A recent survey shows a disturbing reality: almost 40% of Romanians would accept the change of the political system regardless of the means. Sociologist Ioan Hosu explains, in an interview for “Adevărul”, where this radicalization comes from and what risks it hides.
39.2% of Romanians believe that the political system in Romania must be completely replaced, regardless of the means. Another 29.9% want profound changes, but through democratic means, according to a poll conducted by the Political Rating Agency (ARP) before the Easter holidays.
The survey reveals that 70.5% of respondents believe that Romania is heading in the wrong direction, compared to 21.2% who see a good direction. Pessimism crosses all demographic segments, with peaks among AUR (88.4%), SOS (71.1%) and PSD (56.8%) voters.
“The Poll/Int Romania barometer, the April 2026 wave, carried out by ARP, shows that Romania is at a point of high social and political stress, similar to the moment of 2024-2025. Romania is, fundamentally, in the same place”, the preamble of the survey states.
The barometer indicates a major concern about prices and the material situation, but also a broad dissatisfaction with the general direction of the country. The theme of changing the political system remains dominant, with almost 40% wanting a change under any conditions.
“Most Romanians feel strongly affected by the price increases and fear an impact of the war in Iran on prices and a fuel crisis, more than they fear the expansion of the war. The ‘reservoir’ of social and political discontent for a populist political movement is full. It is a fund that encourages skepticism towards public policies and towards governance”show the creators of the survey.
Sociologist Ioan Hosu, professor at FSPAC, within Babeș-Bolyai University, explained to “Adevărul” the significance of this survey.
Sociologist Ioan Hosu explains this phenomenon by the accumulation of social, economic and political frustrations that have crossed a critical threshold. “There are still constituencies waiting for a radical change of the system. That’s what it’s all about“, he states, stressing that it is not a new phenomenon, but one that has increased in recent years.
“I think the world is still living in this story of radical changes”
According to the sociologist, there is a collective “story” in which a significant part of the population continues to believe: the idea that a radical change could quickly solve Romania’s systemic problems. “There are still expectations that the moment of radical changes will come”says Hosu, adding that external examples are frequently invoked to fuel this perception. “Probably what happened in Hungary is an example in that direction. Sure, the people there went slightly in another direction, not radically in another direction, but they set themselves in the direction of reforming the political system.”
However, this desire for change is not necessarily based on a coherent project, but rather on a generalized state of dissatisfaction. “I think the world is still living in this story of radical changes”the sociologist explains, suggesting that it is an emotional reaction rather than a clearly defined rational option.
An important factor in this radicalization is the recent international context. “The Trump era and the electoral cycle in the 2024 election super year opened this kind of appetite for radical solutions”says Hosu. In his opinion, this kind of political discourse legitimized the idea that sudden and drastic changes are not only possible, but also necessary.
“The economy plays a central role”
Internally, however, the explanations are even more concrete. Economics plays a central role in this change of mindset. “Probably people refer more to the economic aspects, because things here have degraded and become dangerous“, says the sociologist. He points to the pandemic period as a turning point, which generated major transformations in the labor market and the economic structure.
“Things have deteriorated and become dangerous since the pandemic, with staying at home, with the reconfiguration of the workplace”explains Hosu. Moreover, certain sectors have not fully recovered: “certain industries that we no longer see at the volumes before 2000-2001, tourism, certain service areas, certain construction areas”.
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This economic insecurity is amplified by concrete indicators that affect everyday life: “That also comes with inflation around 10%, with unemployment in some areas starting to become problematic”. In this context, discontent is no longer just political, but becomes existential.
It is not surprising, therefore, that 70% of Romanians believe that the country is going in the wrong direction. For Hosu, this perception is the result of a combination of factors: “the internal context is not brilliant, and the macro factors are not helping us either”. Added to these are geopolitical tensions: “the war in Ukraine and Russian aggression are not helping.”
At the same time, the lack of coherence and permanent conflict within the political class fuels mistrust. “No improvement is seen in the decision-making processes, all are strained and all are pushed to the limit of public endurance“says the sociologist. Disputes in the governing coalition contribute to the general perception of chaos and lack of direction.
This state of uncertainty translates into a simple conclusion for many citizens: “everything must be changed”. Even if the implications of such a change are not clear. “Even if, sure, for some that means suppressed or limited freedoms, that matters less, I see. The importance is to change”warns Hosu.
Another important element is the approach of a new electoral cycle. “We are in 2026 and a year from now, in 2027, we will already enter a pre-electoral logic”explains the sociologist. In this context, political discourses tend to become more radical, in order to respond to society’s demand.
“If this world wants to hear, that’s what we have to give them”
“That’s what some of the politicians are looking at, the polling data. If that’s what the world wants to hear, that’s what we have to give them.”says Hosu. In other words, there is a risk that politicians will fuel these radical tendencies even more, instead of tempering them.
In this landscape, the rise of some parties that present themselves as alternatives to the current system becomes explainable. “The promise of those from AUR is exactly this: we are the alternative to the current system”says the sociologist. He points out that this promise has yet to be tested in government, which maintains its appeal.
“This promise has not yet passed the test of a government and therefore they have not changed it yet, not being exhausted as a potential attraction“, explains Hosu. In the absence of a concrete disappointment, the electorate continues to invest hope in this alternative.
On the other hand, the mainstream parties seem unable to respond to these signals. “I think there is still an inability to understand“, says the sociologist. Even where there is a theoretical understanding of the problems, the implementation of solutions is blocked by administrative and political constraints.
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“There is an inability to rethink and be able to provide, within a reasonable time horizon, the assurance that things at least stabilize and become predictable”emphasizes Hosu. The lack of predictability is, in his opinion, one of the main factors fueling mistrust.
In the end, the central issue remains one of trust. “Do we trust that there is a governance project we can rely on? People said ‘No!'”the sociologist concludes. This widespread lack of confidence is the main driver of the desire for radical change.
“It’s also about the fact that the honeymoon has passed, that is, the 9-10 months that the electorate granted to the politicians in power. People are already expecting to see changes for the better. But not only here, we also saw in the United States, after about a year, a year or so, erosions are already starting to appear.” shows the sociologist.
Thus, the percentage of 40% does not reflect only a political option, but a state of mind: a combination of frustration, insecurity and lack of perspective. And if these trends continue, Romania risks entering an area where the desire for change “at any cost” could become dominant – with consequences that are difficult to anticipate.
How the survey was conducted
It is about an omnibus survey built to be representative of the opinions of all Romanians. The survey was conducted through online panel interviews (CAWI). It is about 1,187 interviews with the 18+ population, representative of Romania, duration: April 1-10, 2026.
The implementation methodology, say ARP officials, was: online panel, opt-in, with two-phase weighting, on the variables of age, sex, education, residential environment, region, internet use, previous vote – according to official INS and AEP data. Statistical error: 2.8%.
