INSCOP survey: What do Romanians think about the never-ending interim period of the government

A survey made by INSCOP at the beginning of September illustrates that almost two thirds of the Romanians consider that it is important that the parties reach agreement as soon as possible for the formation of a full-fledged government.   The INSCOP Barometer, conducted between 1 and 7 September 2026, shows that 63.9 per cent of respondents believe it is more important for the parties to reach an agreement as soon as possible to form a government with full powers, even if each has to make some compromises.   On the other hand, 26.8% consider that it is more important that the parties do not make important compromises even if the process of forming a new government would take longer.   Data from the same INSCOP barometer show that 52 per cent (32.4 per cent ‘very negative’ and 19.6 per cent ‘quite negative’) of respondents believe that the prolongation of the interim government situation will have negative consequences for the country.   On the other hand, 14 per cent believe there would be positive consequences for the country (8.8 per cent ‘quite positive’ and 5.2 per cent ‘very positive’).   “Romanians are sending a clear message calling for political functionality and a reduction in uncertainty. Compromise between parties becomes a pressing requirement when the alternative is a prolonged deadlock, which indicates a preference for pragmatism over political rigidity. (…) The excessive prolongation of the caretaker government is clearly perceived as a source of vulnerability rather than merely a transitional period. In the public perception, the political time lost is beginning to take its toll, seriously affecting electoral support for the political parties involved in negotiations and deadlocks; these parties are either stagnating or losing the ground they had gained at the start of the crisis. (…) Beyond the differences between voter segments, a common thread emerges across the voter bases of the main parties: a preference for a swift resolution to the political deadlock, which suggests that this issue relates more to the functioning of the state than to partisan identity,” said Remus Stefureac, director of INSCOP.   The survey was carried out between 1 and 7 September 2026, on a sample of 1,100 people, representative of the key socio-demographic categories, aged 18 and over.   The data were collected using the CATI method (telephone interviews), and the maximum permissible margin of error is ±3 per cent, at a 95 per cent confidence level.