Download the graphic presentation: Report_INSCOP STG GMF Survey October 2021
The survey “Public distrust: West vs. East, the rise of the nationalism in the era of disinformation and fake news” 3rd Edition was conducted by INSCOP Research in partnership with Verifield. The study was commissioned by the STRATEGIC Thinking think tank (www.strategicthinking.ro) as part of a research project supported by The German Marshall Fund of the United States and financed by the Black Sea Trust for Regional Cooperation via the True Story Project.
The country’s direction
Over 80 % of Romanians believe things in the country are headed in the wrong direction, and only 12.5 % consider the opposite The procentage of dissatisfied respondents is up from June, when 68.1 % thought that things were going on the right track, and also from March, when this category accounted for 70.3 %.
President of Strategic Thinking Group Remus Stefureac: “I think that we are currently witnessing one of the lowest levels of the ‘right direction’ indicator in the last decade, with the prospect of it getting even worse as the cold season approaches and the soaring energy prices are about to impact the cost of living. The consequences of ignoring the fact that 80 % of Romanians believe that things are going in the wrong direction risk being dramatic, particularly as a significant part of the population will shift towards radical political options if the society’s problems grow worse instead of being mended“.
True Story Project vice president Dan Andronache: “A complex of external and internal factors such as the fourth pandemic wave, inflation, the rise in utility prices, or the confusion in public health regulations increase the population’s insecurity and discontent. This increase is reflected in an increased radicalization shift amid the rise of false or distorted information. The current results of our measurements, comparable to those of the surveys conducted in 2010 in the context of the global crisis, reflect the decoupling of politics from the realities of society“.
Illegal logging
48.8 % of the respondents believe that Romanian companies and Romanian citizens are the main to blame for illegal logging in the country, while 44.8 % consider these activities are committed mainly by foreign companies.
The impact of immigrants
As regards bringing immigrants to Romania, 64.2 % of the respondents believe this could cause serious problems in the Romanian society, while 30 % opine that such a measure could help cover the economy’s need for labor.
Attitude towards refugees
Asked if they would agree with Romania receiving refugees from other countries, 47.3 % of the survey subjects answered “No, not at all”, 38.8 % replied “Yes, but only certain categories”, 12.3 % said “Yes, without conditions”, and 1.6 % did not answer.
Trust in foreign leaders
A total of 28.8% of the respondents said they trust Maia Sandu, the president of the Republic of Moldova. Sandu, included in the survey for the first time, is followed by US president Joe Biden with 25.9% (down from 41.6% in March and 36.4% in the June issues of the same survey). Russian president Vladimir Putin enjoys the trust of 21% of respondents (compared to 23.9% in June and 19% in March), while 16.4% said they trusted Hungarian PM Victor Orban.
Positive influence on Romania: US and EU vs. Russia and China
61.8% of the respondents think the US and EU have a positive influence on the country, while 16.5% think Russia and China have a positive influence. A total of 21.8% did not offer an answer to the topic.
Trust in countries and international organizations
Among the organizations and countries mentioned in the survey, NATO has the trust of 47.1% of respondents (compared to 59.3% in June and 49.4% in March). A total of 45.8% of respondents trust Germany (compared to 49.2% in June and 57.6% in March) and 42.5% the EU (compared to 55% in June and 51.6% in March). Of those surveyed, 40.3% said they trusted the US (compared to 47.8% in June and 47.2% in March). A total of 16.2% said they trust Russia and 13.5% China.
Romania’s foreign policy
Asked about which country should Romania get closer to in its foreign policy, 30.2% chose Germany, 18.5% the US, 7.4% Russia, 6.5% France, and 3.8% China. A total of 26% chose the option ‘none’, and 7.5% did not answer.
NATO and Romania’s defense
Furthermore, 55.7% of the respondents think NATO would defend Romania in case of aggression (compared to 66% in March), while 37.9% think the country would have to defend itself in such an event (compared to 29.3% in March).
Sources of information
Over half of Romanians are used to inform themselves most often from TV, and nearly half of them believe TV stations are the most exposed to misinformation and spreading of fake news.
Asked where they get their information most often, 53.1 % of Romanians indicated TV channels, 21 % – social media, 15.5 % – newspapers, magazines and online publications, and 7.7 % – radio channels, while 2.7 % didn’t know or didn’t answer.
Media sources most exposed to disinformation
49% of responders believe that TV stations are the most exposed to misinformation and spreading of fake news (compared to 52.6% in June), 35.3% say that social media is in the same situation (compared to 34.9% in June), 7.9% – believe newspapers and magazines are more exposed (compared to 4.4% in June), 1.8% – radio stations (2.3 % in June), 6% – didn’t know or didn’t answer (compared to 5.8 % in June).
Personal exposure to fake news
55.6% of responders believe they were exposed to fake news or misinformation in the past months to a very high and high degree (compared to 50.1% in June and 55% in March), and 40.8% that they were exposed to little/none (compared to 45.6% in June and 42.6 % in March). 3.6% didn’t know or didn’t answer (compared to 4.3% in June and 2.5% in March).
Countries that support propaganda actions
In the opinion of 18.5% of Romanians, the European Union is the main source of propaganda activities, misinformation and fake news in Romania (compared to 13.8% in June), followed closely by Russia – with 18.1% (compared to 25.2% in June). It is followed by China – with 14.3% (compared to 12.2 % in June), the USA – with 7.3% (compared to 7.9 % in June), Hungary – 6.9% (compared to 8% in June) and Germany – with 2.2% (compared to 3.5 % in June). 2.7% of those questioned believe another country supports such actions against Romania (compared to 2.1% in June), while 30% didn’t know or didn’t answer (compared to 27.3% in June).
Methodology
The survey “Public distrust: West vs. East, the rise of the nationalism in the era of disinformation and fake news” 3rd Edition was conducted by INSCOP Research in partnership with Verifield. The study was commissioned by the STRATEGIC Thinking think tank (www.strategicthinking.ro) as part of a research project supported by The German Marshall Fund of the United States and financed by the Black Sea Trust for Regional Cooperation via the True Story Project.
The data was collected by between 15 – 27 September 2021, using the surveying technique CATI (Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing). The multi-stratified sample of 1204 respondents is representative for significant socio-demographic categories (gender, age, occupation) for the adult population of Romania, aged 18 and over. The maximum acceptable standard error was ± 2.8% at a 95% confidence level.
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STRATEGIC THINKING GROUP is an avant-garde think tank that aims to provide an active civic platform dedicated to encouraging reflection and strategic thinking through in-depth analyzes, studies and research. STRATEGIC THINKING GROUP supports public debates based on rigorous use of scientific data and structured assessments in order to make solid contributions for development and progress in relevant fields in the public and private sectors.
TRUE STORY PROJECT – True Story Project (www.truestoryproject.ro) is a source of verified and relevant news and analysis about Romania and the Black Sea region in the international geopolitical context. TSP aims to provide fact-based information, to promote the values of the rule of law and the market economy and to stimulate critical thinking.
Download the graphic presentation: Report_INSCOP STG GMF Survey October 2021
