In ‘Echo-Chambers’ of Nationalist Romanian Party, Russia’s Favourite Narratives

Parliament members belonging to the newly entered extremist party Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR) rise placards to protesting against COVID 19 measures. The placards read: 'REOPEN THE SCHOOLS'. EPA-EFE/ROBERT GHEMENT

These sites and groups are awash with conspiracy theories about malign foreign influences plundering Romanian resources, about the moral corruption of the West and the folly of government-imposed restrictions to combat the spread of COVID-19.

The content dovetails with the narratives Russia has pushed in other European states in what misinformation experts say is a concerted effort to foment political instability and undermine the cohesion of the European Union and NATO.

"AUR's audience usually isolates itself in discussion groups in which it feeds on conspiracies, misinformation and Russian propaganda narratives," said sociologist Nicolae Țîbrigan, an expert in information security analysis and combatting digital misinformation.

Sociologist Nicolae Țîbrigan. Photo: The courtesy of Nicolae Țîbrigan

"We should not necessarily suspect AUR sympathisers as pro-Russian, but rather view them as indirect promoters of speeches or narratives written in Kremlin labs that are often reproduced or re-released depending on the context."

BIRN found no hard evidence of any direct Russian involvement in promoting these narratives, but the overlap raises questions about AUR's true interests.

The party and its leaders declined to be interviewed for this story or answer written questions.

'Independent' news sites tied to AUR

Like its political clout, AUR's online footprint is growing, though some might not know it.

Over the past year, the Facebook pages of the party,...