POLITICAL MARKETING BEYOND ETHICS. 2024 ROMANIAN ELECTION FOR EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: A CASE STUDY

The 2024 Romanian European Parliament election gives a significant perspective through which one can assess the growing significance of political marketing, particularly its ethical consequences in a fast changing digital context. As Romania is dealing with its post-communist identity within the wider European Union, political marketing is becoming more sophisticated, using extensive data analytics, targeted social media ads, and algorithm-driven techniques to influence voter behavior. This election cycle highlights the contradictions between successful political communication and ethical boundaries that are sometimes crossed—or downright ignored—in the pursuit of electoral victory. Political parties and candidates in the 2024 campaign used a variety of marketing methods that crossed the line between persuasion and manipulation. Microtargeting, the use of deepfake technology, and the spread of disinformation have all prompted worries about the legitimacy of political debate and the potential decline of democratic principles. These techniques have frequently placed short-term electoral gains over the long-term viability of Romania's democratic institutions, increasing socioeconomic divisions and fueling public skepticism. The 2024 election has seen greater polarization, with campaigners using nationalist and populist themes to gain support. This technique, while effective in gathering particular voting segments, has exacerbated ideological gaps and caused a more destructive political climate. This paper argues that the 2024 Romanian election highlights the risks of unrestrained political marketing, in which ethical considerations are frequently sacrificed to the demands of strategic success. While political marketing is an important tool for engaging voters in a complicated media landscape, its misuse may cause enormous harm, such as manipulating public opinion, spreading misleading information, and eroding democratic legitimacy. The Romanian case emphasizes the urgent need for stronger ethical standards and regulatory monitoring in political marketing tactics.