The Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) ranks first in the preferences of voters up to 59 years old, while Romanians over 60 would mostly vote for the PSD (Social Democratic Party), according to an INSCOP survey published on Monday.
On the other hand, the SENS Party ranks second in the preferences of Romanians aged between 18 and 29. USR (Save Romania Union) ranks second in the preferences of voters aged 30-44 and PNL (National Liberal Party) is the second choice of Romanians aged 45-59. In the case of respondents over 60, second place is occupied by AUR.
If parliamentary elections were held next Sunday, 34% of the people under 30 would vote for AUR, 16% for SENS, 14% for USR, 13% for PNL, 9% for PSD, 5% for POT (Young People’s Party), 3% for UDMR (Democratic Union of Hungarians of Romania), and 3% for SOS Romania. 3% of young people would opt for another party, while no person in this age group declared that they would choose an independent candidate.
At the same time, 50% of people between 30 and 44 would choose to vote for AUR if parliamentary elections were held next Sunday. 18% of them opt for USR, 11% for PNL, 8% for PSD, 3% for UDMR, and 3% for POT. 2% would choose another party, 2% – an independent candidate, while 1% would vote for SENS and 1% – for SOS Romania.
As many as 41% of voters aged 45 to 59 would prefer AUR, 19% of them would choose PNL, 15% – PSD, 12% – USR, 6% – UDMR, 2% – POT, 2% – SOS Romania, and 1% – SENS, and 1% would vote for an independent candidate and 1% – another party.
38% of people over 60 would vote for PSD if parliamentary elections were held next Sunday, 28% would choose AUR, 15% would vote for PNL, 7% – for USR, 5% – for UDMR, 3% – for POT, 2% – for another party, 2% – for SOS Romania, and 1% – for an independent candidate. No person in this age group opted for SENS Party.
The head of INSCOP Research, Remus Stefureac, highlights a “sharp polarisation” between generations formed in distinct socio-political contexts. The contrast between the 18-29 generation and the 60+ generation illustrates “two distinct political continents,” he said, according to the press release.
“Basically, if only young people aged 18-29 voted, a non-parliamentary party like SENS would be the second party in Romania, while for people over 60, this party does not exist. If seniors privilege stability and social protection, young people show a preference for radical options and clear change. This polarisation represents a major challenge for democratic cohesion and for the capacity of the political system to formulate inclusive policies,” said Stefureac.
The data were collected between October 25 and November 2 using the CATI method (telephone interviews). The volume of the simple, stratified sample is 3,000 people, representative of significant socio-demographic categories (sex, age, occupation) for the non-institutionalised population of Romania. The study was commissioned by the news platform Informat.ro in partnership with the think-tank Strategic Thinking Group.
