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“Better Dead than Communist!”.<br />

Contentious Politics, Identity Formation,<br />

and the University Square Phenomenon<br />

in Romania<br />

by Julia Brotea and Daniel Béland<br />

AROUND<br />

[22]<br />

The 1990 protest episode known as the<br />

University Square Phenomenon constituted<br />

a crucial and contentious episode<br />

for Romania’s political transition from<br />

communism. Analysis of this incident<br />

sheds light on the long-term consequences<br />

political protests can have when<br />

they translate into routine politics. More<br />

specifically, such an analysis enriches the<br />

emerging literature on “how social movements<br />

matter” by underlining the lasting<br />

impact of the University Square<br />

Phenomenon on Romania’s party system<br />

and political culture. Drawing in part on<br />

the theoretical framework presented in<br />

Doug McAdam, Sidney Tarrow, and<br />

Charles Tilly’s “Dynamics of Contention”,<br />

the analysis of the University Square<br />

focuses on two major processes: identity<br />

formation and contentious repertoires.<br />

This examination shows that the political<br />

identity gained during the University<br />

Square Phenomenon and the repertoire<br />

for political protest it generated played a<br />

[23]

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