March 28, 2025. Viralized topics on the net in the last 24 hours

The pre-electoral debate and developments related to Ukraine were once again in the spotlight of the public that got informed yesterday from the social networks. The findings below refer to the top 100 viral headlines in terms of volume of interactions generated on Facebook the previous day and reflect the main topics that captured the attention of the Romanian online audience.

George Simion was one of the most frequently mentioned characters, in a polarizing register. The online public was attracted both by direct attacks on him - including the "adventurer" label offered by Marcel Ciolacu, who questioned his authenticity [RomaniaTV] - and by his own initiatives or positions, such as calls for Ilie Bolojan not to commit Romania to sending troops to Ukraine [Realitatea, Mediafax].

Crin Antonescu has found himself at the center of digital attention through a series of statements reflected in headlines that have generated engagement on social networks. Several publications have picked up the statements in which the former liberal leader claims that Adrian Nastase "may (...) have been" a better president than Traian Băsescu [ziaristii.com, g4media.ro, epochtimes-romania.com]. The coalition candidate is considered by Nicușor Dan as the main challenger to enter the second round of the presidential elections [epochtimes-romania.com].

Ilie Bolojan has also generated a lot of interest in the context of his participation in the Paris summit and by his clear position that Romania will not send troops to Ukraine [Digi24, EuropaFM, bihon.ro].

Internationally, the conflict in Ukraine continues to capture attention, both through the reactions of Western allies and Volodimir Zelenski's recent statements about Vladimir Putin [Stirile PROTV, epochtimes-romania.com].

Religion was another topic with strong online echo throughout the day yesterday. The election of PS Benedict as Bishop of Sălajului [mitropolia-clujului.ro, radiorenasterea.ro, basilica.ro, salajulliber.ro] was covered by several local and religious publications. At the same time, a local tragedy in Sălaj, where a priest and his wife died only a few weeks apart, attracted public attention [stiriledinsalaj.ro].

ARTICLES WITH HIGH VIRALITY

1. NAC member Vasile Bănescu indirectly admits that the decision against Marius Tucă was influenced by political reasons and personal interpretations, not by the law [NEWS SOURCES]
2. The Romanian military can shoot down drones that enter the country's airspace. CCR rejected the petitions of extremist parties AUR, POT and SOS against the law on airspace control [BIZIDAY.RO]
3. PS Benedict is the new Bishop-elect of Sălajului [MITROPOLIA-CLUJULUI.RO]
4. Nor Marcel Ciolacu doesn't give George Simion a chance in the presidential race. "An adventurer. More and more we see that he is a fake" [ROMANIATV]
5. Ilie Bolojan seems to be defending Foreign Minister Emil Hurezeanu after he was criticized by Marcel Ciolacu: "If you criticize people who are supposed to help you perform in public, you only spoil their ability to perform, not only for them as individuals, but also for their institutions" [BIZIDAY.RO]
6. Paris summit. Emmanuel Macron and Keir Starmer want to send a so-called 'reassurance force' to Ukraine to support the Ukrainian Army in the long term and act as a deterrent against Russian aggression in the event of a peace deal. Military chiefs from France, Britain and Germany will travel to Kiev to work out the details of such a plan [BIZIDAY.RO]
7. Zelensky 'predicts' Putin's death. "He will die soon, and that is a fact". Data exposed [PROTV NEWS]
8. Criminal complaint to the General Prosecutor's Office after Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu suggested that an attempt was made to cancel the elections after the first round [REALITATEA]
9. A 13-year-old boy jumped into the water to save his life. He was attacked by a pack of sheep dogs [PROTV NEWS]
10. Sorin Grindeanu shows the cat to the pesediștilor: Don't vote for Ponta, or you'll make Nicușor Dan president [NEWS SOURCES]

***** Synthesis realized with the help of a monitoring feed provided by the NewsVibe Romania, team based on several online monitoring software. The top viral links are measured based on the number of interactions generated on Facebook by topics from the Romanian online press. Virality is measured by the cumulative number of likes, comments and shares obtained by various links over the course of a day.