From Bucharest to Washington: Suveranist positions toward the climatic agenda in the presidential campaigns

This study examines how climate policies are presented in the electoral programs of sovereigntist candidates in the 2024 Romanian presidential elections, by comparison to those of Donald Trump in the 2024 U.S. elections. In Romania, climate policies follow the framework of the European Green Deal, whereas in the United States they are associated with the Green New Deal and the Inflation Reduction Act. Through a comparative approach, the study highlights transnational alignments in sovereigntist discourse on climate policies. The research strategy is qualitative, employing document analysis and comparative analysis as methods. The findings indicate that climate policies are included in the programs under review and are instrumentalized as a campaign issue in both Romania and the U.S., frequently being countered by the proposals advanced by sovereigntist candidates. The conclusions reveal that climate policies acquire the function of consolidating political agendas and collective identities within the electoral platforms of sovereigntist candidates in both Romania and the United States.