IRES Opinion poll: “Young people's vote”

For this year's parliamentary elections, 65% of young people will have a different option for that of 4 years ago, according to an opinion poll made by the Romanian Institute for Evaluation and Strategy- IRES, made free of charge to the benefit of AGORA Center for Democracy and of “Young people voting” initiative.   The study was made on a sample of 800 respondents aged between 18 and 35, between March 9 and 14. Data were collected through CATI method (Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing), and the maximum tolerated error is +/- 3.5%.   According to the poll, 18% of respondents said that in the parliamentary election their option would be the same as four years ago, while 8% said they had not made any decisions , 1% said they would not vote and 8% would not answer.   “Three aspects which are taken into account when they vote, three should be nominated. Choosing the lesser evil is an aspect indicated by over 4 out of 10 respondents, followed by the canidate's profile, an important aspect for 39% of people interviewed and the activity of the party which backs the canidate (38%), Only a quarter (26%) take into account the ideology they identify with and one out of five have in view the election program of the party or candidate” say opinion poll makers.   36% of respondents consider that in 2024 presidential elections will be the most important, while 20% indicated local elections, 24% refer to the parliamentary ones, while 8% chose European parliamentary elections.   Over 60% of respondents say they will certainly vote in the presidential elections, 58% say they will certainly vote in European parliamentary and parliamentary elections, while 59% will vote in the locals.   42% of young people seek information on social networks (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Whatsapp, Telegram) about inetersting events in Romania, 27% get informed from the nline press, 18% on TV , 7% from colleagues and acquaintances, while 2% from the radio and 3% from online sources.   37% declare interested in Romanian political life to a little extent, 35% to a very little extent, 21% to a great extent, while 6% to a very high extent.At the same time, 46% have very little confidence in the content distributed by politicians or political parties on social networks, 46% have little confidence, 9% have great confidence and 3% a very high confidence.   About the possibility of leaving Romania, 37% took into consideration the variant of temporary leave, while 15% of final emigration.   The main aspects identified by most young people as worrying about their situation in Romania: the lack of opportunities in the labor market (15%), low quality of education (14%), vices (drug consumption, alcohol) (13%) and inflation/living standard/financial difficulties (13%).   Between a fifth and a quarter of young people think Romania is a country oriented toward all its citizens (22%) or young people (23%) or that it id independent (24%). A third (33%) of people interviewed consider that it is a predictible country (33%), while 28% that it is equitable. 76% of subjects have little or very little confidence in Romanian democracy, while 23% said they had great or high confidence.   As for institutional confidence, the university ranks first, being credited with much or very much confidence by 56% of young people. It is followed by EU (51%), army (50%) and NATO (50%).   “The middle of the top is occupied by the church, in which 47% of young people have much or very much confidence, ONGs (46%), big companies in the private sector (42%), secret services (42%) and police (41%). The press heads the list of institutions credited with the lowest confidence, only 14% of young people in Romania say they have much or very much confidence in the media. It is followed by Romania's president (11%), Romania's government (9%) and Parliament (9%). As in the case of opinion polls of past years which measured Romanians' confidence in institutions, in this study parties rank last: only 4% of participants in the poll declare they have much or veru much confidence in them,” poll makers say.   65% of respondents consider that young people have, to a big or very big extent the power to change things in Romania, while 34% to a low or very low extent. 68% consider that at present, in Romania, things ae going to the wrong direction, while 28% consider the direction is right.