INSCOP survey: Monarchy vs Republic after 1989 în Romania

  More than half of Romanians (56.4%) believe that if Romania had adopted a monarchy immediately after 1989, things would have been different in the 34 years that followed. A similar percentage (54.7%) would vote against the monarchy and for maintaining the republic in a referendum, 13.7% more than 10 years ago, according to a survey conducted by INSCOP commissioned by News.ro. Nearly half of the respondents (48.5%) have a positive opinion of the Romanian Royal Family.   56.1% of respondents agree with the statement, ‘Monarchy has the advantage that the king is not dependent on parties and can arbitrate political life’ (compared to 43.5% in July 2013), while 35.9% disagree (compared to 32.5% in July 2013). 8% do not know or do not respond to this question (compared to 24% in July 2013). “Those expressing agreement with the statement are mainly: young people under 30, individuals with medium or higher education, residents of Bucharest and larger urban areas, those with higher income, and private sector employees,” indicates the socio-demographic analysis.   69.1% of respondents agree with the statement, ‘The republic has the advantage that the president is voted periodically and there is no risk of gaining too much power’ (compared to 51.7% in July 2013), while 25.3% disagree (compared to 26.6% in July 2013). 5.6% do not know or do not respond to this question (compared to 21.7% in July 2013). Socio-demographic analysis reveals that individuals aged 45 to 59, white-collar workers, and private sector employees express their agreement with the statement to a greater extent than the rest of the population.   When asked how they would vote in a potential referendum on Romania becoming a monarchy, 54.7% of Romanians declare that they would vote against the monarchy and for maintaining the republic (compared to 41% in July 2013). 35.4% say they would vote in favor of the monarchy (compared to 27.2% in July 2013), and 9.9% do not know or do not respond (compared to 31.8% in July 2013). Individuals over 60, inactive individuals, and those with lower income declare that they would vote against the monarchy to a greater extent than other population categories. Those in favor of the monarchy are mainly: young people under 30, residents of Bucharest, and those with higher income, according to socio-demographic data.   13.5% of respondents have a very favorable opinion of the Romanian Royal Family (compared to 12.5% in July 2013), 35% favorable (28.5% in July 2013), 36.2% neither good nor bad (43.5% in July 2013), 4.8% bad (5% in July 2013), 4.4% very bad (1.4% in July 2013). The share of non-responses is 6.1% of the total sample (9.1% in July 2013).   When asked if things would have been different in the 34 years since the events of December 1989 if Romania had adopted a monarchy immediately after 1989, 56.4% of survey participants say it would have been better, 22.1% say it would have been the same, and 11.2% say it would have been worse. 10.3% do not know or do not respond.   “Although the republic remains the preferred form of government for Romanians, with over two-thirds of survey participants appreciating that the republic has the advantage that the president is voted periodically and there is no risk of gaining too much power, the monarchy maintains surprisingly high and growing popularity compared to the situation ten years ago. A third of Romanians declare that they would vote in favor of a monarchy in a potential referendum, and almost 55% would vote in favor of the republic. Also, the popularity of the monarchy is higher among young people under 30, who would vote in greater proportions than other categories in favor of this type of regime. On the other hand, after 34 years since the fall of communism, Romanian society seems to regret that at that time, we did not return to the monarchy, with 56.4% of survey participants stating that the country’s situation would have been better if Romania had adopted the monarchy immediately after 1989,” notes Remus Stefureac, director of INSCOP Research.