PSD reportedly in steep fall, opinion poll reveals

The latest analysis about the voting options was released in December by the Social-Democratic Party (PSD). In the meantime, the second PSD cabinet was replaced, the laws of justice have been amended and the so-called fiscal revolution has been launched, analysts quoted by ziare.com say.

A source close to PSD has said recently “we’ve decreased much. The results were not satisfactory and the party leadership decided to conduct another opinion poll on a larger sample, with face-to-face interviews, so that we have precise results.”

According to ziare.com the results are not encouraging for PSD. Chairman Liviu Dragnea had a popularity of 10% in January, down from 15% provided by IMAS through the data in November. He has lost one third of the public support during 100 days, during the period of implementing the fiscal revolution and when the attack against the judiciary started.

PNL Chairman, Ludovic Orban, is not faring better, he has the same popularity level. As comparison, former President Traian Basescu, after two terms in office and being affected by the connection with Elena Udrea, politician sentenced for corruption in the first court, still has a popularity level of 14%.

Sociologist Barbu Mateescu said for ziare.com that “the confidence in the leaders of main parties (PSD, PNL) is low. It is an alarming signal, this limits the attractiveness, it decreases the cohesion between the party and its electorate.”

PSD is in steep fall, the source informs. In October 2017, PSD had a vote intention of 46%, but is has lost 14 percentage points in 100 days, down to 32% in January.

“Since November, we lose 2-3 percentage points every month,” the source close to PSD added.

During the same interval, the Save Romania Union (USR) has doubled its popularity, up from 5% to 10% (8% at the general elections in 2016).

PNL is steady, with 22% of the voting intentions (23% in November). Analysts say that PNL, under Orban’s leadership, is stagnating and does not succeed in attracting the people dissatisfied with the PSD-ALDE governance.

Sociologist Barbu Mateescu has said for ziare.com: “I notice the fact that, following the general election in 2016, the pair PNL and USR had results by 17.5% lower than PSD (29% against 46.5% for the social-democrats). Now they’re even: PSD – 32%, PNL and USR 32%. The PSD erosion, as compared with other governments, is absolutely amazing.”