New Progressive Agendas or Radical Left Populisms? Exploring the Ideological Features of the Romanian Extra-Parliamentary Left-Wing Parties

Traditionally associated with the Social Democratic Party (PSD), the post-communist Romanian left has undergone significant transformations over the past decade. While the mainstream left has recently experienced a pronounced conservative turn, marked by increasing nationalism, protectionism, and selective forms of communist nostalgia, the extra-parliamentary left has simultaneously expanded and diversified. Initially rooted in traditional socialist agendas that combined redistributive claims with nationalist tropes, many of these actors were long perceived as either residual expressions of the former communist party or as ambiguous hybrids bordering on radical right populism. More recently, however, the extra-parliamentary left has evolved within a crowded and polarised electoral arena increasingly shaped by conservative cultural frames, sovereignist discourses, and nostalgic references to state socialism. Against this backdrop, new political formations have emerged, ranging from radical left populist projects to more explicitly progressive and emancipatory agendas that seek to differentiate themselves both from the PSD’s conservative repositioning and from nationalist-protectionist narratives. Although these parties remain electorally marginal, they display notable programmatic and organisational innovation. This paper examines the ideological profiles of Romanian extra-parliamentary left-wing parties and proposes a typology of leftist articulation in a context where conservatism and nationalism have become increasingly hegemonic across the political spectrum. Drawing on a qualitative content analysis of party programs, statutes, and leaders’ public statements from the post-2020 electoral period to the present, the analysis shows that while conservative, nationalist, and nostalgic elements continue to permeate parts of the left, there is a growing internal differentiation between economically protectionist, culturally conservative actors and those prioritizing progressive cultural, social, and democratic issues.