ABSTRACT
On the basis of a straightforward chronological account of the history of Romanian political thinking, one might jump to the conclusion that nationalism in Romania has been a continuous phenomenon. When it first emerged as a politico-cultural programme, modern Romanian nationalism was a product of avowedly Westernized elites. The Balkans opened up to a form of Westernization which brought with it a new vision of time, an idea of the march of progress, questions about status, an anxious concern for memory and a determination to use memory to shape a coherent picture of the future. This process of national construction poised between mimesis and rebellion led to some surprising recent events. The political project is based on a desire to make Romania a 'normal' country in other words, a liberal democratic country which asserts and comes to terms with its largely Orthodox identity and at the same time accepts religious and cultural pluralism.
