President, governing alliance lead popular trust

About half of Romanian voters are pleased with President Traian Basescu’s activity and more are trustful or very trustful of him, a new poll shows. The head of state is followed by two Liberal dissidents and a populist businessman politician, the public opinion study published by the INSOMAR on Sunday pollster shows.

It says 52% of Romanians are pleased with Basescu’s activity and 57% of them trust him. The president is followed by his ex-aide Theodor Stolojan (43%), a Liberal dissident recently ousted from the National Liberal Party-PNL, which shares the government with Basescu’s Democratic Party-PD.

Another Liberal, Mona Musca, who has also dismissed from PNL over alleged collaboration with the communist secret police, comes third with 39%.

Next in line are populist businessman-politician Gigi Becali (43%), who owns the Steaua Bucharest football club; Mircea Geoana, head of the main opposition party the PSD, and Emil Boc, the PD president, with 34% each; and PM Calin Popescu Tariceanu, with 27%. 24% of Romanians trust Corneliu Vadim Tudor, the head of the far-right Greater Romania Party-PRM.

If elections took place next week, 46% of Romanians would vote for the D.A. Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, while the PSD would only receive 23% and the PRM 12%.

Romanians have most trust in Church (85%), in the Army (78%) and the mass-media (66%) among the main institutions.