BAROMETRUL Informat.ro - INSCOP Research - Edition VII, January 2026. Chapter 7: Trust in national institutions | Only 27.9% of Romanians trust the Presidency

BAROMETER Informat.ro - INSCOP Research, Edition VII, January 2026

Chapter VII: Trust in National Institutions

According to the BAROMETER Informat.ro – INSCOP Research, edition VII, conducted between January 12-14, the Church and the Army are the institutions in which Romanians have the most trust.

BAROMETER Informat.ro – INSCOP Research is a monthly opinion poll conducted by INSCOP Research on behalf of the news platform Informat.ro in partnership with the think tank Strategic Thinking Group.

BAROMETER Informat.ro – INSCOP Research aims to bring to the public's attention topics of interest to stimulate national conversations about various subjects and essential public policies for the present and future of Romania, based on the opinions of Romanians in partnership with prestigious think tanks and academic institutions. It is an initiative through which we aim to contribute to the strengthening of democracy by using scientific and credible tools that bring the voice of citizens to the forefront of public debate.

Methodology: Data was collected between January 12-15, 2026. Research method: interview via questionnaire. Data was collected using the CATI method (telephone interviews), with a simple stratified sample volume of 1100 people, representative of significant socio-demographic categories (gender, age, occupation) for the non-institutionalized population of Romania, aged 18 and over. The maximum allowable error of the data is ± 3%, at a confidence level of 95%.

Graphical presentation of the data is available here: BAROMETER Informat.ro - INSCOP Research - Edition VII, January 2026. Chapter 7: Trust in National Institutions

Remus Ștefureac – director INSCOP Research: "Institutions perceived as 'non-political' dominate public trust. The Church and the Army remain symbolic benchmarks of stability and identity, a sign that the population seeks anchors of continuity outside the actual political game. This is a classic pattern in societies with structural distrust in the political class.

Political institutions are trapped in a structural credibility deficit. We are not just talking about conjunctural discontent, but about chronic distrust in representative institutions. This indicates a rupture between citizens and the classic mechanisms of representative democracy, which fuels populism, anti-system discourse, and radical political representation formulas."

Trust in Institutions

The Church is the institution in which Romanians have the most trust, with 63.9% stating that they have quite a lot and very much trust in this institution (compared to 57.7% in July 2025). Next is the Army, with a trust capital of 61.8% (compared to 63% in July 2025) and the Police with 50% (compared to 43.2% in July 2025). The ranking continues with the Presidency at 27.9% (compared to 34.8% in July 2025), Justice at 25.4%, and the Government at 18.4% (compared to 20.4% in July 2025). At the bottom is the Parliament with 11.9% quite a lot and very much trust (compared to 14.5% in July 2025).

Trust in the Church is especially high among: PSD and AUR voters, people over 60 years old, those with primary education, and residents of rural areas. PSD and PNL voters, people over 60 years old, and residents of rural areas are the categories that have the most trust in the Army. Trust in the Police is especially high among: PSD and PNL voters, young people under 30, and state employees. PNL and USR voters, young people under 30, people with higher education, residents of Bucharest and large urban areas, and state employees are the categories that have the most trust in the Presidency. PSD and AUR voters, people aged 18 to 44, and those with primary education have more trust in Justice than the rest of the population. Trust in the Government is especially high among: USR and PNL voters, young people under 30, people with higher education, and residents of Bucharest. PSD, PNL, and USR voters, young people under 30, and residents of Bucharest have higher trust in Parliament than the rest of the population.