Cosmin Popa is one of the most appreciated researchers of Romanian and Eastern European communism, author of the volumes "From Brezhnev to Gorbachev", "Foreign Policy of Communist Romania" and "The Revolution of 1989. The End of the Ceaușescu Dictatorship".
The conference proposes a “rereading” of the Ceaușescu period, beyond clichés, through a comparative analysis of the distinctive features of the regime in political, institutional and socio-economic terms. The central argument: after 1971, Romania entered a phase of ideological and bureaucratic recentralization, in which anti-intellectualism became state policy, and the declarative objective of “social development” was abandoned in favor of control and autarchy. I examine the mechanisms of governance (party-state, security, planning), the transformation of the economy (showcase industrialism, inefficient investments, austerity), social policies (symbolic mobilization vs. the decline of public services) and cultural effects (censorship, delegitimization of expertise). “Rereading” means putting the decisions and their consequences back into context, in order to understand the legacies that still shape the relationship between state, expertise and society in post-communist Romania.
November 10
Amphitheater A01, UVT
18:00
Admission is free, subject to availability. Please reserve your spot using the registration form: https://forms.gle/bpESncNd8VCTZJbD7
The event is part of Timișoara Ideas Fest, the festival that brings together journalists, content creators, researchers, teachers and young people to explore the mechanisms of manipulation, the impact of propaganda and the way social media shapes the perception of reality.
Event financed by the Timișoara City Hall through the Project Center
Sponsors: Nord One
Partners: Alber Foundation, BCR, Linde, UniCredit, Cărturești, OSUT
Media partners: Kiss FM, UVT Media Hub.
