Romania’s opposition party AUR leads with 40.8% in latest INSCOP poll

Far-right, opposition party AUR (the Alliance for the Union of Romanians) continues to dominate voter preferences for the parliamentary elections in Romania, securing 40.8% support in the latest INSCOP Research – Informat.ro Barometer conducted between September 1 and 9. The party’s strong showing underscores the deepening polarization of Romanian politics, with nearly half of voters backing the governing coalition and nearly half supporting opposition forces.

The survey, based on 1,103 telephone interviews, shows AUR consolidating its position after the summer break, edging up slightly from 40.5% in June and 38.1% in May.

At the same time, the ruling Social Democrats (PSD) registered a modest gain, rising to 17.9% in September from 13.7% in June, while their coalition partners, the Liberals (PNL), slipped to 15.2% from 17.3%.

The reformist party USR, also part of the governing coalition, held steady at 12.8%. Meanwhile, smaller parties - including UDMR (4%), POT (3.3%) and SOS (2.8%) - remain in the single digits.

Remus Ștefureac, director of INSCOP Research, said the findings point to an entrenched split in the electorate. “Even if support for the governing coalition parties does not collapse, the data suggests a strong polarization, with half of voters supporting the ruling parties and half backing the opposition,” he noted.

The poll also found that voter turnout could be high: 71% of respondents said they were certain to vote, rating their likelihood at “10” on a 1-to-10 scale.

(Photo source: Inquam Photos/Ilona Andrei)