A study carried out by IRES shows that, if the first round of the presidential elections had not been cancelled, Călin Georgescu would have won the second round of the competition, with 48% of the votes.
Calin Georgescu. Photo: AP
A recent study by IRES (Romanian Institute for Evaluation and Strategy) shows that, in 2024, over half of Romanians (57%) are satisfied with the way they live. However, almost a quarter of respondents are quite dissatisfied, and almost 20% of Romanians are very dissatisfied with their standard of living. The share of those who are dissatisfied is increasing by 4 percentage points compared to 2023, according to the quoted source.
Who are the most satisfied and the most dissatisfied?
Life satisfaction is higher among the young, the elderly and those living in urban areas. Also, respondents who believe that the country is going in a good direction, people with higher education and PSD, PNL and USR voters are more satisfied than the average with their standard of living.
Conversely, 29% of Romanians had at least one experience generating great sadness in 2024, and a similar percentage (28%) was affected by several sad situations. The most affected by these moments are women, people with low education, AUR and POT voters.
The major concerns of Romanians in 2024
The war near Romania (24%), the political crisis (23%) and the increase in prices (20%) were the biggest concerns of Romanians in 2024. Also, the political crisis experienced a significant increase among concerns, compared to the year previously, when only 6% of Romanians were concerned about this topic.
At the same time, the disease became a concern for more Romanians than in 2023 (14% compared to 10%), and the increase in prices, which in 2023 worried almost a third of the respondents, is now a topic of concern for one in five Romanians.
How Romanians felt from a financial and health point of view
Regarding the financial situation, for 30% of Romanians, the year 2024 was better than 2023, while 30% believe it was worse. Almost 40% of respondents say that the financial situation has remained unchanged compared to the previous year.
Regarding health, 28% of Romanians believe that their health has worsened in 2024, especially women, middle-aged people and those with low education.
The workplace in 2024: improvements and challenges
The situation at work was better for 27% of respondents, worse for 25% and unchanged for 48%.
Trust in professions and politicians
In terms of trust in professions, Romanians continue to have the highest trust in firefighters (92%), IT specialists (71%) and engineers (69%). Conversely, trust in politicians remains low, with only 10% of Romanians trusting them a lot or very much.
Romanians’ perception of politics and governance in 2024
In terms of politics and governance, 60% of Romanians believe that 2024 was a worse year than 2023. 56% of respondents believe that economic policy was weaker than in 2023, while only 17% think that the economy has improved.
Significant events of 2024
Regarding the important events of 2024, most Romanians believe that the cancellation of the first round of the presidential elections by the Constitutional Court of Romania was the most significant event, with 28% of respondents considering this event as the most important event of the year. Also, Romania’s full entry into Schengen and the ranking of Călin Georgescu in first place in the first round of the presidential elections were mentioned by 18% of Romanians as notable events.
The CCR decision and the effects on public opinion
The CCR’s decision to cancel the first round of the presidential elections was evaluated negatively by 60% of Romanians, while 35% of respondents considered it a good decision. PSD, PNL and USR voters are among those who support the CCR decision, but also those who have a positive perception of the direction the country is going.
Călin Georgescu would have won the second round of the presidential elections
If the first round had not been canceled, Călin Georgescu would have won the second round of the presidential elections, according to a survey conducted among respondents. 48% of them would have voted for Călin Georgescu, while 29% would have chosen Elena Lasconi, the USR candidate.
Romanians’ perspective on the 2024 elections
Regarding the 2024 elections, only 17% of Romanians believe that the elections will improve their lives, while 80% are pessimistic. The perspective on the elections is more optimistic among young people and AUR and PSD voters, but more pessimistic among those with higher education and those who live in Moldova.
The study was conducted on a sample of 964 respondents and has a margin of error of ± 3.2%. The data were collected using the CATI (Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing) method, and the results are representative for the adult population of Romania.
