Romania is still classified as a semi-consolidated democracy, despite having transitioned from communism to democracy in 1989 and having joined the European Union in 2007. The introduction to the volume Politics and Society in Romania reveals that, since the early 1990s, English-language scholarly literature has consistently portrayed Romanian politics as being characterized by challenges. It then outlines long-term trends and phases of development in the country. By highlighting relevant analytical findings from the book’s chapters, it demonstrates how these findings contribute to our understanding of the processes of change. Finally, it discusses the volume’s overall findings regarding driving factors, ambiguities, and old and new challenges of development, and provides an outlook.