The Role of (Social) Media News in Shaping Romanian Voters’ Support for Populist versus Mainstream Parties
The Role of (Social) Media News in Shaping Romanian Voters’ Support for Populist versus Mainstream Parties

Summary/Abstract: This study builds on research exploring how media exposure and conspiracy beliefs shape support for populist movements, addressing a gap in analyses comparing populist and mainstream parties in Romania. Using an original dataset from an online panel survey conducted by Kantar/Lightspeed with 1,500 respondents, the paper examines predictors of vote intention for both the radical right Alianța pentru Unirea Românilor (AUR) and the mainstream Partidul Social Democrat (PSD). Results show that social media news consumption is associated not only with AUR support but also with left-wing PSD support. These findings suggest that, in Romania, PSD and AUR share similar voter profiles, highlighting the unique overlap between left – and right-wing populist appeal.

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