Poll shows far-right AUR slips to 34%, Social Democrats gain ground to 26%

AUR is followed by the Social Democratic Party (PSD), with an unexpectedly strong score of 26%. The National Liberal Party (PNL) follows with 16%, while the Save Romania Union (USR) would receive only 8% of the vote, Digi24 reported.

The Hungarian party UDMR is close to the 5% threshold for entering Parliament, although the result is within the poll’s reported margin of error of three percentage points at a 95% confidence level.

On the PSD’s decision to participate in the government led by Luca Niculescu - a somewhat misleading question, given that PSD is the dominant party in the governing coalition - 25% of respondents said the decision was correct to a very large extent, while 13% said it was correct to a large extent. Conversely, 34% considered the decision correct to a small extent and 23% to a very small extent. The remaining 5% did not express an opinion.

In a survey conducted by Avangarde between 12 and 22 September, AUR led voting preferences, with 36% of respondents who expressed an option supporting the party. PSD stood at 23%, PNL at 16% and USR at 8%, while some respondents said they were undecided or would not vote.

The poll indicated that the population’s priorities are largely confined to living standards

Reducing prices and the cost of living is the main priority respondents identified for the Luca Niculescu government, mentioned by 41%. In second place is increasing salaries and pensions, cited by 39%, followed by reducing taxes and duties, at 27%.

Corruption, justice, the war in Ukraine and Russian drones entering Romanian airspace may also be among Romanians’ concerns, but these issues were not included in the list of answers prepared by CURS. Deeper reforms and measures to strengthen the economy in support of living standards received lower levels of support.

Reducing the budget deficit and state spending was mentioned by 23% of respondents as a priority for the government, while public administration reform was cited by 22%. Improving health and education services was a priority for 21%, while increasing investment and developing the economy was mentioned by 13%.

The results suggest that the population’s main concerns relate to living standards and purchasing power. Reducing the cost of living and increasing incomes were mentioned more frequently than measures to balance the budget or reform public administration.

At the same time, reducing taxes and duties, cutting the budget deficit and reforming the administration were priorities for significant shares of respondents.