Corruption remains Romania's main problem. What are the real priorities of the average Romanian │ INSCOP survey
The latest INSCOP survey shows a society where mistrust of institutions is superimposed on the increasing pressure of the cost of living. Romanians indicate, once again, corruption as the country's main problem, but in terms of immediate priorities, the focus shifts to increasing incomes.
Corruption remains the main problem of Romanians. PHOTO: Shutterstock
The biggest problem, corruption
The biggest problem of Romanians remains corruption, according to the latest survey carried out by INSCOP Research for Informat.ro, where 27.8% of respondents indicate it as the main difficulty facing the country. The theme appears in a wider context of dissatisfactions related both to the functioning of institutions and to the economic pressures felt directly in everyday life.
In the hierarchy of public concerns, corruption is followed by a series of other problems that complete this picture of social grievances:
* Lack of well-paid jobs is mentioned by 14.9% of respondents, which shows that the economic dimension remains one of the main sources of concern.
* Political instability is indicated by 13.4%, while inflation and the increase in the cost of living are mentioned by 10.7%, a sign that price pressure continues to be strongly felt in family budgets.
* Next, 8.1% of respondents cite the budget deficitr and public debt, more technical themes but reflecting an anxiety about the general balance of the economy.
* It is at the bottom of the ranking the educationwith 6.6%, and health, with 5%, essential areas, but perceived at the moment to be less urgent compared to immediate economic problems.
Source: INSCOP
Taken together, these responses paint a pretty clear picture: public perception is not dominated by a single issue, but by a mix of overlapping grievances. On the one hand, mistrust in the way state institutions work persists, and on the other, everyday economic pressure is felt strongly, from incomes and jobs to the general cost of living.
The sociological analysis also highlights important differences between social and electoral categories. Corruption is invoked more frequently by USR (35%), PNL and AUR voters (32% each), while among the PSD electorate the percentage drops to 19%.
Differences also appear between men (35%) and women (21%), but also between age segments, where the 30-44-year-old and the over-60-year-old category show the greatest dissatisfaction with corruption. Also, Bucharest and big cities register a higher level of dissatisfaction (32%), compared to small cities (19%).
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Priority number 1: revenue growth
If in terms of general problems corruption takes first place, when Romanians are asked what their priorities should be for the next six months, the focus clearly shifts to the economic area.
Almost half of the respondents (48.2%) indicate as their main objective the increase of salaries and pensions, a sign of the direct pressure of everyday life.
SOURCE: PURPOSE
In the following places are the reduction of taxes (33.7%), the attraction of European funds (26.1%) and the reduction of state expenses (25.8%).
Combating tax evasion is mentioned by 22.7% of respondents, while political stability and public administration reform are considered priorities by around 15-16%.
At the opposite pole, measures such as increasing public investments or organizing early elections remain with less support.
The differences become even more visible depending on the political option: the increase in wages and pensions is supported by 70% of PSD voters and 62% of AUR voters, while support drops to 22% among PNL and 17% in the case of USR, a sign of different views on the role of the state in the economy.
At the social level, support for this priority is strongly influenced by education and environment. 72% of people with primary education support income growth, while the percentage drops to 23% among those with higher education. In the rural environment, support reaches 57%, and in the public sector at 46%, significantly above the levels in the urban environment or the private sector. Age matters too, with a peak of 53% among 30–44 year olds.
In this context, the director of INSCOP Research, Remus Ștefureac, interprets the data as an expression of a double social pressure.
“27.8% of Romanians mention corruption as the main problem, while 48.2% of Romanians believe that the priority in the next 6 months should be the increase of salaries and pensions.
The study indicates a focus of public anxiety on systemic insecurity issues. The fact that the theme of corruption coexists with the strong pressure for wage and pension increases shows the emergence of an electorate that is simultaneously moralizing and dependent on the economic protection of the state — a combination that favors populist discourses that promise both “cleanliness” and rapid redistribution.
The cleavages between the voters of the parties suggest not only electoral differences, but the existence of distinct socio-cultural “Romanias”: one oriented towards administrative efficiency and European integration, another centered on immediate economic security and mistrust towards institutional elites”.he wrote on Facebook.
We remind you that the INSCOP Polling Institute is owned by the sociologist Remus Ioan Ștefureac and Ada Cornea Luca.
