Over 72% of Romanians would support an increase in defence spending so that Romania can defend its sovereignty in the event of a military aggression, according to an INSCOP survey conducted between May 26-30.

‘In the context of growing discussions about Europe reducing its military dependence on the U.S. and NATO by increasing expenditures in the Defence area, respondents were asked whether they would support such a prospect so that Romania can defend its sovereignty in the case of a military aggression. 72.8% support such an increase in defence spending, while 25.6% oppose it, and 1.6% don’t know or did not answer,’ INSCOP reports.

Support for increased defence spending is particularly strong among voters of the Save Romania Union (USR), Social Democratic Party (PSD) and National Liberal Party (PNL), individuals with higher education, and residents of Bucharest. Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) voters and individuals with primary education are the groups most opposed to increased defence spending, according to the source.

Specifically, 81% of PSD voters support an increase in defence spending, while 18% are against it. Among PNL voters, 80% agree with increased spending, while 20% do not support the idea. Regarding USR voters, 94% approve of increased defence spending, and 6% oppose. Among AUR voters, 62% support more defence spending, while 36% are against it.

Among Romanians with only primary education, 64% favour greater defence spending, while 32% reject the idea. Additionally, 74% of Romanians with secondary education and 81% of those with higher education want a larger defence budget. Conversely, 25% of those with secondary education and 18% of those with higher education do not support a significant increase in defence spending.

Among men surveyed, 75% support an increase in spending, while 25% opposed. Among women, 71% support allocating more funds to defence, and 26% do not.

INSCOP Research Director Remus Stefureac believes that the survey data indicates ‘broad agreement’ among Romanians in favour of increasing defence spending, which reflects ‘a growing concern’ for national security and regional geopolitics.

‘The level of support varies significantly among party voters, suggesting that support for increasing the defence budget is influenced by the public rhetoric of party representatives. This conclusion is especially relevant in the case of AUR voters, who are exposed to the narratives of their party leaders, which tend to be hostile toward strong national defence policies. Given the broad public support, authorities may have significant leeway to implement policies aimed at strengthening Romania’s defence capabilities, in line with European trends,’ said Remus Stefureac.

This barometer is conducted monthly by INSCOP Research at the request of the news platform Informat.ro, in partnership with the think tank Strategic Thinking Group. The data was collected using the CATI method (telephone interviews), with a simple, stratified sample of 1,150 individuals. The maximum margin of error is plus/minus 2.9%, at a 95% confidence level.

AGERPRES