Studii și Materiale de Istorie Contemporană, vol. XXIII, 2024

Alexandru MURARU, O reflecţie asupra polarizării şi violenţei politice. Lecţiile pentru România [Considerations on Polarization and Political Violence. Lessons for Romania]

The full text is available on CEEOL/ Textul integral al studiului poate fi accesat prin CEEOL:  https://www.ceeol.com/search/article-detail?id=1327807 

Violence is the next step after severe social polarization or division. The article proposes a comparative reflection on the lessons of past extreme political brutality (i.e., assassinations of political leaders) in Romania and the United States of America. It also explores current trends, pointing to slippages that could potentially bring about the return of such violence. The recent assassination attempt on newly elected US President Donald Trump offers a crucial lesson for Romania: the safeguards of democracy weaken significantly when law does not penalize excessive political aggression.

Keywords: political violence, polarization, extremism, democracy, populism.