SnapShot. Online reflection of legionnaireism in the context of the presidential elections

In the context of the multiple controversies related to Călin Georgescu, the concept of legionnaireism has gained visibility in the foreground of public and media discourse. The analysis carried out with the help of NewsVibe, an AI-powered media intelligence platform, reveals a significant increase in mentions of legionaries and legionnaireism in the Romanian online space in the last month, a trend that highlights society's concern about the rise of extremist ideologies in the current political context.

The impact analysis highlights 2123 mentions about legionaries in relevant media sources in the last month, with a total reach of about 50 million views. We can observe that the topic of the Legionnaires came to the public's attention on November 24, in the context of the presidential elections and the victory of Călin Georgescu in the first round. A particularly visible event is the protest in the University Square against Călin Georgescu, with a focus on condemning his statements and views, accusing him of sympathizing with the legionaries.

A second peak of interest is reflected on December 1-2 - although the number of mentions is lower, the impact is high, as a result of the presence of the topic in mainstream media. In these dates, online sources discuss in particular the commemoration of Corneliu Zelea Codreanu at Tâncăbești, with a focus on the case of the priest who held the religious mass, but also on the presence of Diana Șoșoaca at the event.

Later, on December 4, online discussions centered on the links between Călin Georgescu and Eugen Sechila, a former fighter in the foreign legion with alleged links to the neo-legionary movement in Romania. The topic was notable after the appearance of images of the two before the presidential candidate's appearance on Marius Tucă's program.

Finally, on December 7, there were several topics that grabbed the attention of users - there were searches at the homes of some of the participants of the event in Tâncăbești, some of whom were placed under judicial control. A radio station that propagates legionist propaganda and articles about the meaning of legionism are also mentioned.

Grafic NewsVibe: Evolution of the volume and impact of mentions of Legionnaires in the last month

The resources that have most often discussed the topic come largely from the high-impact online press. Notable is the work of Adevărul, which mentioned the topic of legionnaires and legionnaireism 120 times, almost as many as the next three top sources (the website and Facebook page belonging to G4Media and the website EVZ.ro) combined, with some of these references representing historical perspectives on the legionary movement in Romania. Other notable media sources are Digi24, Stiripesurse.ro and HotNews.ro. The only personality who has addressed the subject at length is Adrian Papahagi, who is a vehement critic of Călin Georgescu, but also of the Romanian Orthodox Church's poor action in condemning links with him or with other personalities accused of legionary sympathies.

Grafic NewsVibe: Top relevant online sources who mentioned the topic most frequently in the past month

The most-used hashtags on Facebook in posts referencing the Legionnaires have the two candidates who made it to the second round - #elenalasconi and #calingeorgescu - in the spotlight.

There are also references from local publications, such as #ziarulincomod, #maszol, #aradon, #jurnalaradean or #opiniatimisoarei. The hashtag #rezistentaurbana belongs to the page of the same name, active in the sphere of civic activism. Direct references to legionism appear only through the hashtags #comememorare and #legionari, while in the political sphere the #partidulreper stands out, with posts urging people to vote in the parliamentary elections, firmly against legionism.

Grafic NewsVibe: The top hashtags included in posts about Legionnaires in the past month

*****Summary compiled using a monitoring feed provided by NewsVibe Romania. The analysis, data and images presented were enhanced with the help of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence tools.