'It could have been us': Strategic narratives about Ukrainian refugees in the Romanian public sphere

Abstract

Speakers: Mălina Ciocea, National University of Political Studies and Public Administration (SNSPA), Bucharest Bianca-Florentina Cheregi, National University of Political Studies and Public Administration (SNSPA), Bucharest Florența Toader, National University of Political Studies and Public Administration (SNSPA), Bucharest This webinar focuses on the public debates, modes of engagement and courses of action proposed by political and media actors in Romania with respect to Ukrainian refugees. The war in Ukraine and the subsequent refugee crisis have reopened debates about the implications of migration within Europe and the kind of society European citizens imagine for themselves. In Romania, the issue of Ukrainian refugees has been used strategically to engage with other contested themes on the public agenda, such as labour migration. Our project explores various arenas of public discourse and action to understand how meaning is built with reference to refugees and what strategies are employed to mobilize the public towards politically-significant action. Our first area of focus is on the symbolic battles, contested problematizations, and competitive discourses about Ukrainian refugees privileged in media discourse. The second site of our investigation is represented by various crowdsourcing initiatives for the support of Ukrainian refugees developed by the Romanian government and the civil society. They function as discursive fields around the public problem of refugees, constructing a narrative about them, negotiating meanings of the crisis, regulating the discursive actions of participants, enacting norms, and attributing responsibilities. Ultimately, our analysis provides insights into how the Ukrainian refugee problem is framed within the Romanian public sphere.