Articles by Mimi Mihăilescu

May 22, 2025

Romania’s 2025 elections and the allure of anti-intellectualism

Mimi Mihăilescu

In Romania's 2025 presidential election, far-right political actors portrayed intellectuals as not just ineffective, but as a threat to Romanian values. Mimi Mihăilescu reveals how their rhetoric, which frames expertise as liability rather than an asset, is winning votes – and reshaping how an entire country determines what is true

April 3, 2025

Seeing is believing: how protest visuals are rewriting Romania’s future

Mimi Mihăilescu

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but protest visuals, especially during political upheaval, read like novels. Mimi Mihăilescu shows how visuals aren't just for documentation – they persuade, polarise, and shape public opinion. In Romania, where two protest factions are currently clashing, visuals are on the frontline of political warfare

March 4, 2025

Elon Musk, Călin Georgescu and the Soros spectacle

Mimi Mihăilescu

Elon Musk has endorsed Călin Georgescu as Romania's next president. But what happens when a tech billionaire and a far-right Romanian politician collide? A political firestorm. In a world where billionaires and populists are manipulating elections in the name of 'democracy', Mimi Mihăilescu shows how Musk has succeeded in weaponising Romania's sovereignty

February 18, 2025

A diva among us: the Melania meme phenomenon

Mimi Mihăilescu

In the internet age, few figures have been subject to as much meme-driven mythmaking as First Lady Melania Trump. Mimi Mihăilescu argues that Melania memes reveal how humour and speculation can obscure the complexities of real-life individuals. They also reinforce harmful stereotypes and detach serious political discourse from reality

November 29, 2024

Why manele music was the soundtrack to Romania’s presidential race

Mimi Mihăilescu

Gypsy folk-pop – manele – played a key role in Romania’s 2024 presidential elections. In Roma tradition, manele expresses celebration and resilience. But Mimi Mihăilescu argues that for decades, Romania's politicians have exploited this musical genre for their own ends.

November 28, 2024

How Călin Georgescu's TikTok tactics rewired Romanian politics

Mimi Mihăilescu

In an unexpected twist to Romania’s 2024 presidential election, Călin Georgescu, virtually unknown a year ago, has emerged as a serious contender. Georgescu's ascent has been marked by antisemitic rhetoric, anti-Western discourse, and a sophisticated disinformation strategy. This, argues Mimi Mihăilescu, reveals the vulnerabilities of modern politics to social media manipulation.

November 6, 2024

How Dark MAGA memes are shaping radical belief systems

Mimi Mihăilescu

Online memes have evolved from satirical messages to powerful ideological tools. Recently, the far-right 'Dark MAGA' movement has harnessed memes for political messaging and identity-building. Mimi Mihăilescu describes how Elon Musk has emerged as an anti-establishment symbol: revered, weaponised, and transformed within these radicalised online communities.

October 9, 2024

Meme warfare in Romania: the manipulation of public consciousness

Mimi Mihăilescu

Far-right Romanian presidential candidate George Simion is not just running a campaign, he’s waging a meme war. In today’s digital age, argues Mimi Mihăilescu, the way politicians communicate with the public has fundamentally shifted – and internet memes are emerging as powerful weapons for shaping public perception and discourse.

Mimi Mihăilescu

PhD Candidate, University of Bath

Mimi's research passion lies at the intersection of internet culture and politics.

She explores the deep and complicated world of memes, social media networking, and digital media studies.

Her work critically examines the dynamic and transformative nature of online communities, contributing valuable insights to the field of digital media.

@HereIsMimi95

LinkedIn profile

Articles by Mimi Mihăilescu

Romania’s 2025 elections and the allure of anti-intellectualism

Seeing is believing: how protest visuals are rewriting Romania’s future

Elon Musk, Călin Georgescu and the Soros spectacle

A diva among us: the Melania meme phenomenon

Why manele music was the soundtrack to Romania’s presidential race

How Călin Georgescu's TikTok tactics rewired Romanian politics

How Dark MAGA memes are shaping radical belief systems

Meme warfare in Romania: the manipulation of public consciousness

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