Support for Romania’s senior ruling party, the Social Democratic Party (PSD), has plunged from more than 40% at the general elections in 2016 to 34%, only 1pp above the main opposition party, the National Liberal Party (PNL), according to a poll carried out by Sociopol between February 27 and March 5 and quoted by stiripesurse.ro.

Since returning to power after the December 2016 election, the PSD has had a tumultuous year marked by the collapse of two governments. Support among its main base was also eroded when promised wage hikes were almost completely cancelled out by changes to the social security contributions system. 

In the Sociopol survey, the two-party ruling coalition formed by the PSD with the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (Alde) accumulated only 39% of voters’ support, compared to 45% of potential votes received by the main two opposition parties: the PNL (33%) and Save Romania Union (USR, 12%). The high score of the USR compared to around 5% or below revealed by past polls, stands out. 

The Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR) received a stable 5% share of the vote.

Meanwhile, trust in the ruling coalition’s leader Liviu Dragnea plunged to only 9%, from above 40% at the time of the 2016 general elections. He was surpassed by politicians like former prime minister Victor Ponta (10%) and former president Traian Basescu (11%). 

Notably, the most popular politician within the ruling coalition is Bucharest mayor Gabriela Firea (28%), who ranks close to President Klaus Iohannis (29%) and above the head of the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) Laura Codruta Kovesi (25%).

The poll was carried out by phone among a sample of 1,000 voters resulting in a 3.2% standard error.