EXCLUSIVE | Any apparently lost war can be won by a brave nation

Next week we will publish a comprehensive research on national security issues, focusing on the prolonged crisis at the eastern border and its profound impact on Romanian society.

The conclusion drawn from the analysis of public perceptions is disturbing: even if we narrowly avoid disaster in 2025, the data suggests that Romania is on the verge of losing the first large-scale informational war triggered on our territory.

It no longer makes sense to deny, lament, or accuse. Because we all have a responsibility. In a post-truth era and under the assault of information shaped by hyper-intrusive technologies that penetrate deeply into all social layers, such a type of confrontation, a true cognitive war with profound effects on social cohesion, cannot be waged solely by the state, only by authorities, in the absence of the private sector, the academic environment, and the involvement of society as a whole.

The great challenge for all of us, not just for the Romanian state, is whether we will win or lose it in the future. It is an existential challenge for the type of free, democratic society in which we still wish to live.

The fundamental stake remains the consolidation of real sovereignty, based on the defense of democratic values and the rejection of any authoritarian governance models that limit freedom and independence — whether individual or national.

The good news is that the anchors of attachment to freedom, integrity, and security are found in the fabric of human values embraced by a critical majority of Romanians, as we observe from another research we have been working on for some time. However, they need to be systematically activated and cultivated, which requires a complex activity for which we need a bit more WILL and COURAGE (political, institutional, societal, and individual).