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.
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.
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.
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.
With a background in political studies, sociology, and communication studies, Mimi explores how digital culture shapes the way we think, behave, and engage with the world around us.
Her research dives deep into the messy, fascinating spaces where internet culture and politics collide, from memes and online activism to the hidden dynamics of social media communities.
Mimi is interested in how digital spaces amplify human behaviour, influence collective decision-making, and blur the lines between the personal and the political.
Through her work, Mimi sheds light on what our online habits reveal about risk, identity, and power in a hyperconnected world.
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