How Disinformation Fuels Euroscepticism in Bulgaria and Romania

Last modified by Iglika Ivanova on 2026/04/16 20:37

Published Wednesday 15 April 2026 at 21:36

The accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the Schengen Area has been accompanied by intense public debate and widespread disinformation. In response, BROD-affiliated researchers conducted a comparative experiment in both countries (February 2024), examining how disinformation narratives influence Eurosceptic attitudes, media trust, and engagement. Main findings show that exposure to misleading narratives significantly increases Euroscepticism in both countries, regardless of the media source. These results highlight citizens’ vulnerability to disinformation and the broader risks for democratic processes and the European project.

These results have been widely disseminated within both academic and policy-relevant contexts. Initial findings were presented at the EDMO Scientific Conference in Amsterdam and the Media Literacy Matters conference in Brussels (February 2024). Further analyses were presented at the 2025 ECPR international conference in Thessaloniki, Greece. The research results have also been recently published in Communications. The European Journal of Communication Research, a Q1 journal with a significant impact factor: https://doi.org/10.1515/commun-2024-0205.

Dr. Raluca Buturoiu
Head of Media Studies Lab, Center for Research in Communication

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How Disinformation Fuels Euroscepticism in Bulgaria and Romania

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