Download the graphic presentation: Survey Report INSCOP – Funky Citizens EN
Methodology:
- The survey was conducted by INSCOP Research at the request of Funky Citizens.
- Data were collected between December 16 and 23, 2024
- Research method: sociological survey using questionnaire, using CATI (telephone surveying technique)
- The sample, which comprised 1000 people, is representative according to significant socio-demographic categories (sex, age, occupation) for the adult population of Romania (aged 18 and over 18).
- The maximum error is ± 3.1%, at a confidence level of 95%.
- The comparative data for June, September 2021, and January 2022, were extracted from the study “Public Distrust: West vs. East, the Rise of Nationalism in the Era of Disinformation and Fake News” conducted by INSCOP Research at the request of STRATEGIC Thinking Group as part of a research project supported by The German Marshall Fund of the United States – and funded by the Black Sea Trust for Regional Cooperation through the True Story Project.
West vs. East: Romania’s Orientation. Political-Military Alliances, Economy, and Values
Country’s Direction
60.9% of Romanians believe that things in Romania are heading in the wrong direction (compared to 74.5% in January 2022), while 28% think the country is moving in the right direction (compared to 20.8% in January 2022), and 11.1% do not know or did not answer.
Romania’s Direction: East or West?
87.5% of respondents believe that the West (i.e., the EU, USA, NATO) is the direction Romania should follow in terms of political and military alliances (compared to 77% in January 2022). Only 4.1% believe that Romania should orient itself toward the East (i.e., Russia, China) (compared to 10.4% in January 2022). The share of non-responses is 8.4%.
Advantages vs. Disadvantages of EU Membership
Considering the implications on economic and social life, family, and personal life, 72.5% of respondents (compared to 54.9% in January 2022) believe that Romania’s accession to the European Union has brought more advantages. Conversely, 21.6% hold the opposite opinion (compared to 40.8% in January 2022). 5.9% do not know or do not answer.
The Role of the EU in Romania’s Economic Development
The statement “In the future, Romania would develop better economically if it were within the European Union” meets the agreement of 77.3% of those interviewed (compared to 63.2% in January 2022). 15.8% believe that “Romania would develop better economically if it were outside the European Union” (compared to 29.4% in January 2022), while 6.9% do not know or did not answer.
Positive Influence: USA and EU vs. Russia and China
80.4% of survey participants believe that the USA and the EU have a generally positive influence on Romania (compared to 61.8% in September 2021). Only 9% believe that Russia and China have a positive influence on Romania (compared to 16.5% in September 2021). The share of non-responses is 10.6%.
EU Rules vs. National Interests
57.1% of Romanians believe that the country should defend its national interests when they conflict with European Union rules, even at the risk of losing its status as an EU member state (compared to 68.4% in January 2022). Meanwhile, 36.3% think that, as an EU member, Romania should follow EU rules, even when national interests are affected (compared to 29.4% in January 2022). 6.6% do not know or did not answer.
National Interest within the EU Context
Among those who believe that Romania should defend its national interests even if with risk of losing EU membership (representing 57.1% of the sample in December 2024), 88.4% consider it is in Romania’s national interest to remain in the European Union (compared to 72.9% in January 2022). 8.5% hold the opposite view (compared to 24.7% in January 2022), and 3.1% do not know or did not answer.
Romania’s Exit from the European Union (Ro-Exit)
88.1% of Romanians oppose the idea of Romania leaving the European Union (compared to 71.7% in January 2022), while 9.4% would agree with such a scenario (compared to 25.2% in January 2022). 2.5% do not know or did not answer.
Exit from NATO
88.1% of respondents believe that Romania should not leave NATO (compared to 76.2% in January 2022), while 8.1% answered affirmatively to this question (compared to 18.7% in January 2022). The share of non-responses is 3.8%.
Trust in Countries/International Organizations
69.7% of Romanians express a high or very high level of trust in NATO (compared to 60.6% in January 2022), while 66.8% trust the European Union (compared to 55.9% in January 2022). A total of 59.1% of respondents have high or very high trust in the United States (compared to 50% in January 2022). Trust in Russia remains below 10%; 5.9% of respondents express trust in Russia (compared to 18% in January 2022).
Disinformation, Fake News, and Distrust
Personal Exposure to Fake News
30.7% of respondents reported being exposed to fake news or disinformation to a very large extent in recent months (compared to 27.5% in January 2022), while 23.7% said they were exposed to a fairly large extent (compared to 27.2% in January 2022). 14.9% indicated exposure to a fairly small extent (compared to 19.9% in January 2022), and 26.7% to a very small extent or not at all (compared to 21.9% in January 2022). 4% did not know or did not respond.
Media Channels Most Exposed to Disinformation
Regarding the media channels perceived as most exposed to disinformation and the spread of fake news: 49.8% of respondents pointed to TV stations (compared to 49% in September 2021), 40% mentioned social media (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok) (compared to 35.3% in September 2021), 2.6% – newspapers, magazines, and online publications (compared to 7.9% in September 2021) and 1.6% – radio stations (compared to 1.8% in September 2021). 5.9% did not know or did not respond.
The Influence of Disinformation on Voting Preferences
When asked about the extent to which they believe Romanians’ voting choices are affected by disinformation and fake news, 47.2% of respondents said it affects choices to a very large extent (compared to 41.7% in June 2021), 28.7% to a fairly large extent (compared to 32.7% in June 2021). 12.2% said it had an effect to a fairly small extent (compared to 10.2% in June 2021) and 7.6% said it had little or no effect at all (compared to 11.9% in June 2021). 4.3% did not know or did not answer.
Countries Supporting Propaganda
When asked which countries or organizations they believe support propaganda and spread fake news, 45.3% of respondents indicated Russia, 11.8% mentioned China, 5.8% pointed to the USA, 3.6% – the European Union. Other mentions included: Ukraine (2.8%), Germany (2.3%), France (2.3%), and Hungary (1.9%). 11.3% mentioned another country, 33.9% said they did not know or could not assess, and 4.7% did not respond.
Economic patriotism, national interest, conspiracies
Governments and National interest vs. interest of other countries
54% of those surveyed believe that political rulers act in the interest of other countries (compared to 63.9% in January 2022), while 33.1% believe that “political rulers act more in Romania’s national interest” (compared to 28.8% in January 2022). Don’t know or no answer 12.9% of the total sample.
State aid to Romanian vs. foreign companies
63.8% of Romanians believe that the state helps foreign and multinational companies more than Romanian companies (compared to 68.1% in January 2022). 20.6% are of the opposite opinion, i.e. that the state helps Romanian firms more than foreign and multinational companies (compared to 15.4% in January 2022). The share of non-responses is 15.7%.
Free market economy vs. foreign-controlled economy
The statement “Romania has an economy that is controlled by foreigners according to the interests of other countries” is agreed by 61.8% of those interviewed (compared to 77.5% in January 2022). 31.7% believe that “Romania has an economy that operates freely, according to market rules” (compared to 17.2% in January 2022), and 6.5% do not know or do not answer.
Romanian agricultural products
54.3% of Romanians believe that Romanian agricultural products are rarer in large supermarket chains because they prefer products from abroad (compared to 63.9% in January 2022). On the other hand, 39.7% think that Romanian agricultural products are rarer in large supermarket chains because local production is small (compared to 29.7% in January 2022). The share of non-response is 6% of the total sample.
Exploitation of natural resources
62.4% of respondents believe that Romania’s natural resources should be exploited only by Romanian companies (compared to 69.7% in January 2022), while 34.9% believe that Romania’s natural resources should be exploited by any Romanian or foreign company working efficiently (compared to 28.5% in January 2022). 2.7% do not know or do not answer.
Product quality on the Romanian market
66.5% believe that foreign companies sell lower quality products on the Romanian market than in other countries (compared to 71.8% in January 2022), while 29.5% are of the opposite opinion (compared to 24.2% in January 2022). The percentage of non-respondents is 3.9%.
Romanian vs. foreign companies
57% of Romanians think that foreign companies operating in Romania offer better working conditions and pay somewhat higher wages (up from 62.4% in January 2022). On the other side of the spectrum, 23% think that Romanian firms offer better working conditions and pay somewhat higher wages (up from 62.4% in January 2022). 23% think that Romanian companies offer better working conditions and pay somewhat higher wages (up from 62.4% in January 2022).
Impact of foreign investment
In the opinion of 45.8% of Romanians, foreign companies that have invested in Romania in the last 30 years have done more good than harm to Romania (compared to 39.5% in January 2022). 43.4% are of the contrary opinion (compared to 51.3% in January 2022), and 10.8% do not know or do not answer.
Higher taxes for foreign companies
55.8% of those surveyed believe that “The Romanian state should introduce higher taxes for foreign companies operating in Romania, even at the risk that some of them might move their businesses to other countries” (compared to 66.5% in September 2021). 40.2% disagree (compared to 28% in September 2021), and 4% do not know or do not answer.
Conspiracy of rich countries to keep Romania in poverty
49.5% of Romanians agree with the statement: “There is a conspiracy by richer states to keep Romania in poverty and underdevelopment” (compared to 60.2% in January 2022). 42.8% disagree with the statement (compared to 33.7% in January 2022). 7.7% is the percentage of non-responses.
Romania, a colony?
48.5% of the respondents agree with the statement “Romania is a colony of the European Union and the United States of America” (compared to 52.5% in September 2021), while 42.7% disagree (compared to 39.5% in September 2021). The share of non-responses is 8.8%.
Romanians, “second-class citizens in Europe”?
The statement “Romanians are regarded as ‘second class citizens’ in Europe” is agreed by 66.6% of respondents (compared to 76.3% in September 2021). 29.1% disagree with the statement (compared to 19.8% in September 2021) and 4.3% do not know or do not answer.
Cultural identity
74.8% of those surveyed agree with the statement: “Romania still has a lot of catching up to do in many areas compared to Western countries, but culturally it is superior to most of them” (compared to 72.5% in September 2021). 18.6% disagree with this statement (compared to 21.5% in September 2021) and 6.5% do not know or do not answer.
Hypothetical voting intention for a nationalist party
69.1% of Romanians would vote for a nationalist party or candidate for president who promotes religious values and supports the traditional family (compared to 65.7% in January 2022). 27.3% say they would not vote for such a party/candidate (compared to 32.8% in January 2022). Don’t know or don’t answer 3.6% of the total sample.
Hypothetical voting intention for a nationalist party that would propose Romania’s exit from the EU
Of those willing to vote for a nationalist party or candidate for President (69.1% of the total sample in December 2024), 33.1% would maintain their option if such a party/candidate proposed measures and policies that could lead to Romania’s exit from the European Union (which represents about 23% of the total sample in December 2024). 61.6% would change their option. 5.3% do not know or do not answer.
By comparison, in January 2022, of those willing to vote for a nationalist party (65.7% of the total sample), 39.7% said they would maintain their choice (representing about 26% of the total sample), while 55.1% said the opposite.
Hypothetical voting intention for a nationalist party that would propose closer ties with Russia
Of those willing to vote for a nationalist party or candidate for president (69.1% of the total sample in December 2024), 16% would maintain their option if such a party/candidate proposed closer ties with Russia (which is about 11% of the total survey participants) and 81% would change their choice. 3% don’t know or don’t answer.
By comparison, in January 2022, of those willing to vote for a nationalist party (65.7% of the total sample), 26% said they would maintain their option (which was about 17% of the total survey participants), while 68.4% said the opposite.
Hypothetical voting intention for a nationalist party proposing nationalization of companies exploiting natural resources
Of those willing to vote for a nationalist party or candidate for president (69.1% of the total sample in December 2024), 37.4% would maintain their choice if such a party/candidate proposed nationalizing natural resource companies (which represents about 25.9% of the total sample), while 52.2% would change their choice. 10.4% do not know or do not answer.
Recognition of same-sex couples
68.1% of respondents strongly oppose that the Romanian state should offer some form of legal recognition to same-sex couples (compared to 67.9% in September 2021). 21% believe that same-sex couples should be legally recognized, but within certain limits (compared to 18. 5% in September 2021), and 8.4% think that such couples should be legally recognized in the same way as couples made up of a man and a woman (compared to 11.5% in September 2021). 2.5% of those interviewed do not know or do not answer the question.
Download the graphic presentation: Survey Report INSCOP – Funky Citizens EN