Romanians’ trust in Russia is at the lowest level for years after the Kremlin allegedly interfered in presidential elections leading to their dramatic cancellation at the last minute.
Trust levels clocked in at a record low of 5.9%, which is 11 times lower than trust in the European Union and three times less than it was in January 2022 before Russia invaded Ukraine, \data from a new survey has revealed.
The data was announced on Tuesday by Remus Ioan Ștefureac, director of INSCOP Research survey house. Mr. Ștefureac,a political scientist, said that the results counter the findings of another survey announced by Bucharest mayor Nicusor Dan, which placed pro-Russian far-right politician Calin Georgescu as the most trusted political figure, with a rating of over 40%.
“In reality, Romanians’ pro-European attitude has strengthened compared to three years ago. I’m referring to Romanians’ attitudes measured by INSCOP Research after the failed 2024 presidential elections,” Mr. Ștefureac said.
He announced that the new INSCOP survey, conducted with the support of NGO Funky Citizens, will soon published in the near future. But one issue worth noting, is that trust in Russia among Romanians has reached an all-time low of just 5.9%.
The improbable rise of Calin Georgescu who won the first round of presidential elections led to the election being annulled two days before a runoff after declassified intelligence files showed Russia had interfered in a ‘complex and subtle’ way, especially on TikTok.
The outcome led many commentators to conclude that Romanians were disenchanted with the EU. However, Radu Ștefureac said the two issues are separate.
“The main divide is not about pro-EU vs. pro-Russia. There are other real issues—admittedly complex and challenging. They are more connected to the economy, enlightened patriotism, and the genuine modernization of the country,” he explained.
He criticized “so-called ‘polls’ which are flying around again, figures and words empty of content, but full of a terrible defeatism that feeds a social depression bordering on stupidity. A harmful mood is beginning to haunt our elites, who are still not capable of projecting a serious counterweight to a campaign of active anti-Romanian measures started a few years ago, meant to deviate Romania from its natural course.”
Disinformation as a weapon of war. Russia’s amplified its propaganda war against Ukraine in 2024
