Analysis shows Romanian political parties’ TikTok use, highlighting extremist messaging and platform dynamics.
🔗 Read the article on hotnews.ro
[This is an automatically generated summary, for reference only]
Romania has the highest percentage of EU citizens who use TikTok for news, yet few politicians have used the platform effectively during election campaigns. An analysis by HotNews.ro and Mediapool examined political party activity ahead of parliamentary elections to see if the platform favored extremist parties. Experts suggest TikTok reflects societal frustration and lack of information rather than causing radicalization. In Romanian electoral campaigning, SOS led by Diana Șoșoacă was the most active on TikTok, followed by USR and AUR. AUR utilized a nationalist theme based on Romanian historical figures in its campaign videos, while other parties showed varying levels of activity; major governing parties like PNL and UDMR did not have accounts. Experts noted that modern extremist messages focus on direct democracy or viewing the nation as monolithic, often limiting minority rights or increasing societal anger. While TikTok offers a democratic space for viral content compared to traditional media monopolies, experts state it is a reflection of existing social conditions rather than the root cause of extremism. Separately, in Bulgaria, the ultranationalist party “Renașterea” successfully used social media, particularly Facebook, to exploit public sentiment against COVID-19 restrictions and promote anti-NATO and Euro sentiments, growing significantly through its use of trolls.
