ABSTRACT
This chapter examines multidimensional marginalization processes in Prahova, a region with a historical legacy in oil refining that has undergone significant socioeconomic transitions. The analysis identifies three distinct layers of marginalization: the structural exclusion of certain communities that never accessed the region’s industrial prosperity, post-socialist losses following factory closures and disinvestment, and potential future marginalization if current trajectories persist. Through the analysis of community narratives and governance approaches, the study evaluates how the European Union’s Just Transition Mechanism (JTM) addresses—or fails to address—these complex patterns of exclusion. We find that the JTM is perceived locally as benefiting established power players rather than communities, reflecting a disconnect between policy frameworks and lived experiences. The research reveals how limited public participation in planning processes, coupled with historically suppressed or diffused civic engagement, has created significant barriers to inclusive transition governance. We conclude that effective just transitions require not only financial mechanisms but also investment in community capacity, civic imagination, and transparent information sharing—essential elements for communities to exercise agency in reimagining and steering their own transformative futures toward environmental justice and socioeconomic equality.
