Avangarde presidential election poll: Calin Georgescu - 38 pct; Crin Antonescu - 25 pct, Nicusor Dan - 17 pct

Former independent candidate Calin Georgescu is expected to get 38% in the first round of the presidential elections, if they were held next Sunday, followed by Crin Antonescu (supported by the National Liberal Party - PNL, the Social Democratic Party - PSD, the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania - UDMR) with 25%, Nicusor Dan (independent candidate) - 17%, George Simion (the Alliance for the Union of Romanians - AUR) and Elena Lasconi (Save Romania Union - USR) - 6% each, Diana Sosoaca (SOS) - 5%, another candidate - 3%, according to an opinion poll conducted by Avangarde between January 10 and 16, 2025.The sociological research also presents scenarios for the second round of the presidential elections.In this sense, if Calin Georgescu and Crin Antonescu were to enter the second round of the presidential elections, Georgescu would be in first place with 39% and Antonescu - 38%. If Calin Georgescu and Elena Lasconi were to face each other off in the second round, Georgescu would get 44% and Lasconi - 31%. In the second round between Calin Georgescu and Nicusor Dan, Georgescu would have 43% and Nicusor Dan - 32%.The poll also shows Romanians' trust or lack of trust in 17 political figures in the country.In first place is Calin Georgescu, who enjoys 51% trust among Romanians, while 46% said they do not trust him and 3% did not answer. The second most trusted politician among those polled is the leader of the Liberals, Ilie Bolojan, with 44% trust rate, while 50% of the interviewees said they do not trust him and 6% did not answer.Crin Antonescu has a trust rate of 39%, at par with Nicusor Dan, however, in terms of distrust, Antonescu stands at 55%, while Nicusor Dan is at 58%. George Simion is trusted by 38%, while 60% of those questioned said that they do not trust him. Daniel David and Ioan Aurel Pop are next, with 37% and 36% respectively trusting and 42% distrusting both of them.Victor Ponta and Elena Lasconi are on a par in terms of trust, with 34%, while in terms of distrust Ponta stands at 63% and Lasconi at 64%.Prime Minister and PSD leader, Marcel Ciolacu, ranks 11th, 34% of respondents said they trust him and 65% said they do not trust him. After him, Dan Puric with a trust rate of 32% (52% distrust), Emil Hurezeanu - 31% (49% - distrust), Kelemen Hunor and Diana Sosoaca with 30% each. Klaus Iohannis ranks last with 21% trust and 78% distrust.The survey also looks at Romanians' perception of the annulment of the first round of the presidential elections in Romania, with 42% believing it was a good decision, 48% a wrong decision, while 10% don't know or don't answer.According to the data, 54% of Romanians believe that the elections were rigged, 34% do not believe so, and 12% do not know or do not answer. 46% of the respondents believe that there was Russian influence in the electoral process of the annulled presidential elections in Romania, 36% do not think so and 18% cannot say.As for Romanians' preferences for parties or alliances, the poll shows that if parliamentary elections were to be held again next Sunday, the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) would get 29%, the Social Democratic Party (PSD) - 22%, Save Romania Union (USR) and the National Liberal Party (PNL) would be at par with 13% each, SOS Romania - 8%, the Young People's Party (POT) - 5%, the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania (UDMR) - 4%.The Avangarde survey was conducted from January 10 to January 16, 2025, on a sample of 1,354 adult participants, using the telephone interview method. The margin of error is +/- 2.6% at a 95% confidence level.