1st November, 2024
When I was 9 years old my mother brought back a beautiful woven wool jacket from her travels in Romania, I remember how rough it felt and how intricate all the embroidery on the sleeves and pockets was. This, up until this year, had been my only encounter ever with the Romanian culture; so I had no idea what to expect. I was vaguely aware of the communist politics that had occurred during the 70’s and 80’s and the strong religious culture among the population, but that was the extent of my knowledge on the subject, so I began my research.
Must-know Romanian politics and History
Nicolae Ceaușescu, general secretary of the Romanian Communist Party, began his leadership of the party in 1965, then later became the country’s head of state in 1967 which he continued until his execution in December, 1989.
During this time the Romanian population suffered due to the severe repression and human rights abuse caused by Ceaușescu’s ‘secret police’, the Securitate. As well as this, Ceaușescu attempted to implement policies such as Decree 770, designed to lead to a population growth through the banning of abortions and contraceptives; according to the Decree ‘every woman under 45 years old had the patriotic duty to give to the homeland at least 5 children’ (Lataianu, 2001).
As a result of the mass surveillance, controlling the population through media and press, the country suffered and deteriorated so much that come 1989 a mass of rioting and civil unrest spread across the country encouraged by anti-government protestors. Which eventually led to the trial and conviction of Nicolae Ceaușescu and his wife for economic sabotage and genocide. They were publicly executed in Târgoviște on the 25th of December, 1989.
Immediately on learning this part of Romanian history, it made me realise the stark difference between the politics here in the UK and in Romania, it also made me realise that I might encounter first hand some of the effects this part of history had on Romania during my time there.
Another key element involving the politics of Romania is its close involvement with the conflict in the Russo-Ukrainian war, which began in 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine. Romania shares just over a fifth of its border with Ukraine, and when in 2022 Russia labelled all EU countries as ‘unfriendly’; Romania joined other countries in declaring a number of Russian diplomats persona non grata (Wikipedia Contributors, 2023). The Romanian government has also helped Ukraine rebuild its energy infrastructure and supplying the country with fuel and electricity. This information is key for those travelling to Romania as the conflict between Ukraine and Russia is of international concern, however the involvement of the Romanian government within this is a passionate debate among the Romanian population.
As part of my research on this topic I watched the documentary ‘20 Days in Mariupol’ by Ukrainian journalist Mstyslav Chernov. The documentary details the invasion and besiegement of the city of Mariupol, which is situated on the South-East coast of Ukraine. It provided the ‘vivid, harrowing account of the civilians caught in the siege’ (Chernov, 2022). This documentary was both difficult and eye-opening to watch, it made me acutely aware of the privileged life I lead and how lucky I am for the opportunities I have received and continue to receive. I believe it is crucial to have this awareness when working internationally, especially in a country with such a starkly different cultural, social and political system.
A week in Iași, Romania! 