The young generation and the temptation of extremism The 2000 elections in Andreea Elena Cârstea ()

Introduction. The facts It’s all about discourse… in its socio-political context Conclusions The young generation of 2000 • the 2000 general elections were preceded by a broad 1. The ascension of extremism • disappointed by the political class atmosphere of social dissatisfaction and political • “court” poet during communism in 2000 Romania was favored by the • resentful confusion • extremist overlapping of two converging ‘layers’ of • affected by unemployment and • the first post-communist alternation in power (1996- • combining leftist ideas with discourse (protest - revolt discourse). small wages 2000) was perceived as a failure: right-nationalist elements • living in compromises; image mistakes Photo: www.cinemagia.ro 2. It was the ability of the political • models – national radical figures: Vlad the Impaler, communist blocks neighborhoods Photo: a1.ro/news/economic/ endless coalition conflicts actor to manipulate a dominant type of Marshal (Hitler’s ally), Nicolae Ceaușescu • coming in contact with different forms of subculture • , the president in function, discourse (inside a social category) in (last Romanian communist leader) [especially national and foreign rap groups BUG Mafia, Parasites announced his retirement from the race in the summer his favor although the protest was also • “the country could be governed only with the help of a (Paraziții), Eminem] of 2000 against him (as a part of the system). machine gun” (1998) - appealing for their protest messages • the democratic parties threw into race two candidates of - perceived as something relatively new the same caliber: Mugur Isărescu and Electoral slogan 3. An important strategy in the (after the communist censorship) • the final battle was fought between , former “Down the Mafia! Up the nation!” extremist Romanian discourse of 2000 president (perceived as neo-communist) and Corneliu (“Jos Mafia! Sus Patria!”) was to address the most vulnerable and “The bribe is the one that gets you out Vadim Tudor (the extremist leader of the Great Romania Purpose: “the salvation of our of s**t, / A policeman, a prosecutor, a resentful categories. Party) compatriots that live in the darkest senator and you are out. (...) • Tudor was elected by over 30% from the population pauperization”. Maybe the government thinks you are with ages between 18 and 44 years Photo: www.cinemagia.ro a whore, bro / From the money you [exit poll - IInd tour - Vadim’s voters: 39% 18-29 years make / If you get a half. (...) recontextualization and and 35% 30-44 years] (Jurnalul Național, December 11, 2000) appealing That we make all we can to be alright Cited Works • the results were especially shocking since, from 1989, the primal emotions: reconfiguration of Photo: hiphopforum.sk/news/forum/ (it’s normal) / Above the law, above sensitive themes: successive young generations were the main supporters anger, fear, pride BUG Mafia, Behind the blocks the mercy, above the hospital beds • Andreescu, Gabriel (2003), Extremismul de of the new democracy not reason fight against corruption (După blocuri), There are good days or bad days, but dreapta în România, Ethnocultural Diversity • Iliescu finally won (with 70%) after a huge mobilization communist past etc. released January 18, 2000 all stays the same…” Resource Center, Cluj-Napoca. of the press and of the civil society in his favor and • Gallagher, Tom (2005), Theft of a Nation. Romania since Communism, Hurst & Company, against extremism Strategies London. in Tudor’ discourse -----> it was no coincidence that Tudor obtained his success among • Tismăneanu, Vladimir (2001), Romania’s youngsters listening to rap groups, whose rather violent message First Post-Communist Decade: From Iliescu Sources to Iliescu (at http://www.wilsoncenter. suited the radical measures and colorful figures of speech used by inconsistence in declaration org/publication/225-romanias-first-post- • C.V. Tudor’s declarations and electoral program appealing human the candidate (Gallagher, 2005, p. 286) communist-decade-iliescu-to-iliescu, last (Revista România Mare - Great Romania Magazine) and national values: adaptation of statements: accessed 29 March 2014). • Lyrics of local rap groups compassion, solidarity, tempered and redirected Declarations of Tudor’s voters indicate 2 major tendencies: • Wodak, Ruth (2001), “The Discourse– • Newspapers articles Historical Approach”, in Wodak, Ruth & Meyer, patriotism xenophobic messages (Jurnalul Național - The National Journal; (Andreescu, 2003, p. 32) Michael (eds.), Methods of Critical Discourse - The Daily Event, I. a need for radical solutions Analysis, Sage Publications, London, Thousand Adevărul - The Truth) “We voted for him because he’s crazy”. Oaks & New Delhi, pp. 63-95. Tudor’s 2000 electoral discourse “Only a crazy man can take us out from this situation”. - conspirational, building upon issues like disunity, (Evenimentul Zilei, November, 27, 2000) Method poverty and frustrations; II. a sense of revolt taken to the extreme (‘After Further Information - crafted as to represent the voice of the anonymous, us, the deluge’ type of revolt) Case study poor people (Tismăneanu, 2001, online), revolting “We voted for him because we want to ask for political asylum”. The starting point of this study resides in Interdisciplinary, the critical discourse analysis made for my PhD against the system and the corrupted political class; (Evenimentul Zilei, November, 27, 2000) Thesis: „Legitimation Strategies in the Romanian Qualitative approach - a protest against corruption, Mafia, criminality Electoral Discourse. Campaign Themes in the ---> Historical Discourse Analysis (Wodak, 2001) Presidential Elections between 1990 and 2000”.