| ROMANIA, AS DESCRIBED BY A RECENT POLL 11/02/2009 |
| (2009-02-11) |
| Last updated: 2009-02-12 15:13 EET |
Rated by most analysts as “unnatural,” criticised by the opposition, trade unions and others for the economic measures it has announced against the backdrop of the economic crisis, the new Romanian government, made up of the pro-presidential, right-of-centre Liberal Democrats and the left-wing Social Democrats, is still backed by the general public.
According to a recent survey, 43 % of the Romanians believe the current coalition is the “best solution,” as compared to 26 per cent who believe the opposite. Also, 55% of the eligible voters are confident that this government will stay in power until the next parliamentary election. The poll also revealed that, should elections be held next Sunday, 42% of the Romanians would vote for the Liberal Democratic Party, 32% for the Social Democratic Party and 14% for the Liberal Party in the opposition. And since the presidential election is scheduled for 2009, the poll also tested the popularity of the incumbent head of state, Traian Basescu.
The findings came as no surprise: president Basescu still tops the public confidence charts, with a 57% rate, followed by his prospective challengers, the Social Democrats’ leader Mircea Geoana with 13% and the independent mayor of Bucharest Sorin Oprescu with 9%. Analysts believe that, unless something exceptional happens, this huge distance will be impossible to make up for, and that the only unknown element in this year’s election is whether or not Traian Basescu will get elected in the first round.
As regards the institution regarded as the most entitled to hold the greatest power in the state, 47% of the Romanians believe it should be Parliament, while 39% would prefer the presidency to have the upper hand. The economic section of the poll revealed that most Romanians will refrain from heavy spending in 2009. For instance, 62% of the interviewees say they will not buy a car this year, while 50% say they will not spend their holidays in the country or abroad.
Two out of three Romanians expressed concerns with the increase in food prices, while half of the interviewees are concerned with the rise in home maintenance expenses. As for the Romanians working abroad, half of them do not plan to return to their home country. According to the poll, over 2.9 million Romanians were working abroad in 2008.
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2025-04-03
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