Download the graphic presentation: 13.05.2026 Sondaj INSCOP Încrederea în lideri naționali și internaționali
According to the survey “Romanian’s Perception of the Republic of Moldova”, conducted as part of the Informat.ro – INSCOP Research Barometer, 10th edition, Emmanuel Macron ranks first in the trust ranking among international leaders, followed by Maia Sandu and Donald Trump.
The Informat.ro – INSCOP Research BAROMETER is a monthly opinion poll conducted by INSCOP Research at the request of the news platform Informat.ro, in partnership with the Strategic Thinking Group think tank.
The Informat.ro – INSCOP Research BAROMETER aims to bring to public attention topics of interest to stimulate national conversations on diverse subjects and key public policies for Romania’s present and future, based on citizen’s opinions, in partnership with prestigious think tanks and academic institutions. It is an initiative intended to contribute to strengthening democracy by using scientific and credible tools that place citizen’s voices at the center of public debate.
Methodology: The data for the survey “Romanian’s Perception of the Republic of Moldova” were collected between April14–21 2026, using the CATI method (telephone interviews). The sample consisted of 1,100 respondents, selected through a simple random sampling procedure, and is representative of the non-institutionalized population of Romania aged 18 and over, across key socio-demographic categories (gender, age, occupation). The maximum margin of error is ±3%, at a 95% confidence level.
Trust in International Leaders
Emmanuel Macron ranks first in the trust ranking among international leaders, with 32.9% of respondents stating that they have very much (9.6%) and quite a lot (23.3%) of trust in the French president.The ranking continues with Maia Sandu, with a trust level of 28.6% (11.5% very much trust and 17.1% quite a lot of trust), Donald Trump with 24.8% (10.1% very much trust and 14.7% quite a lot), Ursula von der Leyen with 23.7% (4.7% very much trust and 19% quite a lot), and Friedrich Merz with 20.9% (4.8% very much trust and 16.1% quite a lot).
Emmanuel Macron
9.6% of respondents report having very much trust in Emmanuel Macron, while 23.3% have quite a lot of trust, 19.8% have rather quite a little trust, and 33.5% have very little or no trust at all. 2.5% do not know or did not answer.
Those who have the highest level of trust in the French president are: PNL and USR voters, young people under 30, individuals with higher education, and residents of Bucharest and large urban areas.
PSD and AUR voters, individuals aged 30–59, residents of small urban areas, and public sector employees are the groups with the lowest level of trust in Emmanuel Macron.
Maia Sandu
11.5% of respondents say they have very much trust in Maia Sandu. 17.1% report quite a lot of trust, 16.5% rather quite a little trust, and 37.2% very little or no trust. The share of non-responses is 3.9%.
Higher-than-average trust in the President of Moldova is found among: PNL and USR voters, individuals over 60, those with higher education, and residents of Bucharest and large urban areas.
PSD and AUR voters, individuals aged 30–59, those with primary education, residents of small urban areas and rural areas, and public sector employees show the lowest levels of trust in Maia Sandu.
Donald Trump
10.1% of survey participants have very much trust in Donald Trump. 14.7% have quite a lot of trust, 24.5% rather quite a little trust, and 46.4% very little or no trust. 1.6% do not know or did not answer.
Higher-than-average trust in the American leader is found among: PSD and AUR voters, young people under 30, and individuals with higher education.
PNL and USR voters, individuals aged 30–44, those with higher education, and residents of Bucharest and small urban areas have the lowest levels of trust in Donald Trump.
Ursula von der Leyen
When asked about their level of trust in Ursula von der Leyen, 4.7% of respondents say they have very much trust, 19% quite a lot, 16.5% quite a little, and 40.8% very little or none. The non-response rate is 2%.
PNL and USR voters, individuals with higher education, residents of Bucharest and large urban areas, and public sector employees tend to have the highest levels of trust in Ursula von der Leyen.
Higher-than-average distrust in the President of the European Commission is found among PSD and AUR voters, individuals over 45, and those with medium levels of education.
Friedrich Merz
4.8% of survey participants state that they have very much trust in Friedrich Merz. 16.1% have quite a lot of trust, 10.2% quite a little, and 16.7% very little or none. 5.3% do not know or did not answer.
Higher-than-average trust in the German leader is found among: PNL and USR voters, men, individuals with higher education, residents of Bucharest and large urban areas, and public sector employees.
PSD and AUR voters show the lowest levels of trust in Friedrich Merz.
Download the graphic presentation: 13.05.2026 Sondaj INSCOP Încrederea în lideri naționali și internaționali
