Abstract:  This article examines the growing susceptibility of young Romanians to authoritarian leadership models in the aftermath of the 2024 European elections. While youth are often seen as champions of democratic renewal, recent data point to a significant erosion of democratic commitment, shaped by institutional distrust and emotionally charged media environments. This concern is heightened by Romania’s political developments in 2024, which saw the doubling of extremist representation in the European Parliament and the annulment of the first round of presidential elections due to alleged irregularities and social media interference. Drawing on a media‐centered theoretical framework and original survey data, the study finds that 74% of respondents support the idea of a strong leader unconcerned with parliamentary procedures. Socio‐demographic factors, such as gender, education, income, and urban–rural residence, significantly influence these attitudes, with lower education and income levels correlating with stronger authoritarian support. Media consumption patterns also emerge as critical determinants: reliance on social media and traditional media (TV and radio) is associated with heightened authoritarian inclinations, while online press consumption fosters greater democratic resilience. Platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp appear to amplify affective and symbolic political expression, even among those who primarily rely on traditional media sources. Furthermore, institutional trust proves to be domain‐specific; lower trust in security, religious, and educational institutions predicts higher support for authoritarian leadership. Rather than reflecting mere apathy, youth disengagement reveals complex interactions between media ecosystems, emotional political communication, and institutional skepticism. This study contributes to existing research by focusing on an understudied demographic (Romanian youth) during a volatile electoral moment. It combines nationally representative survey data with a media‐centered analytical lens to examine how platform‐specific information environments shape authoritarian attitudes.

Keywords:  authoritarian drift; democratic resilience; European elections; institutional trust; media consumption; political disengagement; Romania; social media influence; youth electoral behavior

Published:   25 September 2025

Issue:   Vol 13 (2025): Electoral Communication: European Elections in Times of (Poly)Crises (In Progress)