October 16, 2025. Viral topics on the net in the last 24 hours

Internal political controversies have strongly attracted public attention, which informed itself yesterday through social media, but it was also interested in economic or local topics. The analysis refers to the first 100 viral press headlines according to the volume of engagement generated on Facebook on Wednesday and describes the subjects that particularly captured the attention of the online public.

A central theme was that of national defense, reflected in a series of articles about the mobilization of reservists. The discussion was fueled by materials that presented the authorities' exercise as a logistical failure [Gândul, buletin.de], alongside news detailing the legal consequences for those who do not respond to the summons [Stirile PROTV, epochtimes-romania.com].

In this context, high engagement was also generated by the controversial statements of public figures, such as that of artist Dan Bittman about "desertion" [RomaniaTV], but also by narratives promoted in alternative media about a potential involvement of Romania in war [60m.ro].

The internal political scene constituted another major pillar of interest. Part of the attention focused on the actions and statements of sovereignist leaders. The online public followed topics such as George Simion's potential openness to a government with PSD [Realitatea]. News was also shared about investigations related to the financing of Călin Georgescu's campaign [epochtimes-romania.com].

In the economic sphere, a positively resonating topic was the inauguration of a factory by the German group Stihl in Oradea, an event presented as a major investment by multiple publications [bihon.ro, ebihoreanul.ro, Ziarul Financiar]. Public interest was also directed towards fiscal topics, such as the statements of the ANAF chief regarding VAT calculation [Digi 24], or towards macroeconomic trends, such as the decrease in oil prices [biziday.ro].

Local events also had high visibility in the online environment. The tragic case of the death of a young athlete from Blaj was reflected by several sources [ziarulunirea.ro, Blaj Info]. Public interest was also directed towards natural phenomena, such as the earthquake felt in Satu Mare County [presasm.ro, portalsm.ro].

ARTICLES WITH HIGH VIRALITY

1. Journalist Sorina Matei joins the GÂNDUL team [GÂNDUL]
2. UNIMAGINABLE Tragedy: Blaj mourns the loss of Medeea Cristina Tomotaș, a student and athlete, who passed away at just 18 years old [ZIARULUNIREA.RO]
3. The GREAT MOBILIZATION of reservists, a true FIASCO. Gândul filmed EXCLUSIVELY at the gate of a military unit in Ilfov. Reservists summoned by the Minister of Defense, completely bewildered: "I still know how to shoot, but I can't see with one eye. They call us Moșteanu sick, he doesn't know how to tie his shoelaces" [GÂNDUL]
4. George Simion: "We are open to national reconciliation, but not without Mr. Călin Georgescu" [REALITATEA]
5. ALERT. 4 magnitude earthquake in Satu Mare County, felt this morning [PRESASM.RO]
6. Analysis by The Guardian. Vladimir Putin was forced to cancel the "Russia-Arab World" summit, announced back in April and intensively prepared in recent weeks, after only a few leaders confirmed their attendance. The event highlights the decline of Russian influence in the Middle East, at a time when the US mediated peace in Gaza. [BIZIDAY.RO]
7. Dan Bittman advises Romanians to desert and betray the country in case of war: "I try to flee the country, to leave, to pay anything and to go. I have nothing to look for here, I have no one to defend here" VIDEO [ROMANIATV]
8. Teachers should no longer have duties unrelated to education, demands Cornelia Popa Stavri, FSLI / Meetings with parents, school olympiads, and the obligation of professional training should be carried out during the 8-hour workday, says the union leader [EDUPEDU.RO]
9. Follow the money. Three international rogatory commissions established to track the money used by Georgescu in the electoral campaign [EPOCHTIMES-ROMANIA.COM]
10. What risks do reservists face who refuse the call order or do not show up for the mobilization exercise [ȘTIRILE PROTV]

***** Summary created with the help of a monitoring flow provided by the NewsVibe Romania, based on several online monitoring software. The ranking of viral links is 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.