Dr Breazu will deliver his lecture entitled ‘Romaphobia in the Age of Populism: A Comparative Study of UK and Swedish Media’ at a hybrid event held virtually and at Loughborough University London.

This prestigious lecture series showcases Loughborough University’s Research Fellows, who are presenting their cutting-edge research and outlining their career to date.

Dr Breazu is a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow undertaking research within the Institute for Diplomacy and International Governance at Loughborough University London. His research lies in the area of discourse and racism, with a special focus on the representation of the Roma in European media and political discourse. He works under the framework of Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis (MCDA) to examine practices of discrimination and social exclusion with regard to Roma and other marginalised communities.

In this lecture, which takes place from 12.30pm-1.30pm, Dr Breazu will introduce his MSCA project carried out under the mentorship of Professor Aidan McGarry. The project investigates contemporary expressions of racism and xenophobia toward the Roma in the context of the growing populism in Europe, focusing on two specific contexts, the UK and Sweden, examining how and why Romaphobia becomes particularly widespread in times of socio-political crisis and how it is communicated across different media platforms.

These two countries, whilst both democracies, have subtlety different systems of government and in both countries far-right politics have gained traction, which has implications for the treatment of Roma migrants living in UK and Sweden. Both countries have experienced inward migration of Roma communities, particularly from Eastern Europe, which has been met with resistance from the political elite and wider society.

To register for the event, visit the Fellowship Inaugural Lectures website for instructions.