Roundtable in Romania: shared historical memory, countering authoritarianism, democratic development

In Romania’s capital, at the Institute for the Investigation of Communist Crimes and the Romanian Gulag, an international roundtable took place, initiated by the NGO “Center for Political Narratives of Democracy” in cooperation with the “Public Resources and Initiatives” Charity Foundation. The event brought together representatives of academia, the expert community, and civil society organizations from Ukraine and Romania to discuss shared historical memory, countering authoritarianism, and the importance of democratic development in Eastern Europe.

The Ukrainian delegation was represented by:

• the Vice President of the “Public Resources and Initiatives” Charity Foundation, Serhii Hakman;
• the well-known political scientist, Director of the Institute of World Policy, Yevhen Mahda;
• the Deputy Head of the Chernivtsi Regional Council, Mykhailo Pavliuk.

As part of the visit, a presentation was given of a study on the Russian opposition in the West, carried out in 2022–2024 by the think tank “Academy of the House of the East” (in Warsaw) together with the NGO “Center for Political Narratives of Democracy.” During the discussion, participants emphasized the importance of preserving the historical memory of the crimes of totalitarian regimes and using this experience to counter modern challenges, in particular Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

Speaking at the event, Ukrainian experts stressed that today Ukraine is a stronghold defending European values—democracy, freedom, and the rule of law. Issues of cooperation between Ukrainian and Romanian academic and civil institutions were also discussed in the field of researching the totalitarian past and forming resilient democratic practices.

 

Thanks to such events, Ukrainian-Romanian dialogue is strengthened and understanding is deepened of the shared challenges facing the countries of the region. At the same time, agreement was reached to organize in Chernivtsi, in November 2025, a discussion dedicated to transitional justice and combating communist nostalgia. The organizers will be the “Public Resources and Initiatives” Charity Foundation in partnership with the NGO “Center for Political Narratives of Democracy,” with the support of the Chernivtsi Regional Council and with the participation of a delegation of the Romanian Institute.