“Romania’s Paradox”: Youth Perceptions of the EU’s Identity and Legitimacy During Poly-Crisis

More than 16 years after its accession to the EU, Romania is still regarded by EU drafted studies as one of the most pro-European Member States. A relevant aspect as one of the EU’s newest member states gradually shifts from a ‘peripheric to a ‘semi-peripheric’ position amid security threats, socio-economic perturbances and amplifying political divisions inside the Union. As numerous studies focus on the general perception of EU in times of peace or crisis, little attention is given to the way in which the EU projects its image among future generations of citizens (and voters). While membership has granted access to more rights, opportunities and chances for their personal and professional development, it is still unclear how young people define the EU’s identity and legitimise it. This particularity raises questions on the way perceptions on EU in relation to Romania are projected to and internalised by young people, especially in times of crisis. The aim of this chapter is to contextualise perceptions regarding Romania’s role in two of the most recent crises, visible among the organisation’s younger generations—the war in Ukraine (and its subsequent humanitarian and economic crisis) and Romania’s bid to enter Schengen, as well as its relation with the EU. In order to examine how the EU’s crisis-based transformation process is perceived and experienced by younger generations of Romanians and the factors that contribute to EU’s legitimacy, we operate using a mixed approach: by analysing a variety of statistical indicators, we focus on Romanian youth’s perception regarding the country’s relation with the EU between 2022–2023; furthermore, applying a set of 2 focus groups on young people (students in social sciences), our goal is to clarify the current perception regarding Romania-EU relations, while integrating the role of recent crises in defining EU’s identity and the sources of its legitimacy. In light of this analysis we argue that nuanced opinions, combined with statistical findings facilitate a better understanding of the current form and level of trust in the European project, as experienced by one particular demographic category (the youth), while offering a clear profile of the EU’s future electoral engaged citizens.