IICCMER presents a new opinion poll on the perceptions of Romanians with regard to the communist regime

The Institute for the Investigation of Communist Crimes and the Memory of the Romanian Exile and The Centre for the Studying of Market and Opinion (CSOP) undertook, in the interval November-December 2011, the forth opinion poll regarding Romanians’ perception on communism.

The present poll focused on the following research themes: the Revolution of December 1989, the communist regime’s policies regarding ethnic and religious minorities, the restitution of confiscated properties, the impact of foreign radio stations before December 1989, the influence of the communist past on present-day society.

The partnership between IICCMER and CSOP aims at concluding sociological research reports which would pursue themes related to the memory and history of the communist regime. The opinion polls undertaken by CSOP are free of charge.

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The Present-Day Perception on Communism

Opinion Poll, May 2011

The third opinion poll referring to the Romanians’ perception on communism, undertaken by the IICCMER and the Centre for the Studying of Market and Opinion (CSOP) in May 2011, envisaged the information sources on communism, the teaching of the history of communism within the educational system, repression and the influence of the communist past on present-day society.

The sample was nationally representative for the population aged 15 or over this age limit. 1, 125 persons were interviewed for the present poll.

The margin of error was 2, 9%, with a probability of 0, 95%.

The interviews were based on standardized questionnaires which were filled in at the respondent’s residence. The data were thus gathered by the CSOP in the interval 26 April-2 May 2011.

The poll was conducted by the CSOP, free of charge.

The Present-Day Perception on Communism

Opinion Poll, 27 August - 2 September 2010

The present opinion poll represents the result of a long-term partnership between the IICCMER and the CSOP (The Centre for the Studying of Market and Opinion), which aims at elaborating a strategy of public policies for a democratic education, based on the assuming of the communist past.

The research shows that there are public opinion tendencies which are significant to the way in which the Romanian state authorities build their strategies on the confrontation with the dictatorial past. Thus, most of the poll answers favoured projects such as the Lustration Law, the setting up of a National Museum of the Communist Dictatorship, and the establishing of a memorial day for the victims of the communist regime; a significant percentage of the subjects considered that accessing the Securitate files is also important. One should emphasize the fact that the results of the poll indicate that a great percentage of the respondents consider the communist regime as illegitimate and criminal. At the same time, a large section of the participants in the poll deem the regime as intrinsically repressive. Moreover, the research proves the fact that there is a consensus of opinion regarding the institutional culpability of the Securitate and the Romanian Communist Party in the setting up and the preservation of a dictatorial regime in Romania.

The sample was nationally representative for the population aged 15 or over this age limit. The selection of households and respondents was random. 1, 133 persons were interviewed for the present poll.

The margin of error is 2, 9%, with a probability of 0, 95%.

The interviews were based on standardized questionnaires which were filled in at the respondent’s residence. The data were thus gathered by the CSOP in the interval 27 August - 2 September 2010.

The data were validated and structured according to sex, age, nationality, residence and region, based on the information from the National Institute of Statistics (INS).

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The New Opinion Poll IICCMER/CSOP on the Perception of Communism in Romania. December 2010

During a press conference held on 9 December 2010, the IICCMER and the CSOP presented the results of the second study, undertaken in October 2010, on the present perception of communism in Romania. The IICCMER was represented by Mr. Ioan Stanomir, executive president; Ms. Raluca Grosescu, director of the Public Policies Department and Mr. Bogdan Iacob, secretary of the Scientific Council. Ms. Germina Nagâţ participated from the part of the CNSAS and Mr. Dorin Dobrincu from the part of the National Archives of Romania.

The results of the present study confirm the data obtained during the research undertaken in August. One may conclude that Romanians have a rather ambivalent stand on the communist period and its consequences. Although many Romanians believe that there was repression, that the leaders of the former rule were priviledged, and that the victims should be recompensed, a considerable number also deem that the instauration of the communist regime was a positive fact, and that communism was a good idea, so issues such as the Securitate files or lustration do not benefit by the support of the majority. Nevertheless, the latter elements are far from being disregarded by a considerable percentage of the respondents.

At the same time, a wide section of the sample consider that the victims of the regime should receive due compensation for their suffering. The research also underlines the necessity to formulate new regulations on the pensions of the former communist high officials and of the Securitate representatives.

44% of the respondents stated that communism was a good idea poorly applied, while in August 47% stated the same thing. Moreover, 1 of 8 Romanians deems that communism was a good idea, which had also been well applied. Almost 30% of the sample stated that it was a wrong idea.

3 of 4 Romanians (72%) consider that the state should ensure jobs, 1 of 2 believes that it  should coordinate economic planning, and 44% deem that it should provide homes. 

With reference to the responsibility of the setting-up of the communist regime in Romania, 1 of 2 Romanians (48%) believes that the respective role was played by the Soviet Union, while only 17% of the respondents consider that it was played by the Romanian Communist Party.

The Securitate (63%), the Militia (37%) and the Communist Party (35%) were indicated as the main institutions involved in political repression. Only 2% said spontaneously (as the option was not included on the list of possible answers) that there was no political repression during the communist regime.

The results of the present study confirm, to a great extent, the results of the research undertaken in August 2010.

The research was conducted on a nationally representative sample for the population aged 15 and over this age limit. 1, 123 persons were interviewed for the present poll. The margin of error is 2, 9%, with a probability of 0, 95%.

The data were gathered by the CSOP in the interval 22 October – 1 November 2010.

The opinion poll was free of charge.