Romania, whereto?

Most Romanians believe that in Romania things are going in the wrong direction. Even so, more than half say they would not leave the country

Daniela Budu, 28.06.2021, 14:00

Only a quarter of Romanians believe that things in Romania are going in a good direction, and over 68% believe that they are going in the wrong direction. It is one of the conclusions of an opinion poll entitled Public distrust: West vs. East, the rise of nationalism in the era of disinformation and fake news, carried out by INSCOP Research between June 1-15. Two months ago, in March, the percentage of those dissatisfied with the direction in which things were heading in Romania was two percent higher. On the other hand, according to the study, currently, more than 80% of Romanians believe that they are seen as second-hand citizens in Europe, while only 15% do not agree with this opinion.

Asked what is the main reason why Romanians are viewed in this way, most respondents indicated the inappropriate behaviour of some Romanians who used to or are living abroad and only a little more than a quarter blamed the superior attitude of citizens of other European states. However, when asked in which country they would prefer to work or study for a longer period of time, almost half of those interviewed said they would not leave the country, 42% opted for a Western country and only a small percentage said they would live in an Eastern country, such as Russia or China.

In this context, two-thirds said they preferred Western-type rights and freedoms rather than the traditional values promoted by Russia. Moreover, the respondents believe that human rights and freedoms are best respected in the US and the EU, and to a much lesser extent in Russia and China. On the other hand, more than half of the Romanians said that the country’s accession to the EU brought more advantages than disadvantages, while about a third saw the situation the other way round. Two months ago, in March, a higher percentage considered that joining the Union was beneficial for Romania.

Regarding the position towards the North Atlantic Alliance, two thirds of those surveyed stated that they preferred Romania to be a NATO member, because in this way it would be well defended from a military point of view.Less than a third prefer the country to be neutral, as this way it will not be attacked by anyone. Almost three quarters of Romanians believe that the existence of American military bases in Romania would help defend the country in case of external aggression, while 20 percent do not agree with such a statement.

In terms of trust, the study shows that Romanians have the highest confidence in NATO and the EU, then in Germany, the US, Russia and China, in different percentages than in March, when Germany ranked first, followed by the EU and NATO. Moreover, Angela Merkel, Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin are the international leaders in which Romanians have the greatest trust. (MI)