From miners to markets: discursive struggle in Romania’s coal phase-out

We examine the rapid and transnationally influenced coal phase-out in Romania’s Jiu Valley during the 1990s, with a focus on how macro-political agendas reshaped public discourse around coal and coal miners. We trace the discursive struggle between two competing coalitions, one upholding coal as a vital national resource, the other framing it as a barrier to market reform. Initially, dominant frames that celebrated the economic and moral value of mining and miners were gradually displaced by frames aligned with neoliberal reform. We propose two key discursive tactics used: leverage of macro-political dynamics, and de- and re-construction of past and future legitimacy. This study contributes to better understanding the contested nature of phase-out, and the interplay of discursive struggles, technological change, and macro-politics therein.