Summary
- The Covid-19 crisis continues to have a significant influence on the frequency and impact of mentions for the geopolitical actors examined for the purpose of the present analysis. All the actors reviewed here generate mentions in connection to the current health crisis.
- The online press remains the main source of information, having a high impact in April (more than social media).
- The total number of views and the total number of mentions generate the same classification, with Germany, the US and China on the first positions (the most talked-about actors in the Romanian online media).
- For all the actors reviewed in the analysis, the peaks of the number of mentions reflect the dynamics of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, some of them record mentions in other specific circumstances:
- Germany had good visibility in the context of the controversy of Romanian workers leaving the country in spite of the traveling restrictions.
- The European Union was mentioned in the context of the measures announced by the European Commission, meant to help the member states manage the social and economic effects of the coronavirus crisis, but also of the decision taken by the Chamber of Deputies to prohibit log wood sales outside the EU.
- Russia registers a record number of appearances in the online space given the recent 200 million Euro loan given to the Republic of Moldova.
- Israel attracts a large number of mentions given the domestic political dynamics – protests, negotiations for the formation of the new ruling coalition, as well as following Germany’s decision to prohibit Hezbollah action on its territory.
- NATO is mentioned in a ceremonial context – the celebration of NATO Day in Romania.
The full study (in Romanian) is available here