SECURITY CULTURE: THE CURE TO VOTER DEPRESSION IN ROMANIA
SECURITY CULTURE: THE CURE TO VOTER DEPRESSION IN ROMANIA

Summary/Abstract: Toppled with current political turmoil and crises on multiple fronts, Romania has undoubtedly been a highly challenged state since the fall of communism in 1989. Today, the Covid-19 pandemic has amplified many of these crises, including facilitating voter fatigue and depression, behaviours that eventually end up harming democracy. Moreover, the concerning status quo drawn by the last parliamentary elections, scoring a record low number of votes indicates numerous warning signals and asks for a solution-oriented debate between and within political parties, but also with the electorate above all.This paper entails an original approach by connecting two preeminent phenomena, both having political, social, and economic implications – a low voter turnout, and the global pandemic. As a proposed solution, the research hypothesis is if investing in security culture became a priority, then the citizens’ trust in their government would be restored, and the legacy of doubt and suspicion inherited from the communist era would be overcome. The outcome anticipated from building a solid security culture could reverse the ongoing voter fatigue in Romania, leading to higher turnouts in the new elections to come. A stronger bond is expected to emerge between politicians and citizens while the level of trust in public authority would increase.

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