Influences of Recent Crises in the European Space on the Exercise of Certain Rights and Citizen Duties in Romania: A Sustainable Perspective Approach

Abstract

Purpose: The highlighting of how current security issues (the economic crisis at the European/global level and the military crisis in Ukraine)—seen as factors of negative influence on sustainable development at the societal level—influence the level of willingness of young citizens (aged 18–35) in Romania, regarding the acceptance of restrictions/limitations on certain fundamental rights and freedoms, as well as the fulfillment of certain constitutional obligations in exceptional situations. It was considered opportune to conduct this study, given the fact that since the end of World War II, the European continent has not experienced such major security issues that combine specific aspects of military security with those specific to human security, and that generate negative effects on the community’s efforts to promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development. Methods: The study was based on an online questionnaire administered to a total of 826 individuals permanently residing in Romania, aged between 18 and 35. The data were collected from 1 October to 15 October 2022, at a reasonable interval following the onset of the mentioned crises, assuming that the opinions of the interviewed individuals regarding their negative impact on sustainable development from the perspective of internal societal life are well-formed. The methods used include statistical analysis and focused on identifying and assessing the degree of acceptability of restrictions/limitations on certain fundamental rights and freedoms, as well as the willingness to fulfill certain constitutional obligations. Additionally, empirical research on the issue was conducted in accordance with the available bibliography. Results: The study reveals the respondents’ level of perception regarding the impact on sustainable development of society, from an economic perspective, social well-being (41.33%), and citizen safety (53.26%), as a result of the global/European economic crisis. The consequences of this are strongly felt among the interviewed population (61.09%), leading to a decrease in their trust in the state authorities’ ability to manage the situation. The cause of the global/European economic crisis is complex, a large part of the respondents (41.21%) believing that it is the result of a globally orchestrated conspiracy to reset the international order and reconfigure the poles of power, and more than 50% of the respondents considering the conflict in Ukraine as the main source. A percentage of 29.28% of the respondents consider that social solidarity at the level of the European Union (EU) is feasible to overcome the negative influences of multiple crises on domestic societal life, and 49.51% of the respondents believe that Romania’s EU membership is likely to contribute substantially to limiting the negative effects of the crisis in Ukraine. The restriction/limitation of certain fundamental rights and freedoms of citizens, as possible extreme measures for managing the effects of the mentioned crises at the national level, is accepted by a small percentage of respondents (15–20%), while the willingness to fulfill certain constitutional obligations of citizens is present in approximately one-third of the interviewed population. Conclusions: In the context of the new global/European economic crisis and the military crisis in Ukraine, which impact the sustainable development of society and the community’s efforts to promote peaceful societies, young citizens in Romania (aged 18–35) are deeply concerned about the preservation of fundamental rights and freedoms as stipulated in the Constitution of Romania. They demonstrate a low level of acceptance for the restriction/limitation of these rights and freedoms, even in exceptional situations of an economic or military nature. The same low degree of readiness is also found in the fulfillment of some fundamental constitutional duties of the citizens (loyalty to the country, defense of the country, etc.), in the case of adopting exceptional measures in the event of extending the military conflict in Ukraine.