ …they kind of taunted each other, back tried tried crossto it but…: ‘Look how cool, we are o weekendtheywasproducedmoment] andthis MonicaMacoveidivision big the [by “[A] - “the same anarchist modeled structures: without leadership, horizontal organizations” leadership, horizontal modeled without same structures: “the anarchist governmental a protests

(Crăciun 2012) (Crăciun

going understood onabout howthatthe he football fans were not -

rgued thatthe mode of was organization similar protests, both in systemicdrifts back supportfor movement into elements of the ordinary to expect such a moment to leave severe marks. When severe leave to moment a expect such to ordinary

th

(Vlad, (Vlad, film directorfollowing Romanian social movements) of May Monica candidacy Macovei left 2015,the moment erformance 66

rganizing a new protest, aprotest related to

ty, a need for change,ty, aneed aneed for

, CEU eTD Collection somehow different” were was protesting then two protests were quitedifferent. Notonl the twoprotests,my nearlyall informants had who both participated in the sensation thatthe Remembering events. Montană Roșia the in different substantially were state the of agents prior movement, protest performativity assumed androle the wouldbeAs it expected, the in context of a different typecompared the of to participation, well by urban represented mainly a protest present both in terms of social stratification If 2012,especially in the first days in an extremely group of heterogeneous people was protests: anti energyat the 2012 Romanian social a movements recountingargued he different felt type theof twoprotests that VladOn lines similar Petri, the director who has focused from ondocumenting 2012 onwards […]. wasIt mostly an ecological middle class protest” mascot. Ethically problematic, but they wanted to show they are brothers with the homeless “I saw no lower class part was actually being carried that had apancart saying ‘Down Basescu!’” with mean there was a doll, a cranium, at some point they were carrying a coffin in which a kid “representations public in space incomes,smal that threatenedfeel unemployment. by It was amore high quiteeven well. It was not that thing, the fight people of who have nothing to eat, that have representations, clearly urban youth with average income, people that had what liveto from, appreciate it, but comparing 2012 to it was alo it because it was the first large enviromental protest Romania. in was...It I don't know, I “2013 was somehow a continuation, but below it in terms of energy. It was very interesting

[in 2012][in

, like they were more somehow.” upset, more authentic - Roșia Montană Montană Roșia the governmental compared thatof to protests icipants with exceptionthe a of homeless who was as kept a s were closer syndical to movements, to football matches. I (Vlad, film director following Romanian social movements) . If. anti the 2012 y Vladme, there more told that,as anger “was back - off youth.

and age, the Roșia Montană protests were indeed indeed were protests Montană Roșia the age, and (Ovidiu, participant the in Uniți Salvăm protests) 67 t more homogenous.t It was in terms class of

- governmental protest’s s ofs protesters both and the , but , but - class protest.” “even the way they they way the “even

CEU eTD Collection and various cultural programs take place. traffic to are closed streets specific in which Cluj) and Bucharest (especially Romania in cities large urban 23 Montană surrounding theevents Roșia participation the were diversethe 2012protests”. more While than more ter homogenousin “the which to according thesis Ștefan’s with relate can I lines these section,that protesters does mean not were ideologically homogenous. coupleda with homogenization of class participation, which wewill as see infollowing the class component was nearly not as as2012. in heterogeneous The gain numbers in was Thus, oppos thebut authorities also reacted differently: t contentious action against lessof aand intervene, socially something slowly into thatresembledless the turned protests theto anti asgendarmerie, opposed as Vlad described me, itto a quite elitist feel andIt quartets,. had, as byviolinists events concerts performed such artistic even chants, and quiteelaborate stones,alonginventive, filled with often bottles madesound empty with mockery, protests the called hipsters’ in Often protest. of forms of repertoire different a to resorted protesters Montană Roșia the

Street deliveryis awidely popular among middle and middle high c neighborhoods. After some it was no time, longer aprotest, but aform street of delivery becameatmarchesdance.famous some point ofturned alla form ..thatinto the it through violatingthe law from our perspective!” But […] theytacitly closed theireyes andaccepted; Look, we represent the state and we do not whatlike you are doing here! You are clearly with tear withgas, arrests, hitting people, 2013in even they were something like: “Ah Ok! in 2012therewas“If violence and gendarmeriethe intervened just at like football matches walk throughwalk the neighborhood.” ed the to 2012 anti he state. Vlad recounts that not only were people acting only differentlythat not he state. were Vlad people recounts

- governmental protests, inside the Roșia Montană protests the protests Montană Roșia the inside protests, governmental

(Vlad, (Vlad, film directorfollowing Romanian social movements) (Vlad, film director followin - governmental protests of 2012 tolerated them and did not not themand tolerated did protestsgovernmental of 2012

(Ruse 2013)

68 . Combined with a context in which in the a with context . Combined one was repertoire the ,

and and g Romanian social movements) lass population yearly event in Uniți Salvăm Uniți Roșia Montană Roșia Infact, itis along group were more group were more with drums, and drums,and with ms of class class of ms

protests 23 , a

CEU eTD Collection 24 as emerged and created was group Salvăm Uniți the framing to resistant highly one issue single topics attention any other mining protests were single iss had the to 2012protests, manyonthe consequencesmovement.2013antigold Opposed structured was way frame However, this the lower people. class one thatefficientlymobilized On theI one hand have mentioned above thatthe environmental theme of the protest was not I 5 thousands of Montană peopleRoșia protests. at the anti thepeople 2012 of five to thousand theapparently protests of according which three to surprising statement an wouldmake why understand one to becomes easier it much of As such expression. forms these by dominated mostly were protests Montană Roșia the yothose of the urban uth, to at alllimited were not forms andexpression varied Whereasurban class. 2012 middle in youthful of a was expression the beingmode to homogenousof protests,closer what was the 2012anti section Inheterogenic ideological composition. termsI in of these as sense, extensively in discuss - anti the supporting up end fact in did movement the issues, w coupled and big, to were issues the two between similarities the end the In protest. the into similar so structurally if even themes, other involve not to ought protesters movement the of initiator the of respect in Thus, Montană. Roșia in problem related solely is that movement a is this that who said villager Montană Roșia by a started was movement the that noting in as far as went that recounts, informants, my of one Ovidiu, as arguments, a to reasonable is it whether about movement the inside argument important an was there mining gold to the very similar structurally be to seen be could deology

.2.2 They were in fact so resistant, that, when a scandal related to shale gas exploitation contracts that that contracts exploitation gas shale to related scandal a when that, resistant, so fact in were They a groupa willing to tackle different problems.It seems to me that only the way that the .

e 2013- e often th were in morepresent factions wing 5.6, right A Strict Environmental Framing, Cynical Apoliticism and Masked - While ideologicallygroups shiftedtheMontană protests.governmental While in Roșia - 24 governmental were of higher intensity than protests of tens of protests of tens higherthan weregovernmental intensity of . It is however ironical that out of a protest that started out as a started out protest that ofthat out a It however. is ironical

ue protests that were highlyresistant to attempts to bring into ith an violent reaction by the state apparatus in the shale gas gas shale in the apparatus state the by reaction violent an ith lso rally against the shale gas exploitation, featuring featuring exploitation, gas shale the against rally lso 69 shale gas campaign. 2014 events compared to events 2014

to the the to CEU eTD Collection MontranaRosia environmenta anyway further thanwhat italreadywas,protest i.e.a strictlyagainst the mining lawand protesters saw themselves as apolitical, and thought that if theywere expand to the protest in remarkedwhatAs Ovidiu telling dissat when me the whole political system, or at least the whole the of existing political spectrum. could nevergrow directly as Thus,the out possible. protests acontest movement thatwould never was grievances, incorporationsother,ly social forthe pretext possib of which possible was it other hand groups, onthe ideological quiteheterogeneous of environmental protests participation atcontinued the allowed as it goal movement,for the indeed strategic servea direct aimof the movement refuse to any belonging.If ideological onthe one hand Behind Euro the nice - groupplatformo are “Wh answeringquestion the the message: following posts the we?” to onan online group’s protest. instance, For description theapolitical in what theyan called different the 2012anti from of my informants, whether they self clearisthemaindocuments allAs from released SalvămtheUnițimovement,byandmost as centralitya tenant of and as apolitics ofbeen a the use. movement, specificway to has put it emergence group of of the part of as a part movement2014has do political in to protests canalongthe explained with otherresistanceassuming the inside be topics to life. Unițilife. Salvăm has a as mission the construction and consolidation of apluralist society. We workas acivic platform indepe and organizations. Simply we areput different, andwe have no common ideology […] groups informal people, of community transideological and heterogenous a is Salvăm Uniți bureaucratic like language used in this manifesto, what is clear is a - governmental a large protests, on majorityinsisted protesters of l problem, theywould automatically fall into the muddy imoral ndent of political parties, part of society involved in public - identified ideologicall 70 isfied him with the movement many of the y or reportedme, not, to no (“Uniți Salvăm”(“Uniți 2013)

with the this didthis

CEU eTD Collection the right the of the keyprotests, but figures those attempting to adda political systemiccritique of the regime to the environmental for a apolitical and trans and aapolitical for and movement 2012 the between continuity important most the Perhaps protests. Montană Roșia the in corruption against discourse the of centrality Thee th quote above illustrates 5 trans land offact magicalThus, the afound organizational groupin newwas really in not itself necessary. when bypassed be nevertheless known andis a dogma of postsocialist of the assumption cynical did in fact attempt to involve itself in a political organization, itwasmore now the case a of alar case this in Since failed. completely a solution political forge to attempts anywhen 2012 thein case of as not worked was here However, there a is catch here. The way of the discourse apoliticism and antipoliticism signific apoliticism and antipoliticism so specific to Romanian post- space case the 2012anti the As in of of politics. .2 . This "Don't steal!" had to find a way to open out, and it found it in this project [the Roșia [the project this in it found it Montană protests] that is perfect, meanI it is atextbookand case corruption].”[of out, open to way a find to had steal!" "Don't This governance poor, is least stealing!at stop Ok, areyou incompetent, at but do least steal. not discuss corruption, but the average citizen would not be very affected. […]Now, if corruption.[…]Befor “Anticorruption had become the number one thing, just that it was the other's 3. - ideological space, but was itself ideolog

The Return Return The Anticorruptionof the F Master ant effects in the 2013 protests. effects the in ant political movement political had come up. used when effects its are of benefit strategic shallgroup, it for but the e it was the interest of elites: a few those of in politicalthe elite would - ideological movement was used when discursive silence against organizational group that shifted to was simply forgotten when forgotten simply thatshiftedwas to group organizational ge from faction the organizational group upand split

(Dorin, key in figure the Uniți Salvămmovement) 71 ical from the beginning.such the argument As - governmental same discourse protests, the of - politicism and anti- rame socialist space brings about about brings space socialist

politicism: the dogma

CEU eTD Collection 25 This was a momentgreat of internal tension inside the movement: rule oncasesof corruption. high to Party Liberal Democratic the and Basescu Traian President of rule the during established to lead the protest march to the National Directorate of Anti- Salvăm Uniți of members the of some of attempt the is This protests. different into involved prior mome centered corruption the onthein winter against fight there of 2015.However, a is second mentioned, was thatof the of the split movement and supportfor a presidential candidacy movement. Two key m atfutureMore the stood of ofcenter the corruption of than2012,thedevelopments in theme the Montană Roșia mining gold project. were waging a moral against, battle in the in context which all the political class supported participants, that itwas other heard from I had what to lines along similar me, argued to After all,he corruption’. locali token of what Dorin wellsynthesized differentiating itfrom individualised, “case[s]of a was protesters most for which problem, Montană Roșia the for frame diagnosis a as use The frame. master as a diagnosis social problems method for in all 2012, translated its to orchestration frame’s a as theme corruption the of use the was protests Montană Roșia the politicians in power. in politicians and state, the on put was blame whole the Instead system. market the inside happening thus companies, other

It is interesting to note that this discourse against corruption was mainly aimed at state officials. In officials. state at aimed mainly was corruption against discourse this that note to interesting is It political color. waspolitical perceived It of people this apart that hadamore by radical critique of “The problem with the National Directorate of Anti

words, corruption was not often looked at as a phenomena that involves both the state and private private and state the both involves that phenomena a as at looked often not was corruption words, sed corruption” t ht ok lc bfr te nț Slă gop tre hbtal getting habitually started group Salvăm Uniți the before place took that nt

“top level corruption, structural corruption, state corrupt state level corruption, “top structural corruption, oments need to be discussed in the context. One needoments the in context. of bethem,already to discussed and coining itwith term‘state the corruption’ or ‘structural

72 - corruption w

as as fact the that it hada Corruption, ann institutio Corruption, ion 25 ”

they they CEU eTD Collection a in problematic whole found a themselves as and it confront system, theinside existing As such, those tools. whoare of hopedclashes out stick political ideological to themselves neyrality, this was a losin Ipropose thatthat for were those sincere in their allegiance a to necessary not possibilitya majority. influence, but to they g did informants usually give not did about which a one clear had response the majority. When of groups, my most of view. these asked size agreeing When this two with about the group s not was ahonestly thatbegs question the answer Thus, why clingeddowith it. to to here has this some strategically used it and when abandonedno it it longer favored their cause, others while movement, the of tenant back acentral As to the apoliticism theme earlier. discussed prevent movement the from getting immersed a into mainstream politicalfeud. This leads us antigroup supportfor which the opposed According the him to a point was this the opinion his in went on, As Dorin the other side. of used instrument corruption, by as but a the political center w this sa specificmarch institution, not as a neutral justice enforcing institution against deeds protestargueda against elite, thepolitical those waywho wascorrupt opposed the this to anti the supportfor in symbolical this the proponents march While of political adversaries. On the other hand Bas the system, aas political instrument through which ex needed be to done was different.” agreed,everyone but thein regarding problem directionthe towards which moralthe change anticorruptionof and regaining moralitythe society.of regards In Roșiato the Montană issue ive an answer, they argued that it was people with greater social capital and and capital social greater with people was it that argued they answer, an ive

uccessful in doing so. It doinguccessful in so. not is simplycase a ofmajority an absolute not g strategy. As I have argued, apoliticism andIargued, ideologicalapoliticism g neutrality As strategy. have

(Dorin, key in figure the Uniți Salvămmovement) escu supporters saw the institution as the symbol 73

t which the movement started break. to the movement which t - president Traian Basescu fought his - right political spectrum against - corruption institution tried to - politicism and ideological - corruption institution

CEU eTD Collection zone. For such an account see Poenaru (2014a) 26 ofreplacement thefor whole later, hopelessly arguing the and strictly at one best, law, against to admit that the protests were at first more keen on ignoring the political and militating being anti critique of the political system impossible. As much as the protesters described themselves as Thus, protests”. the of out politics “stick to made were appeals repeated movement actual the inside anti hypocritical bunch as of a protests depict of the the whole andskepticism marginalized. N wild form of capitalism It is interesting to note that attempts to come out with an ideological critique of the Romanian difficult forby forces. be to existing itnot colonized antti discourseexisting on a juridical was that aroundcontext this in mobilize systemic critique very becomes As such, the maintheme difficult. thatprotesters could skepticism towardstransformation the of the movement into a political force in itself,a co a such done in fact is to severelyavailablelimit the critical discourse the of movement andlead to co against defend to way best protests.If apoliticism and unwillingnesscommit to a political the option, initially seemed anti of frame master diagnosis same posit

After all, the Roșia Montanăcase could be agoodexample of aland ion. Allegianceion. dogma of a the non- to the a the - - - systemic, onelooks if at actual the discursive features of protes the ideological position, alonghigh with ideological neutral position, of the standpoint a From optation. technocraticfight against corrupt elites. This themeclose toalready was sothe - political andtrans 26 along protest the were with environmental high uponwith looked - corruption in Romanian society, that it would have been very wouldhave it corruption very been Romanian society, in that

- optationexisting by mainstream political factions, what ithas - ot onlyot mainstream did media attack groups such to trying ideological dogma were devices that made any systemic systemic any made that devices were dogma ideological - corruption thathadcorruption been omnipresent so the in 2012

of anti of . 74 ideological movement ledthe to drift into the - corruption thought out, in various degrees, as as various degrees, in out, thought corruption - grabbing process in a peripherical peripherical a in process grabbing - capitalistyoungsters, but also ts, one is forced forced is one ts, CEU eTD Collection the heterogenopus the of movement character Salvăm theout Uniți group leaning of betweenmoments tension the left f groups. extremist exclude Romanian protests toscarce tended be of in numbers, terms strategic itwasto a mistake wasfact consideringnationalists theframe, ‘inclusivity’ according which,the thatthe to supportfor thatcamein the protesters of majority a large by articulated A fundamental frame case. the actually not was it though even tendencies, nationalistic by dominated as appeared society civil the cause, environmental legitimate a denigrate to trying were who power suchright the that,to advantage movement played the winginside social out the of acceptance discursive the However Dreaptă. Noua as such organizations to link no had absolut fact in were they numbers; of terms in dominant were Dreaptă”, “Noua “legionarii”, fascists, became central to the protests. By no means is itthe case that nationalists and the Romanian If i participant observation. an element that systematically appeared both in talks with my informants, and in my CriticAtac journal F. 2013; Poenaru (Mihai 2014b) suchived as bysome,left especially the leaning publications perce was what by marked Montană The 2013 Roșia 5. system. the of critique astructural of case the political class, or at worst supporting politicians from the existing class; itwas certainly not rame allowed right wing groups to gain thea in protests. voice wing groupsright to allowedrame 2.4.

e Theyouth minorities. majority classmiddle of as protesters, working corporations in Silently Bringing community by arguing that the “ that byarguing community

protests and the continuation of the Uniți Salvăm civil society was society civil Salvăm Uniți the of continuation the and protests

Created as a byproduct of the ‘neutral ideological’ frame, this this frame, ideological’ ‘neutral the of a byproduct as Created n 2012 nationalist tendencies were not dominant, in 2013they in dominant, not tendencies were nationalist n 2012 N ationalism Back

”. 75

, as a growing tendency., as a is This nationalist

and wing right organisational nucleous tried to keep to tried nucleous organisational For instance, when discussing For discussing when instance,

groups Dorin

of the people in in the people of tries to clear clear to tries

CEU eTD Collection defend the were needcommunity: Dorin felt of it, stress to thatthese the part not people C in them, their agenda the positionUSSR a presupposes against andthe “radical communist left, for excuse an provide to try to seeming states Dorin as and, there were faction nationalist agenda, evencapitalist already, from starting implicitly point, partly the victim’s blame as he “ to one has heterogenous movement event Dorin minimized its impor Dreaptă Noua of member a by attacked a which dowith altercationleaning in to violent awas protester enough left excuse, has an of An emblematicmaybe not community natureus the heterogeno of which momentforthe , anti 2012 the with opposition in stands This events. community Salvăm Uniți and Montană Roșia It is such a strategic option that led to the systematic inclusion anwith argument following along the lines: counteracted fascisthe ofthe was inclusion nationalist/ leaningneeds participants be to taken, boyc articulated was discourse elucidatory An more or more or less of anationalist.” ourfor common causes. We strong be only can together andit does matter not are if you “This is a mistake. We cannot exclude this people. We all have our beliefs, but we can unite no sense. […] wasIt a minor incident” violent conflict ensued. wasIt promptly stopped by the main organizers march: of the hadit “They are not part of the Uniți Salvăm - governmental protests when such groups the when protests. rarely, suchif at allpresent governmental were protests old Warold language” ott protest when a left leaning protester argued a clear and systematic position against against position systematic and aclear argued protester leaning aleft when protest ott in termsin of clothing style” nț Salvăm Uniți the of figure akey as Here, .

tance tance quit his partradical of identity elements” community. They saw the leftist people and asmall

nationalist faction.In retelling me the story the of

on several levels. First he argued that in a a argued in that First he on several levels. (Dorin, key in figure the Uniți Salvămmovement) European Parliament Parliament thewith occasion the European of 76 . People from the Bessarabia is Romania Romania is Bessarabia the from People .

of right winggroups the in community, trying to “had aclear“had anti . Thus, it is. Thus,it

- CEU eTD Collection of the a dowith intonation to the religious other had protesters A contributed norm in visceralagainst groups the that uncompromisinglydelimitated f openly opposed bythe leaders offactthe thesimple community, thattheir attitudewas more exaggerate bycalling nationalist outbur majoritygroupwas of thebywhat activelyone fascist, wouldnot nomeans nationalist/ youth 2012anti protest of site the anIt choices found atmosphere atwas allonthe throughbe suchthat to is strategic not which violent event was more violent that the vialoent act itself. by the wing right faction. compared the to violent event provoked reactions leftists the on stance tougher comparatively bytheir view prompted is Sucha normal. athem, to degree, foundopposing them, of course fact, in openlythe wingfaction, not supporting right the quiteto contrary, openly members key that is here essential be to me to seems what case, the that the left leaning organization’s reactionwas the of member keyanother Ștefan,way, similar a In group Accordingdistressed theleftreacted. with way leaning him: the to Surprisingly, my was lessworried informant the violent minor conflict about nother ideological views” ideological preferences: left, both radical therewas nodiscriminationleft, on based Salvăm evidently untrue, this had not happened. People Unițifrom accused “ what what left a bitter taste way was the that left leaning organization speculated and later

situation nț Salvăm Uniți that pictures the atmosphere created by these groups and their influence on on influence their and groups by these created atmosphere the pictures that alizing them

that it takes the side nationalisticof and xenophobi It is as if, in their view, the violence of the leftist’s reaction to the .

- governmental protests was promoted. sts with fascist tendencies were normalized. Even if (Dorin, key in figure the Uniți Salvămmovement) 77 exaggerated Uniți SalvămUniți

and “of bad taste”. Even if this is is this if Even taste”. bad “of and rom such rom such ‘Credo’ ‘Credo’ community, reportedme to

of the movement, the of while

had verydiverse and the subsequent the subsequent and c forces. It wac forces. It unfortunate events Thus, while the and more s

CEU eTD Collection Political System. Political Ironically, such parts thatimportant of it ended upsuppor seemingly anti I how a chapterIn shown this have 5.3 nationalistic outbursts. have this by dimension, is this andelimitating argumentactively nomeans against from isit true, an was openly recognized by leaninggroups left as well thatthe not protests did leaning ideology groupwas leaning “ the left him According to nucleus”. organizational “ was it adequatelysince act group not did thesuggests disagreeing that their disagreement simply lacked perspectiv non- andbut actively those who disagreed identity”.In these narrative for moment factiona a defining pact, was new for and social Romanian „symbolical wit For of the a intonation religiousCredo Dorin, situation: groups bethe event leftthis of at in leaningfault this Dorin again finds to disapproval unity ofunity the movement symbolically. understand that you are at a defining moment for anew pact, social a new national pact. was the proof of a new form of postmodern unity and we occupied a symbolical space. What[...] happened there Salvăm “ There was anoth Uniț

, which had sloganthe United We Whole the Save of Romania, wanted to pointout this added to the environmental theme of the initial protest, which was ab initio protest, which initial the themeenvironmental of the added to

Slă ( Salvăm i manifested bythe present left gro leaning ”

in ain situation which in er tense moment. At the triumphal

lack perspective of angroups, ofleaning theseleft

We Save United

It was related to creating the “ this was not (Dorin, key in figure the Uniți Salvămmovement) 78 trying to annex the phenomen to a critical, left left acritical, to the annex phenomen to trying e. Moreover, ting factions of the existing political class. and legitimate) the Existing the Existing legitimate) and h members of the Noua Dreaptă fascist fascist Dreaptă Noua the of members h -

systemic movement was turned around was around turned systemic movement up at the march. up arch wasarch it an attempt to point to the

the dimension of the protests”. Dorin goes on and implicitly goes Dorin

national project. In telling me the story violently maniffested violently incapacity to not part of the the of part not

Uniți

While prone

CEU eTD Collection T ideological framework,more extreme ideologically. and Montană Roșia mo as movement new civil society in Romania in large numbers.In the following chapter,while summarizing synpathisinga with nationalist type of language, remain only the can ones that mobilize the andtion, are attractive those to articula political critical aproper for need the escape can unfortunately, themes environmental cities.the For moment, started several in Romanian Montană though onthe not same scale of those against the Roșia mass paper, these writing I am as just fact, In themes. environmental on centered Romania movements are in those socially contentious successful only clearbecomes why the remain has grievances material against stigma postsocialist specific the that such sealed were static as such, the but initial ruptures created through the anti anti As such, the 2013- the Monicamovement beinto to anti Macovei coopted Montană discourse was 2012were in also present asthe in 2013 important just and 2014Roșia started by part the of existing political class became possible. Moreover, anticorruption onlyreinforced of the trend which in the context beto captured nationalistic bywith those he apolitical and antipolitical - systemic fracture in fracture systemic re homogenous in terms protests of class i.e. composition, middle class protests, the ed just ased the central to discursive just field was as it beforeIn it context 2012. this

protests and protests and . Sucha trend was not 2014 moments can2014 moments be seen as the sad of moment the reincorporation of an first imperative was to keep the movement united in a neutral a framework movement unitedin the imperativekeep to was first nț Salvăm Uniți Un to the old political regime. Of remain not course,did the system ț Salvăm iți shif a of presence the

there in the case of 2012anti of case the in there ted from 2012 such thatpolitical cooptation a in project movement proved to be, under the mask of a neutral a neutral mask of the under be, to movement proved movement and was what fundamentally led the movementwhat and the fundamentally was led - conservative sentiments, conservative 79

significant - co rruption presidential campaign.rruption presidential - governmental protests of 2012 - governmental protests.governmental nationalist tendencynationalist the in

gold mining project operating a in discursive ive protests, Thus,

have have

that CEU eTD Collection progressive, movementthe in Romanian critical discursive context. a of emergence the imagine to order in elements needed the of some what forward the mainfindings paper, of this and discussing their applicabilityandlimitations, I put

80 CEU eTD Collection critiques well were punctual often its ecologically While dangerousproject. against austerity was forward put the movement developed into legitimatelycriticizing an political system. Startinganti with- anhow anti what initially seemed T CONCLUSIONS 6. discursive context in which, in discursiveEastern coupledthe Romanian new context other with European cases, are claims such making subjects as silenced, are rights social for argue to attempts any level asecond at Moreover, suchin a discursive context. resulting wealth can appear. Thus, already, a critique of capitalism itself becomes impossible ought discardbackward to that proper and theirmentality t capitalism so capitalist works byrecourse the to well known concept Romanians of communist mentalities. actually not that Romanian society is claim level the onone operations: performing two capitalismneoliberalism silencesof whatexisting critiques one could coin as real through Iwhat coined have neoliberalism, as postsocialist a brand of neoliberal rationalityenforced I features how of the discursive of showed the thein context movement can be understood broke at thatpoint. mygenerated and, tensions, of i as internal most asrebranded ofan systempolitician thepolitical anti old yearsappropriation. 2 after later debut, part its of the movement foud itselfsupporting a shown thatlacking consciousness the a movement had political noc racking the developments of theracking Romanian new society civil the developments I Bucharest in shown have the hegemonic deployment of anti seen as backword subjects of the socialist past. This is the of atrocious is thepast. This seen socialist as backword subjects

- systemic movement was easily reappropiated by the old old the by reappropiated easily was movement systemic austerity protests in 2012 in which not much not c which 2012in in austerity protests - communist ideology.Incommunist a these nutshell, form of 81 nformants told me, the told nformants movement practically - corruption model. Sucha situation model. corruption hance in resisting resisting in hance - founded I founded have he respective respective he ritique by by CEU eTD Collection an emancipatoryfascist languageend atendencies. upstuch with rightleaning languagewith Instead, have what not likely people becomes access thatthe who massof is do to dissatisfied p of type aprogressive of emergence the a livelihood, ensure cannot incontext which poor people self ensure better of livelihood!”task at means Howeverhand much is the moreIn difficult. a start and feeling ashamed, “Stop follows: argue as easily accomplish. could One Sketching outemancipatory an political alternative might seemas an easy thing to candidate. neoliberal tha explained be can it how essentially, is, This agenda. a neoliberal by over taken be well very can themes rule As such experts. focusesas these of corruption, theskillful such onaspects or imposing the moral character of local politicians. that has decreased education, to access health and other social benefits, the put blame but on politics systematic a and classes middle and lower the for policies by unfavorable explained main i.e. frame: Instead themes, the protests focusedonpopulist establishing anti reaction through imposed the to hardships gover neoliberal claims material on centered not were protests the such internalized the idea that if one makes material claims discourse subject, the have internalized same way miners the Valea of , discussed Jiului chapter in as the 3, typological socialist civil societyfound itself rapidly turned around its critical in anti- battle be to fought

, that targeted them targeted that the idea thatathe idea corrupthasthe beenis and class political this robbing the nation t thet protests were turnedbecome to around a movementsupportfor in a

. In. increasingly such a context, diff

idea of their own their of idea , subjects in - victimize and see themselves unworthy because they they because unworthy themselves see and victimize

In such a context a protest easily becomes one that that one becomes easily aprotest context In a such 82 the the

worthlessness Romania , one is a socialist backward subject. As As subject. backward asocialist is one , even though they were evidently a even evidently a they though were nance. n new civil society civil new n , as it appeared it as ,

icult livelihoods were livelihoods icult not systemic battle. Thus,the olitics is highly unlikely. - corruption as a master amaster as corruption

in the public the in

fighting to have also also have

CEU eTD Collection spread. discourse andpopulation emancipatory make their larger remainsgroups it couldpublication, but hard mobilize of how protions suchthe see to groups from such as the coming CriticAtac seen be left can wing hope of Glimmers

83

CEU eTD Collection Number – I Appendix 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

12.05.2015 07.05.2015 06.05.2015 07.01.2015 05.01.2015 16.12.2014 02. 09.2014 22.08.2014 21.03.2014 takenDate List ofI

Vlad, filmVlad, director following Romanian social movements keyDorin, figure Unițiin the Ovidiu, participant Uniți in the Salvăm protests Ș Cristian, key youth figure of the new civil society Cornel, key youth of figure newthe Daniel, key youth figure of the new civil society Andrei, participant in the 2012 and the 2012protests the participant in Marian, tex in Quoted tefan, keytefan, youth of figure newthe civil society

nterviews t as t

84

Salvăm movement Salvăm civil society Roșia Montană

protests

CEU eTD Collection S secret.serviciude șef fostpremier eranoul că faptul noi: bazecontestat,cumvadar fostpe autoritar a maischimbat.exemplu De picat a Băsescu când venit a și Mihai Răzvan Ungurea elementul atunci nu, pe parcursulpe protestelor. dinamicăost fo a că zic foarte importantă să pot nu întretemele astea.Cred s- că Ș devenitau unele mai importante? Alex:Țisepare dintre că temele asteadominat a vreuna, sărăcia,putere, corupția, și... cum guvernării, zic, actul să calitatea guvernării. ș prindea care Montană Roșia exemplu de astea:abuzulsintetizezdefi lear de...să fi grefate...teme fostdacămai maiar darfost,au corupțiași... au legate conexe cumva teme anumite și grefat mai Ș ALEX: Crezi că exista o agendă? felul în care am înțeles eu mișcările și m agendei esența în dar fapt,existau punc de structurată puțin puternică, foarte izbucnire de fel un era România În numărului.alde punct vedere Spania, inclusivîn întâmpladin se ce cu semăna nu piață înîntâmpla se anti poziția în exemplu de comune: puncte multe foarte erau că Pentru mea. mintease în Spania, ce în întâmplă cu paralelă de fel un era mult... de destul arătat a 2012 în întâmpla se ce mea mine, min în tea Pentru ajuns... am așa cam spirituale...conotații aibă desă fie, proces să fără un așa, trezire, fost de cumva Ași învățare cazul. era dacă jandarmeriei abuzurilor față facem să cum presa, cu înțelegem să între încercămînțelegem să ne și să ăla cum contextul protest: la un rapid înseamnă foarte ce adaptăm învățăm ne să alții și eu și trebuit a că Așa altceva. în ajungeai și acolo, ajungi Adică fiecare abrupt. foarte învățare de proces un fost a și întâmplător, cumva organizatorii: mi- c știu să Fără particip. să și acolo rămân să persoană ca minepentru natural părea cumva și ecologist partid mic unui membrul și eramacela, momentul la civilăsocietatea și în implicat fusesemasta adică și mea: biografiatimp, de multțin care maistructurale elementelor rămasdatorită am și rămas, am dar întâmplător, acolo ajuns am Și politică. face a parlamentarăaproape: opoziția guvernareași mainucolaborau deloc. Eradestulun stil deautoritar de si pentrucă sensavut a imediat întâmplător,daracolo ajuns am evenimenteprimele fost au care în seara în că Așa revoltă. o conflict, un urma ar că semne motn eeet ou ea uv proaia ș s rfra a bzl e uee ău de făcut putere de au prins într abuzul la referea se nemulțumireo diverse.politiEraclasade față și personalizat foarteerau care piață, grupurilordin tuturor cumva al comunpunctul era ăsta și atunci,Băsescupreședintele era comun element important Ș SăALEX: începem 2012… cu society civil youthInterview of figure the Ștefan,new with key – II Appendix TEFAN: Da... pot să zic că tema anti tema că zic să pot Da... TEFAN: TEFAN: Exista agendă, dar era foarte compozită. Lucrurile comune existau de asem de existau comune Lucrurile compozită. foarte era dar agendă, Exista TEFAN: TEFAN: PeTEFAN: mine m - a activat și lucrul ăsta. A fost o tentativă de eschivă din partea lui Traian Băsescu, dar nu cred că...cred nu darBăsescu, Traian lui partea din eschivă de tentativă o fost A ăsta. lucrul și activat a - austeritate, guvern de centru er: u ua ctv spăâi rtsee Ș feae er ea ieiă s pta întâmpla putea se diferită, era seară fiecare Și protestele. săptămâni câteva durat au seară: - te comune și cu mișcarea Indignados, și pentru mine asta a fost un reper important în important reper un fost a asta mine pentru și Indignados, mișcarea cu și comune te o bună parte a a era onemulțumirepieței, corupție parte de o bună față șisărăcie. de față astea la s Și am dat seama că nu prea sunt organizatori acolo. Erau foarte mulți oameni veniți oameni mulți foarte Erau acolo. organizatori sunt prea nu că seama dat am - a surprins destul de mult 2012. Deși era o tensiune socială, nu erau foarte multefoarte erau nu socială,tensiune o era 2012.Deși mult dedestul surprins a

Interview Transcript -

dreapta, o mișcare socială; e d e socială; mișcare o dreapta, - - Băsescu a rămas o constantă. Era liantul. Dar accentele s- accentele Dar liantul. Era constantă. o rămas a Băsescu am implicat. că: de aceeaUSLmizerie’aceeașideșisloganelecă:’PDL cu 85 e seva întâmpla, care va fi formatul, cine sunt tuația politică era destul de blocată. Era o grevăo Erablocată. dedestul erapolitică tuația a existatdinamicăo parcursul pe protestelor,

o,cirdc n ea șr cm ă ne să cum ușor, era nu dacă chiar noi, rept că din punct de vedere social, cesocial, vedere de punct din că rept

au păstrataurelativ egal enea. Cel mai - au au au au i CEU eTD Collection S săînceput vină mai puțini și erau 30- Ș ALEX: Clivajul ăst a între progresiști și nationaliști cum s dar tensionate, momente fost au au degenerat. nucare Da, săptămâni. primele fost au Ultrașii martie... luna prin degrabă LX Î 21 ea i rat noieaă Cm u eaint rprl dn 02 u dreapta cu 2012 din grupurile relaționat au Cum neoliberală? dreapta și neoliberală? era 2013 În ALEX: dr neoliberală nu. puțin cel dreapta, decineva era că cred nu 2012 În2012. în ca mare maimare, diversitate o fost Adreapta. de mai alții Ș ÎnALEX: 2013era unprotest diferit. Era vorba despre Roșia Montană. să 2012. nucleul, fost au care cei dint re fostmulți a mai Experiența Cei 2013. aici. în utilăși foarte2012, în și fost au care comuni oamenii și sunt mai că Plus vedere. de cauza asta s- Și cauză. singura nu și lumea, toată de nu Bine, asumată... clar 2012 în cauză o fost a Montană Roșia Ș ALEX: vreoVezi legătură între protestele dinastea 2012 și a ce urmat după, în 2013? despărțire, sau... linie de clivaj care s maifântână Lanu. fântână la de partid, cei unuireprezentați;adepțiicetățenidegrabătimp ce în Ș fost momente... PoliticALEX: erau foarte diverse grupurile, din ce îmi am pe arhitectură de parteacare o știi mai și tu bine. Pe partea cu TNB, sincer nu cunosc bine... pe puțin cel grupurile, fost au astea Cam scandaluri. între echilibru anumit dor ce ceea strige să poate fiecare că Faptul jignitoare. sau... obscene lucruri strigămsă trebui ar nu că [protestele],ăsta,violente fie să Consensultrebui ar nu consensuri.că fost a niște parcurs pe ele, existaudintre unul care în momente existau , astea toate cu Dar, adune. se să lucrurilemultajutatfoarte a nu astaparanoia.Și neîncrederea,constantă:laîncredere,până de o lipsa fost a asta că zic să Pot acolo.ascunse interese ce știe cinefoar sauinfiltrat,pară neîncrederesă putea oricineNimeni, ONG o și Era din forțată. socializare de cei fel un Erau așa, fost și...A mari. grupuri galerii în niciodată pe împărțiți sunt lor rândul la câtevagrupurile,sunt careprivește s - ce ceea În alții. maiEraudegrabă oameni, grupurideprieteni careau început nevoițifostsă, au înțeleagăsăse uniicu Ș Poți să îmi vorbești despre asta puț voi. între înțelegețivă să și grupuricelelalte la raportați vă să învățați să trebuit a că Spuneai ALEX: TEFAN:Inițial, cânderau mulțioamenipiață, în cumva lucrurilese amestecau. Dupăaceea,când au TEFAN: În cauza Roșia Montană vorbim de ma multe spectre. Unii naționaliști, alții mai de stânga,de mainaționaliști, alții Uniispectre. multe ma de vorbimMontanăRoșia cauza ÎnTEFAN: nou. ceva fost a vedere de puncte unele din dacă Chiar directă. legătură o Există da. Da, TEFAN: TEFAN: Da, da, au fost. Disputa dintre cei de la fântână și cei de la TNB. Cei de la TNB fiind mai fiind TNB la de Cei TNB. la de cei și fântână la de cei dintre Disputa fost. au da, Da, TEFAN: organizate. grupuri multe foarte erau nu că pentru interesante, lucruri niște sunt aici Eh, TEFAN: - a simțit când grupul devenise din ce în ce mai mic, dar nu a fost ceva care să genereze un clivaj, o clivaj, un genereze să care ceva fost a nu dar mic, mai ce în ce din devenisegrupul când simțit a

a răspândit datorită lui 2012. Nu cred că s că cred Nu 2012. lui datorită răspândit a

- a activat între cei progresiștiactivatnaționaliști.maiîntrecei ceia și S

- neo Dreapta neoliberală. eapta in? 40 de oameni,40 de micile conflicte și diferențele opinie de s

86 au individualizat. De exemplu ultrașii, care și ei și care ultrașii, exemplu De individualizat. au - ar fi ajuns la 2013 fără 2012 din punctu din 2012 fără 2013 la ajuns fi ar ainlsă osraor d, a dreapta dar da, conservatoare naționalistă - a desfășurat? intesc. Cum ți se pare că relaționau? Au relaționau? că pare se ți Cum intesc. - r. ru tdni, ae n care studenții, Erau uri.

zicem așa, zicem

- a activat devreme, dar mai ește și să se mențină un mențină se să și ește lui 2013, au fost și în și fost au 2013, lui

- au s au - au venit venit au te mare.te

imțit. l ăsta ăsta l era o CEU eTD Collection pr pooăi a ă iă ă ie n a fs jnam ș n a fs pșii dc e eoe de nevoie e într deci era pașnici, care fost tip au un între nu incident și acel jandarmi văzut fost am au atunci nu Și noastră. uite: intervenția că zică să ca provocări apară ce măsură pe Și negru. în îmbracat grup un Basarbia.cu O parte din cei care fuseseră și la marșul cu Basarabia venit au și la În marș. paralel era și Nu,ALEX: nu eram ț în tensiune mare, osimțeai. Tu ai fost atunci? s- că politicesemnale erau decitoleranți, prea mai merg noi. cu ne noi... cu fost mai a nu jandaremeria și Barbu... Ș stânga și unul de dreapta; nu foarte știu de grup un între fizicăaltercație o fost a dat moment un la când acolo, tu și fost ai că cred de... legat ALEX: A fost vreun moment care a fost intens mediatizat pe grupurile astea de stânga, Critic Atac... idioțenie mare.idioțenie O prostie. care s- l regretabil, Incident fost. individ a prins nu de greu fost că fi ar că bine cred nu principiu Dar În poliție. la plângere rău. facă să respectiv mai tipul pe încurajat mult rău, mai și fie să Putea incidentul. buscu o creeze se nu să atace, mai nu să ca acolo de ăla tipul m și repede fugit am și cevaîntampla se că văzutam că eu, intervenit dreap Ș Pungești,la erau trei mii de oameni strada, în cum numai fuseseră demult la Roșia Mon eliminat a asta aproapeurmăorice rezervă...asumată,de fost A îmi prindecembrieamintesc că asaltațifost au decei Și autorităților. intervenția la privire cu perspectivadin drepturilor fundamentale s darsă... aceeadupăcunoascăsubiectul învețe,și să se săÎntâiacceptăm rezerve.să cutrebui ar ziceaucă care unii fost au tehnologieși altă o geopolitic,era tip implicatii,de alte și nou,subiect un și Era Ș mișcarii? LX Suei ă s că Spuneai ALEX: asta.era ș în alte campaniei.[fragmentșialemergeaiinaudibil...]Cum cu aceleași neapărat erau nu careproprii poziții s- încetîncet instanță primași campanieiîn extensiea de fel un ca rămas pr a Și Montană. Roșia Salvăm Uniți sloganul la de pleacă s- aceea DupăMontană.Roșia Salvați campaniei a extensie de Ș GrupulALEX: ăsta,Uniți Salvăm, cum s cu problemă o aveau care Dardreapta. cei mai mulți erau dezamăgiți...mulți alegerilela anul de trecut... și Erau stânga. de erau respective abuzurile comiseseră ce Actorii Ș i la unmomenti s dat EA: a d, fs u mmn dlct etu ă e napae a ui tm dp incidentul după timp puțin la întamplase se că pentru delicat moment un fost a da, Pai TEFAN: TEFAN: Deci era tensiune mare, mulți oameni, erau vreo 4 unora. partea din reticență fost A dezbateri. anumite fost au chiar amintesc, îmi câte Din TEFAN: TEFAN: S TEFAN: n la prezentă degrabă mai era neoliberală asta Dreapta TEFAN: tă din ce am văzut și un alt tip care era de stânga. A fost un pumn sau doi. După aceea am aceea După doi. sau pumn un fost A stânga. de era care tip alt un și văzut am ce din tă

au dus la televizor și au spus că protestele au fost preluate de extrema dreaptă, ceea ce era o era ce ceea dreaptă, extrema de preluate fost au protestele că spus au și televizor la dus au zone, dădeai de mesaje despre reforma electorală, alte mesaje. Uniți Salvăms Unițimesaje. alte electorală, reformadespre mesaje de dădeaizone, ul respectiv. Dincolo de asta, să transformi incidentul respectiv.... țin minte că au fost oameni fost au că minte țin respectiv.... incidentul transformi să asta, de Dincolo respectiv. ul

- au întâmplatau evenimentele dePungești la șis- nu - a format pagina aceea cumva dintr

[Inaudible fragment] niște amenințări de facto, că trebuie să ne potolim, că au fost au că potolim, ne să trebuie că facto, de amenințări niște fragment][Inaudible - - a făcut o pagină care cumva a devenit reprezentativă pentru grup, dar dinamicadar reprezentativă grup,pentru devenit cumvaa care pagină o făcut a mnint i hsi c gaz cu chestia și menționat a ară.

clar exactclar ce a fost... îmi poți povesti? - a form

mergeam fără jandarmerie ... era semnul că ar putea să putea ar că semnul era ... jandarmerie fără mergeam ar putea să urmeze o represiune. Asta era ziua aceea; o aceea; ziua era Asta represiune. o urmeze să putea ar - at? o nevoie deo nevoie a comunica public. Ne consideram un fel 87 -

a și zis că ne asumăm riscurile, deci au zis că nu că zis au deci riscurile, asumăm ne că zis și a l d șs. u a ot ecpt î interiorul în percepută fost a Cum șist. de ele au mai tratat din perspectiva tehnologiei, ci - ins conceptul ăsta de Uniți Salvăm, și a și Salvăm, Uniți de ăsta conceptul ins 5 mii. fusese Anterior 5 unmarș Unirea cu ladă generală și asta a fost. Ăsta a fost a Ăsta fost. a asta și generală ladă a făcut pagina aceea UnițiSalvăm,aceeapaginacare făcut a ivelul public. Suntem în București. în Suntem public. ivelul - am băgat între ei. L ei. între băgat am

a autonomizat, adică au avutau autonomizat, adică a

- dvr e extrema de adevăr - a creat în stradă în creat a tană. - am pe luat

oameni - am am CEU eTD Collection gândesc ces- mișcăriunei independent.civiceașa...chiar gândești Mămai tre'ești mai bine te ce faci; nu adică să ... cadrul în poziție o asumi îți care în momentul în însă sau... publică vot de opțiune aibă să e... așa da, f a că cred vedere MonicaMacovei,darau fost punte o de legătură campaniacarescindat a mișcarea...înasta a scindat, și din punctul măcarăsta de nici important rol un avut au că cred nu determinanți, erau că zic să pot Ș Da, cum da.. s ALEX: Ș mare majoritate a aspectului vizibil al mișcării US era într CumALEX: s și candidați către de folosit fost a cred că era cineva protestela nostru care să fi votat cu Ponta. mesajul folosiți... fost am nemulțumirea, și a maijucat degrabă împotriva Ponta. lui Oamenii rămasau mobilizați din 2013,și nu și... mari unde mai prezidențiale la erau și facem o mizele să putut am Nu politic. sistemul de... față autonomă poziție o avut declanșat am europarlamentare alegerile La v la ducem ne episoade.nu că zis amcetățenească, douăgreva fost au când trecut, anul din alegerile lavictimă sigură o fost am că este cert seama,dau îmi nu rău... fost a bine, fost retrospectiv,a acuma îți asumi o doctrină, dar îți asumi un program de politici, și asta nu știu dacă ar fi mers. Deci astea Deci s mers. nu fi care pentru ar motive maridacă două știu cele nu sunt asta și politici, de program un asumi îți dar doctrină, o asumi îți ș așa... ăsta, momentul la necunoscut și minat prea mult e politic ăsta terenulProbabil asta... întâmplat doctrina. s nu că probabil politică formațiune nouă pentruodorințăasta deșiera oameni.strângemȘi mulți să maiapare tocmaiaici, nu că surprins eram partid.Amînțe nou creezeun se să tre asta,că opinia fost a Ș a Ș dreaptă acoloe și primităe [...small talk an with outsider for a minutes...]few Ș de nemulțumită era cumva faptul spuneaucă, stânga ei, nua fostcondamnată chestiaclar nu și s că... știu aia vremea pe citeam ce din cealaltă, partea De ALEX: au care celor al sau stângii, al ăsta discursul protestat fost a folosit pentru demoniza a tot mișcarea. Deci neofasciști. făcuți fusesem noi unde Barbu criticau dintr Te ALEX: cei... Mi pare se oreacție foarte isterică, de prostgust. voiau îi care termenii pe fost în a nu problemasinguranța dar, cu apărut... pagină, a odeclarație pe dat cumreacționeze.șiAm stiamindividual,să cine reacționatmomentFacebook,A pe apărut așa... un la nu că asta problemaavut Amoficială. formală, cumva asta, chestia facă să carestructură o o... exista percepută fost a Așa ALEX: i doi, al doilea motiv, se referă la această diversitataceastă la referă se motiv,doilea al doi, i ntena 3 nu cred, dar RTVul așa a preluat a așa RTVul dar cred, nu 3 ntena TEFAN: Păi nu știu, au fost câțiva oameni în campania MM, 5- MM, campania în oameni câțiva fost au știu, nu Păi TEFAN: TEFAN: La alegerile prezidențiale... TEFAN: Păi în 2012 erau cei care se simțeau reprezentati de USL și de PSD; ceilalti nu. Tot timpul Tot nu. ceilalti PSD; de și USL de reprezentatisimțeau se care cei erau 2012 în Păi TEFAN: EA:.aa fs peut d RV n eu at, ea e r ca, r psu lgt e S, pe PSD, de legat postul era clar, era ce ceea asta, felul în RTV de preluată fost a TEFAN:...așa TEFAN: Eu nici nu știu în ce formă puteam să ne delimi Asta o dată. Până la urmă cei mai mulți au preferat varianta civilă. Motivele pentru care s- care pentruMotivele civilă.varianta preferat au mulți mai cei urmă la Până dată. o Asta - aș întreba acum legat de mișcarea din 2012 și de Roșia Montană: cumva politic erau ele. erau politiccumva Montană:Roșia de și 2012 dinmișcarea de legat acumîntreba aș - o poziție sau alta puterea, dar cum vedeau ele ideea de implicare politică? ar fi întâmplat dacă fiecare dintre noi ne noi dintre fiecare dacă întâmplat fi ar - a întâmplat că cel puțin din exterior a părut că chiar în primul tur și din campanie, din și tur primul în chiar că părut a exteriordin puțin cel că întâmplat a ost iresponsabil... acuma pot spune și ei că până la urmă e dreptul lor să se implice;se să lor dreptul e urmă la până că ei și spune iresponsabil...acumapot ost - a ajuns la chestia asta? în... Eu chiar nu știu; nu am fost.... S fost.... am nu știu; nu chiar Eu în...

- o: uitați ce violenți, și se lega de povestea cu incidentulpovesteacu decu lega se violenți,șiuitați ce o: - r i uu aug ncoaă a pzțe ouă privind comună poziție o la niciodată ajunge putut fi ar -

te... capacita te... de lipsă o și plus politic, ceva concretizat a ot până nu se schimbă sistemul electoral, și atunci amatunci și electoral, sistemulschimbă se nu până ot 88

e, care nu ai cum să o.... adică dacă faci un partidun faci dacă adicăo.... să cum ai nu care e,

- am fi dus... adică ne adică dus... fi am - un fel sau altul cooptata în mișcarea MM. tam pentru că la momentul ăla nu știu daca știu nu ăla momentul la că pentru tam - les - a delimitat mișcarea de noua dreaptă. o că e o nevoie generală în societateșigeneralănevoie în o e că o 6... - a mers pe ideea că uite, extrema uite, că ideea pe mers a Ei în ansamblul mișcării nu, nu nu, mișcării ansamblul în Ei - am fi spart de grupuri și

o .. a CEU eTD Collection ... alternative careși să fie relevante din punct de vedere social... și deocamda nucred cătă am ajuns... cadre aducă să care partide de lipsă ducem mici; partide de lipsă ducem că cred nu Adică, irelevant. același În facă... să vrea ar mai e că ce de și înțeleg chiar unii, cred sunt pe înțeleg îi Și miza nu, invalidă... e singură.că... înseamnă nu una ce ceea și.... personale, that; e alegeri Universității as Piața dar simple multe, as fie is să pot it partide nou; că ziceam partid Știi, un imprtantă. la decât asta la degrabă mai lucrez să mișcarepreferatam civică,și o nevoiede e noi, partidetot aveaam dacăchiarcă.... faptul de degrabă ALEX: Îmi amintesc că tot timpul tot că amintesc Îmi ALEX: Ș uite,înșine, toți sunt un dezastru...” început erau critici cu privire la posibilitatea ast Ș Ș ALEX: Încercări de a crea o mișcare politică? s Politic ALEX: care ține de partidele vechi. Ei încearcă să țină linia. dreapta. de viziuni dreapta, de centru, de și stânga, spunea: hai să facem, hai să facem, grupul dar era minoritar. Și nu, astanu s Ș ALEX: Poți să ALEX: cooptată, și olin Ș complet? S prezintă? se fel ce în campanie, după acum, asta, scindareacumva și... Da, ALEX: mai cinevaseducea facăcampaniesă ii Iohannis,lui cineva lui Tăriceanuașa.totșiUnde ajuns?am fi Nu TEFAN: Nu știu, poți să îi întrebi îi să poți știu, Nu TEFAN: TEFAN: În cesens? TEFAN: Încercări nusunt TEFAN: Păi da, într da, Păi TEFAN: TEFAN: Da, s Da, TEFAN: exista US ca mișcare.

- mi despre povestești linia care nuse lasă cooptată? - - ie care ie nu se lasăcooptată. a rupt. Ea nu e ruptă la nivel de principii, numai că sunt două linii: o linie care se lasăcare se olinie linii: douăprincipii, sunt că numai de nivel ruptăla e Ea nu rupt. a a schimbata situația defață 2012, 2013?

- un fel e de diverse ideologii: adică sunt și oameni și patrioți, ca să zic așa; și deșiașa;zicdiverse de patrioți,oameniideologii: esă adică sunt și șica fel un

, nu ca grup. A, sunt unii oameni, timpul 2012 grup. câteunul în , nuca unii A,tot care era și sunt și timp și dacă o faci când nu trebuie, sau o faci prea devreme, tinzi să deviisă devreme,tinzi prea faci o sau trebuie, nu când faci o dacă și timp

a existat tensiunea asta și asta tensiunea existat a din start erau critici. De ce crezi că se întampla asta? pe cei care... motivele pentru care eram eu reticent țineau mai țineau reticent eu eram care pentru motivele care... cei pe

a când era ridicată în public: “ 89

Dar nu s Dar

erau foarte mulți oameni mulți foarte erau - ar lăsa antrenați într antrenați lăsa ar

- a schimbat. A face cevapolitic noi - un proiect politic - a rupt mișcarea mișcarea rupt a care de bunla

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13 13 - CEU eTD Collection Indignados: Souls.” Taibo, A Carlos.Spanish 2013.“The Movement Two with Incompetence: 1993.Sztompka, Piotr. “Civilizational Post The of Trap Victoria.Stoiciu, 2012.“Austerity Reforms and Romania: in Structural Severe Measures, Anca.Simionca, 2012.“Neoliberal Anti Managerialism, Statein andthe Constitutional the Future of Clientelism, “Corruption, Andras.Sajo, 1998. Quarterly Atlantic South Global Crisis.” Moishe.2012.“Thinking the Postone, Poenaru, Florin 2013. Andrei. and Nationalism ———. 2014a. Anti “Nature, Poenaru, Florin. 2013.“Power and Stadiums at Play: 1980sPopular Culturein Soccer Peck, Mungiu, Diagnosis Treatment.” Alina.Democracy 2006.“Corruption: and Journal of tia Ctln uutn 21. Fțtl Mlil Ae euțmri ouae O Schiță O Populare: Nemulțumirii Ale Multiple “Fațetele 2012. Augustin. Cătălin Stoica, DavidSnow, A. 2008. “FramingIdeology, Processes, In and Fields. Discursive ”

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17 (3): The The 1. - CEU eTD Collection Bran, Mirel. 2012. “Anger Threatens to Topple Romanian “Anger ThreatensBran, Topple to Mirel. 2012. BLNU POETLR e Luni de PROTESTELOR “BILANŢUL de 235 Căzut. a Ungureanu “Guvernul 2012. Micu. Veronica and Gabriela, Antoniu, Cu Distanta, La de Vede Se Cum Sanatatii: Legea Cu “Povestea 2012. Dragoș. Aligică, Material Video and Documents articles, Newspaper Data: Cited the SacerZizek,as University. of” the the 2003.“Homo Object of Discourse Slavok. Eric 1990.“DistinguishedWolf, R. Lecture: Facing Power Walker, “Romanians Bucharest. Elections Peter,in Demand as Prime and 2012. Agencies Tismaneanu, Vladimir. of 2009.Fantasies Salvation: andMyth Democracy, in Nationalism, Thurmond, Veronica A. 2001.“The of Triangulation.” Point Scholarship Nursing Journal of in andLasse. Emotions Thomassen,PoliticalIndignados, “The Theory: 2014. Populism A http://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/jan/24/romania Bite.” - capitala protests. nrg rea’ Dsoei L Poettr Dn aiaă” 201 Capitală.” Din de Protestatari La Accessed May 28.http://www.mediafax.ro/social/bilantul Descoperit Arsenal’, Întreg votat http://jurnalul.r Cenzură.” de Moţiunea Pentru Votat Au Parlamentari categorie/povestea Detasare.” http://www.lacan.com/hsacer.htm. American Anthropologist http://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/jan/24/romania Minister Emil Boc Urges Unity.” Post - 33 (3): 253–58.doi:10.1111/j.1547 995.2014.906771.doi:10.1080/23269 Cossarini.”DiscourseResponse Paolo Global to - manifestanti- - - Com pentru- 9152022. munist Europe munist motiunea , December http://www.contributors.ro/faraContributors.ro 13. o/stiri/politica/guvernul- in

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