From swan eaters to national heroes: representations of the Romanian diaspora in public discourse

Abstract

The emergence of the Romanian diaspora as an important social actor is closely related to socio-political events that have taken place in the home country. This study attempts to track this process through the means of Van Leeuven’s socio-semantic categorization by analysing pieces of political discourse stated around key moments in the recent history of Romania: the process of becoming a full member of the European Union (2013) and two presidential elections (2014, 2019). Drawing on the general perception of diaspora communities across the world as representing a significant social and economic potential for home countries, it is sound to hypothesize a similar Romanian case manifested at the level of political discourse through positive role allocation.