Six in ten Romanians believe country is heading in wrong direction, survey finds

According to a new survey conducted between June 20 and 26, six out of ten Romanians believe the country is heading in the wrong direction. The poll, conducted by INSCOP Research at the request of Informat.ro in partnership with the Strategic Thinking Group, also revealed that roughly a third of respondents believe the government will steer the country in a positive direction.

The research, based on telephone interviews with 1,150 respondents aged 18 and over, showed that 61% of Romanians think the country is moving in the wrong direction, while only 31% believe it is heading the right way. The margin of error for the data is ±2.9%, with a confidence level of 95%.

Remus Ștefureac, director of INSCOP Research, noted that while perceptions of the country’s direction have slightly improved compared to pre-presidential election assessments, a majority still view it negatively. “Political polarization is very high, with 31% of the total population believing things are going in the right direction, including 42% of PSD voters, 61% of PNL voters, 68% of USR voters, and only 8% of AUR voters,” he said.

Expectations for the new government are mixed but show slightly higher optimism. Approximately 37% of respondents believe the government will steer the country in a positive direction, compared to 53% who expect the opposite.

Again, political affiliation strongly influences opinions, with 53% of PSD voters, 69% of PNL voters, and 71% of USR voters expressing confidence in the new government, while only 9% of AUR supporters feel the same.

Optimism tends to be moderate amid concerns about the economy, fiscal stability, and income prospects. The overall data suggest a general lack of trust in the political class’s ability to improve the national situation, alongside pronounced polarization along political, social, and demographic lines, Remus Ștefureac explained.

Optimistic views about the country’s direction are most common among young people under 30, those with higher education, residents of Bucharest and larger urban areas, public sector employees, and voters of PNL and USR. In contrast, pessimism is prevalent among AUR voters, people with only primary education, inhabitants of smaller towns and rural areas, and TikTok users.

Regarding the government’s impact, 36.6% of respondents believe the new administration will guide Romania in a positive direction, while 53.4% expect a negative outcome. Optimism about the government’s performance is stronger among younger people, highly educated individuals, urban residents, and supporters of PNL and USR. Pessimism predominates among AUR voters, those with lower education levels, rural residents, and TikTok users.