INSCOP Research Barometer: 3 out of 10 Romanians trust U.S. President

   King Charles of the United Kingdom leads the trust ranking for international leaders, with 45.5% expressing quite a lot or a great deal of trust, while 3 out of 10 Romanians trust U.S. President Donald Trump, according to the second edition of the Informat.ro - INSCOP Research Barometer, conducted from June 20-26.King Charles ranks first in the trust list, with 45.5% expressing quite a lot or a great deal of trust, and 90.7% of respondents saying they have heard of him. He is followed by U.S. President Donald Trump, with 30.5% trust (name recognition 96.2%), Maia Sandu, President of the Republic of Moldova, with 28.7% (recognition 82%), and Emmanuel Macron, President of France, with 26.3% (recognition 85.8%). For Russian leader Vladimir Putin, 15.6% of those interviewed express quite a lot or a great deal of trust, with a notoriety level of 99.3%.The British monarch enjoys notably high trust especially among: National Liberal Party (PNL) and Save Romania Union (USR) voters, men, persons aged over 60, those with higher education, residents of small urban areas, and private-sector employees. Donald Trump earns quite a lot or a great deal of trust from Alliance for Romanians' Union (AUR) voters, men, those over 60, people with medium education, rural residents, and TikTok users.PNL and USR voters, highly educated people, residents of Bucharest and large urban areas show the highest trust in Maia Sandu, President of Moldova. High trust in Emmanuel Macron, President of France, is particularly found among: PNL and USR voters, highly educated individuals, Bucharest and larger city residents, and public-sector employees. AUR voters, men, those aged 30-44, and TikTok users exhibit the most trust in Vladimir Putin, according to the INSCOP survey.Director of INSCOP Research Remus Stefureac says that trust in Western leaders (King Charles, Sandu, Macron) has declined compared to the March 2024 measurement (before the crisis triggered by the cancellation of presidential elections).'Their support is concentrated in educated urban settings and among voters of pro-Western parties (especially USR and PNL), but much weaker among AUR voters. Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin are the only ones gaining trust, their support coming from rural areas, lower-education segments, and AUR's electorate. King Charles remains the leader with the most balanced political support, but has significantly lower trust among young people. Maia Sandu and Emmanuel Macron provoke the biggest polarisation between urban elites and the rest of the population, being strongly rejected in rural areas and especially by AUR supporters, due to the party's electoral positioning. Overall, the data show geopolitical polarisation in Romania, between the pro-Western orientation of urban centres and the anti-system sympathies of some rural and traditionalist segments influenced by AUR's rhetoric. AUR voters show twice the national average trust in Vladimir Putin, and three to four times more than voters of PSD [Social Democratic Party], PNL, and USR.'Data collection took place June 20-26, 2025. Research method: CATI (telephone interviews). Sample size: 1,150 individuals, stratified to represent Romania's non-institutionalised population aged 18 and over. Maximum margin of error: ? 2.9%, with 95% confidence level.