According to a survey carried out by INSCOP Research, more than half of Romanians agree that, from 2027, part of the gas extracted from the Black Sea will be supplied to the Republic of Moldova for a fee.
PHOTO: OMW Petrom
According to the survey, 46.1% of Romanians express their agreement with the statement: “The war started by Russia in Ukraine is the main cause of the energy crisis in Europe”, compared to 51.5% in November 2022.
On the other hand, 46.2% disagree (compared to 45.7% in November 2022), and 7.7% do not know or do not answer.
I agree with the above statement: USR voters, women, people over 60 years old. Disagree in particular: AUR voters, men, people with primary education, those aged between 30 and 59.
Regarding the gas resources of the Black Sea, 63.2% of those interviewed believe that, by exploiting these resources, Romania will no longer be dependent on imports from Russia, compared to 66.9% in May 2022.
On the other hand, 28.9% believe that “The gas that will be extracted from the Black Sea will be sold in the West, it will not remain in Romania” (compared to 26.7% in May 2022). The share of non-responses is 8%.
The majority of those who agree with the first statement, according to INSCOP, are PNL and PSD voters, people over 60, state employees.
Agree with the statement “The gas that will be extracted from the Black Sea will be sold in the West, it will not remain in Romania” in particular: AUR voters, residents of Bucharest, those with higher education, private employees
Over 70% agree that Romania should help other member countries with natural gas in emergency situations
According to the survey, 77.7% of respondents agree with this mechanism and if Romania should help other member countries with natural gas in emergency situations, while 20.5% disagree. 1.8% do not know or do not answer.
I agree with this aid mechanism also if Romania should help other member countries with natural gas in emergency situations, especially: PNL and USR voters, people under 45, those with higher education, those with a higher income.
I am against this mechanism in particular: AUR voters, people over 60, those with a low income.
As for the Republic of Moldova, 60.3% of Romanians agree that, starting in 2027, it should be supplied, for a fee, with part of the gas extracted from the Black Sea.
35.4% are against, and 4.3% do not know or do not answer.
I agree that part of the gas extracted from the Black Sea should be supplied to the Republic of Moldova, especially: PSD, PNL and USR voters, people with higher education, residents of Bucharest and large urban areas, those with a higher income.
I am against such a scenario in particular: AUR voters, those with primary or secondary education, those with a low income, small urban or rural residents, state employees.
Half of Romanians agree to help Ukraine with energy in case of crisis
The survey also shows that 53.4% of those surveyed agree that Romania should help Ukraine with energy in case of crisis/emergency, in the context of attacks from Russia, when Ukraine frequently has problems with energy supply (gas and electricity).
On the other hand, 43.1% are against, and 3.5% do not know or do not answer.
I agree with helping Ukraine with energy in case of emergency, especially: PSD, PNL and USR voters, individuals, young people under 30, those with higher education, those with a higher income, residents of Bucharest and large urban areas.
Disagree in particular: AUR voters, middle-educated, low-income.
Asked what is the main reason for the increase in electricity prices, 42.8% of Romanians indicate the wrong decisions made by the Romanian authorities, 27.3% the desire of Romanian companies to obtain higher profits, 11.1% general inflation, 6.7% the evolution of international prices, 6.1% the level of taxes/royalties, and 0.8% weather conditions (weaker wind, more precipitation few). The share of non-responses is 5.2%.
It indicates the wrong decisions taken by the authorities in Romania as the main cause of the increase in electricity prices, especially: AUR voters, people over 45, those with a lower income, employees.
I think that the desire of Romanian companies to obtain higher profits is the main reason for the increase in electricity prices, especially: PSD and PNL voters, people over 45, residents of Bucharest, state employees.
Young people under 30 are more likely than the rest of the population to believe that general inflation has caused electricity prices to rise.
Very few Romanians are of the opinion that the measure of capping energy bills was totally ineffective
23.2% of respondents are of the opinion that the measure of capping energy bills for the population adopted so far by the government to reduce the impact of rising energy prices was totally ineffective (compared to 23.8% in November 2022). 21% think it was quite ineffective (compared to 29.7% in November 2022), 32.1% quite effective (compared to 35.8% in November 2022), and 17.4% totally effective (compared to 7.3% in November 2022). 6.3% do not know or do not answer.
He believes that the bill capping measure was ineffective in particular: AUR voters, young people under 30, residents of Bucharest and small towns, those with a lower income. I believe that the capping measure was especially effective: PSD, PNL and USR voters, people with higher education, those with a higher income.
“The perception of the causes of the energy crisis has diversified, and the war in Ukraine, although it remains the main explanation, is no longer dominant — a sign that Romanian public opinion also internalizes other structural causes such as European policies or internal market dysfunctions.
Gases from the Black Sea are perceived as a symbol of energy independence, but a part of the population, even if a minority, is skeptical about the destination of gas resources. The Neptun Deep project generates optimism, Romanians believe in the economic and security effects, but the positive perception is rather strategic (jobs, income, investments), not immediately personal (lower bills). The acceptance of European energy solidarity is increasing, a sign of a geopolitical maturation: Romanians are increasingly willing to support common crisis mechanisms, on the condition of reciprocity and a perceived fair management.
Also, the attitudes towards supporting the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine in the field of energy reflect a combination of economic rationality and strategic empathy, strengthening the image of Romania as a responsible regional actor, but with a society that demands that aid not affect internal interests”declares Remus Ștefureac, director of INSCOP.
The survey was carried out by INSCOP Research at the behest of the Strategic Thinking Group. The data was collected between September 29 and October 7, 2025.
Research method: interview through questionnaire. The data were collected by the CATI method (telephone interviews), the volume of the simple random sample, being 1100 people, representative of the significant socio-demographic categories (sex, age, occupation) for the non-institutionalized population of Romania, aged 18 and over.
The maximum allowed error of the data is ± 2.95 %, at a confidence level of 95%.
