Analysis of Election Slogans in Presidential Elections (the Cases of Poland and Romania)

Abstract

In the context of increasing socio-political turbulence in Central and Eastern Europe, the analysis of election campaigns is not just an academic exercise, but an urgent necessity for understanding the mechanisms of public opinion formation. The 2025 presidential elections in Poland and Romania clearly demonstrated how powerful a tool populist rhetoric remains, capable of mobilizing the masses by appealing to feelings of discontent and fear of “betrayal” by the elites. While in Poland the slogan “Poland first, Poles first” defined the boundaries of national interests, in Romania the call “Make Romania great again” embodied the desire to return to an imaginary “golden age” without corruption and external interference. Such strategies allow us to conclude that election campaigns in the modern context appeal to the irrational, selfish dimensions of human existence, often ignoring common sense and taking into account unhealthy populist tendencies to create a hostile strategy in society. Thus, instead of overcoming Russia's external aggression, political debates are played out among our own players, playing into the Kremlin's political ambitions and disinformation fakes.