A majority of Romanians are dissatisfied with the government’s handling of the fuel price crisis, while support for the opposition remains strong, according to a new survey by CURS. The poll also showed that the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) would win parliamentary elections if held next Sunday.

The survey, conducted between March 23 and 27, found that AUR leads with 33% of voting intentions, followed by the ruling Social Democratic Party (PSD) at 24% and the National Liberal Party (PNL) at 16%. Save Romania Union (USR), also part of the governing coalition, would secure 9%, while other parties trail behind.

Meanwhile, public dissatisfaction with government policies appears to be widespread. According to the poll, 89% of respondents said they are unhappy with the measures taken so far to address rising fuel prices, compared to just 8% who expressed satisfaction.

“This is one of the harshest scores in the survey and shows a clear gap between the population’s expectations and the authorities’ response,” CURS said.

The economic impact is also strongly felt, with more than 80% of respondents saying fuel price increases have affected them significantly. Nearly half described the impact as “large,” while over a third said it was “very large.”

When asked about possible solutions, most respondents favored fiscal measures. A total of 36% said both VAT and excise duties on fuel should be reduced, while others supported cutting only VAT (25%) or excise taxes (22%).

Moreover, the survey revealed growing pessimism about the country’s direction. Around 80% of respondents believe Romania is heading in the wrong direction, while only 17% see the situation as positive.

The survey was conducted on a nationally representative sample of 1,517 adults, with a margin of error of ±2.5%.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

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