Loony platform politics: the Romanian far-right performance and the digital dystopia of 2024

This article discusses the “electoral performance” of several candidates to the presidency of Romania through the concept of platform capitalism (Srnicek 2016) and by describing the way in which platforms shape the landscape of what might be termed “loony platform politics,” characterized by several key features, most notably: network effect, meaning platforms are designed to recruit new members, platform engagement, since platforms grow through an alleged “voluntary collective engagement,” gig economy, where success depends on campaign performance, and platform neutrality, meaning platforms are always “obscur[ing] the fact that they are primarily economic actors” (Srnicek). Baghiu shows that the context which brought around figures like Diana Șoșoacă, George Simion, and Călin Georgescu, during the presidential elections in Romania on 24 November 2024, was heavily influenced by platform politics. The tree types of loony platform politics Baghiu describes are, thus, the “ready-made viral” of Diana Șoșoacă, the “online streamed work” of George Simion, and the “guru” alure of Călin Georgescu. The intersection of scandal, theatre, and conspiracy in contemporary politics is epitomized by Diana Șoșoacă, whose campaign thrives on spectacle.