The Years Before The Fall. Leader And Party Elite In Communist Romania
The Years Before The Fall. Leader And Party Elite In Communist Romania

Summary/Abstract: After Stalin’s death, many of the countries under the influence of the Soviet Union experienced certain deviations from the totalitarian model, which led many to redefine these political regimes. The communist regime in the Ceauşescu period is such an example, as Juan Linz and Alfred Stepan stated that, as of the second half of the ’70s, the Romanian regime did not become less totalitarian, but gained visible sultanistic traits. This definition of the Ceauşescu regime is a result of the dimension of the leadership, which is actually the subject of this study. If, from the perspective of mobilization, pluralism, and ideology, the regime led by Nicolae Ceauşescu can be included in the category of totalitarian regimes, the type of leadership is what makes Stepan and Linz consider this regime as totalitarian with sultanistic tendencies. In order to identify the particularities of leadership in the Ceauşescu regime, we must observe the relationship between the leader and the political elite. In this context, we stated that the relationship between Nicoale Ceauşescu and the political elite must be viewed from a double perspective. It is true that the functions of the elite depended on Nicolae Ceauşescu and the people closest to him, but on the other hand, the “loyalty” to the leader was a way they could ensure many privileges.

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