Director of the Institute of Political Sciences and International Affairs (ISPRI) of the Romanian Academy Dan Dungaciu told AGERPRES on Monday that the findings of the November 2022 edition of Romania's Security Barometer, to be released today at the Library of the Romanian Academy, highlighted a return of the Romanians to a "by ourselves" paradigm, although they remain pro-Euro-Atlantic.
"The security barometer reveals a series of extremely important aspects. The first is the return to a 'by ourselves' paradigm, namely a pragmatic attitude towards regional and global developments. The process of 'dispelling' the West, its institutions, which started in Central Europe almost a decade ago and also by many of the countries in the West, is starting to be noticed in the perception of the Romanians. For them, the European or global arena is a place of national, particular interests, in which Bucharest must play the same way," says Dungaciu, told Agerpres.
He added that "Romanians want a Romania more focused on their own agenda, a Romania that also demands, instead of just giving."
"As an aside, the current so-called debates about welcoming Romania in the Schengen area only confirm their fears. Does joining it depend on treaties, documents, laws, etc. or on the national/local interests of some? Obviously, the latter answer seems the correct one and the Romanians see it. This tendency of national re-centering was sharpened by the war," adds Dungaciu.
Regarding the concrete attitude towards the war in Ukraine, Dungaciu said that "the Romanians join the camp identified by the European Council for Foreign Relations as the 'pragmatist' camp, as opposed to the 'moralist' camp (total victory against Russia, at any cost), i.e. those who want peace including through concessions from Ukraine." He added that Romanians have not become pro-Russian or pro-Chinese, whom the trust the least, but have remained pro-European and pro-NATO.
"It should be noted that, at the European level, the so-called camp of pragmatists was more numerous even in May 2022 at the European level! It should be noted, however, that all this change in attitude is not done in other frameworks than the Euro-Atlantic ones. The Romanians have not became either pro-Russian or pro-Chinese, whom they trust the least. Romanians have remained pro-European and pro-NATO - more pro-European than pro-American - but they have also become more... pro - Romanians," Dungaciu said.
The November 2022 edition of Romania's Security Barometer, a nationally representative survey carried out by computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI), was conducted by the Laboratory for the Analysis of Information War and Strategic Communication (LARICS), in partnership with the Institute of Political Sciences and International Affairs (ISPRI) of the Romanian Academy, September 29 - October 10, on a sample of 1,001 people, with a maximum allowed error: +/- 3.1%, at a confidence level of 95%.
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