On Tuesday, July 22, 2025, a significant event took place at the Transylvania Hall in the Palace of Victoria, marking the launch of the survey titled “Public Perception of the Communist Regime: Nostalgia Highlights.” This survey was conducted by INSCOP Research at the request of the Institute for the Investigation of Communist Crimes and the Memory of the Romanian Exile (IICCMER). The poll was carried out between June 25 and July 3, 2025, aiming to provide an up-to-date insight into how Romanians view the communist era. It highlighted elements of collective memory that contribute to feelings of nostalgia for the former regime.
The methodology used for this survey involved collecting data through structured interviews via a questionnaire. A total of 1,100 respondents participated, selected through a stratified sampling method to ensure representation across key socio-demographic categories such as gender, age, and occupation for Romania’s non-institutionalized population aged 18 and older. The maximum allowed error margin for these findings is ± 2.95%, with a 95% confidence level.
When questioned about their primary sources of information regarding the communist period, 34.8% of respondents indicated that they lived through that time. Other sources included relatives, such as parents and grandparents (14.2%), educational institutions (7%), books or documentaries (5.4%), the internet (3.1%), and mass media like television and newspapers (2.8%). A small fraction of respondents, 0.4%, mentioned social media, while 0.2% cited other sources. Additionally, 0.3% stated they had not informed themselves about the period, and 0.2% didn’t respond.
Evaluating the communist regime, a majority of 55.8% believe it had a predominantly positive impact on Romania, while 34.5% view it as mostly negative. Only 9.6% of respondents were uncertain about their opinion, with 0.1% opting not to answer.
Regarding Nicolae Ceaușescu, 66.2% of respondents consider him a good leader for Romania, contrasted with 24.1% who view him negatively. A small percentage of respondents (7.8%) were unsure, and 2% chose not to respond.
When it comes to living standards, 48.4% of those surveyed believe that life was better before 1989 than it is now, while 34.7% feel conditions have worsened, and 13.2% think they remained the same. Non-responses accounted for 3.7% of the total.
On the topic of corruption, only 8% of respondents feel there was more corruption prior to 1989 compared to now. In contrast, a substantial 65.1% believe corruption levels were lower during that time, with 20.2% stating they were about the same. The non-response rate on this issue was 6.7%.
In terms of freedom, just 9% of respondents felt there was more freedom before 1989, against 80.9% who argued that freedom diminished, while 6.8% thought the level of freedom did not change.
The perceived efficiency of state institutions saw 58.7% of participants rating them as more effective prior to 1989, whereas 17.5% disagreed, believing them to be less effective. A further 15.1% felt there was no difference, with 8.6% not answering.
Lastly, an overwhelming 68.5% of respondents argued that production levels were higher before 1989 compared to today, while 21.9% thought production had decreased, and 6.5% believed it remained constant. Additionally, 77.2% asserted that Romania was wealthier before 1989, while 18.4% felt the country has become poorer since then.
This survey offers important insights into the complex relationship Romanians have with their past and the ongoing dialogue about the communist era in today’s society.
