A Sociopol opinion poll shows that 45 percent of Romanians believe that PSD leader Liviu Dragnea was sentenced in a show trial, being executed by the deep state.

Two thirds of Romanians (63 percent) have heard of Liviu Dragnea’s conviction in the court of first instance in a criminal trial, the poll shows, and 41 percent are interested in this topic.

Forty-five percent of the respondents consider that this conviction was part of a show trial, Liviu Dragnea being executed by the deep state. At the same time, 35 percent consider that the charges brought against Dragnea are true, the conviction not being influenced politically, while 20 percent did not know or refused to answer.

Supreme Court magistrates sentenced Liviu Dragnea, last Thursday, to three and a half years in prison in the trial concerning the way the personnel of the Teleorman County’s General Directorate for Social Services and Child Protection was hired. The sentence is executory.

Dragnea was charged with instigating abuse of office and the sentence is not final.

Who do Romanians trust: Raed Arafat, Gabriela Firea and Klaus Iohannis

Raed Arafat tops the approval ratings’ rankings, according to a Sociopol poll published on Wednesday. According to the poll, Arafat is followed by Bucharest Mayor Gabriela Firea, while President Klaus Iohannis is third and DNA Chief Prosecutor Laura Codruta Kovesi is fourth.

The poll shows that Raed Arafat tops the approval ratings’ rankings, with an approval rating of 50 percent. He is followed by Gabriela Firea (25 percent) and Klaus Iohannis (24), locked in close competition as usual in the latest polls. Laura Codruta Kovesi enjoys an approval rating of 19 percent, a level similar to the one registered in previous polls. She is followed by Calin Popescu Tariceanu (17 percent), while Liviu Dragnea has an approval rating of 15 percent, slightly higher compared to previous polls.

Mugur Isarescu has an approval rating of 14 percent, showing a marked downturn compared to previous Sociopol polls. He is followed by Dacian Ciolos with 13 percent, Victor Ponta and Viorica Dancila with 12 percent (levels similar to those in previous polls), and Ludovic Orban with 8 percent (slightly higher compared to previous polls).

Traian Basescu closes the list with an approval rating of 7 percent, a level similar to the one registered in previous polls.

61 pc of Romanians do not want change of Gov’t

The Sociopol poll shows that 61 percent of respondents do not want the Government changed via no-confidence motion, while more than 53 percent agree with the PSD-ALDE governance programme. Nevertheless, the perception is pessimistic due to the political situation.

The poll shows that almost half of Romanians (45 percent) heard of the no-confidence motion tabled by PNL against the Dancila Government. Only 21 percent of the respondents were interested in this topic.

The same poll shows that two thirds of Romanians (61 percent) consider that the Government led by Viorica Dancila should not fall via a no-confidence motion tabled in Parliament by the PNL. At the same time, 22 percent consider that the Government must be changed, while 17 percent did not know or refused to answer.

The poll shows that most Romanians (71 percent) have a generally pessimistic perception: they believe Romania is heading in the wrong direction. Only 12 percent are optimistic and believe that things are going in the right direction. The reasons for the Romanians’ pessimism are overwhelmingly political. Romania is heading in the wrong direction because of the political situation in the country (61 percent) and of the chronic political scandal.

Most respondents (53 percent) agree with the PSD-ALDE governance programme implemented by the Dancila Cabinet. Thirty percent do not agree with this governance programme, while 17 percent did not know or refused to answer.

In what concerns the pension and salary hikes, 54 percent of respondents have stated that the pensions have risen significantly in recent months and this is a good thing for the way things are going in Romania. At the same time, two thirds of Romanians (62 percent) consider that the Romanians’ incomes have risen significantly in recent months, and 73 percent consider that this rise is a good thing for the way things are going in Romania.

The poll was conducted by Sociopol, the institute coordinated by sociologist Mirel Palada, on a sample of 917 persons, on June 22-26, 2018. It has a margin of error of +/- 3 percent.