Outstretched hands, which tell no story, multiply

People still await assistance from the government, even though their trust in it has consistently decreased in recent years. Outstretched hands with no backstory, following the patented model in domestic cinema, multiply, or, to paraphrase the poet with a changed meaning, "those who have nothing ask of us.' Shame is on the verge of disappearing, as is the desire to work. Fortunately, self-confidence is not plagued by melancholy; there is also an increase in those who believe that they must help themselves first.

Specifically, although contested, opinion polls often provide interesting data. Half of Romanians believe that the state has a duty to assist them regardless of the situation, and over half believe that the government should increase salaries even if the economy declines. This is 20% more than ten years ago, according to a survey conducted by INSCOP for News.ro. Compared to ten years ago, the number of those who believe the state has a duty to assist regardless of the situation has increased from 42% to 50%, while the number of those who believe the state should only help when needed has decreased from 58% to 50%. According to socio-demographic analysis, those who believe the state has a duty to assist in any situation are primarily: young people, individuals with lower education levels, those potentially inactive, those with lower incomes, and urban residents. Individuals over 45 years old, those with higher education, white-collar workers, residents of Bucharest, and government employees believe to a greater extent than other population groups that the state should only help when needed.

The percentage of Romanians who prefer a well-paying but unstable job has slightly decreased in September 2023 compared to February 2013, from 52% to 51.8%, with an increase in the number of those who prefer a stable but poorly paid job, from 48% to 48.2%. Socio-demographic analysis reveals that those who prefer an unstable but well-paying job are primarily: men, individuals under 30, potentially inactive individuals, residents of Bucharest or large urban areas, and private sector employees. Women, individuals over 45, rural residents, and government employees declare to a greater extent than the population average that they prefer a stable but poorly paid job. They agree with the statement "In times of crisis, I should first help myself and only then seek government support,' especially individuals with higher education levels, residents of larger urban areas, those with higher incomes, and private sector employees. Young people under 30, individuals with lower education levels, those with lower incomes, and residents of smaller urban areas express greater agreement with the statement "In times of crisis, I should first seek government support and only then help myself,' according to socio-demographic analysis.

The percentage of Romanians who, ten years ago, believed that the government should increase salaries even if the economy declines was 36% and has now increased to 55.3%, while the percentage of those who believe the opposite has decreased from 64% to 44.7%. Socio-demographic analysis indicates that women, individuals under 45 years old, those with lower education levels, potentially inactive individuals, blue-collar workers, rural residents, those with lower incomes, and government employees are more likely to believe that the government should increase salaries even if the economy declines. They believe that "the government should not increase salaries when the economy declines' to a greater extent than the rest of the population. Two-thirds of those surveyed say they prefer to buy Romanian products even if they are more expensive, a trend described by INSCOP Research's CEO, Remus Ştefureac, as a "possible form of economic patriotism.' Romanians are less willing than ten years ago to purchase consumer goods to make their lives easier if they had extra money, with the percentage decreasing from 37% in 2013 to 23.7% in 2023. On the other hand, the number of those who would choose to save money if they had extra funds has increased from 63% in 2013 to 76.3% in 2023. Young people under 30 and individuals with lower incomes are more likely than the average population to prefer buying consumer goods to ease their lives. They declare that they would prefer to save money for harder times, especially residents of larger urban areas and government employees, according to socio-demographic analysis.

The opinion poll was conducted by INSCOP Research for News.ro. The data was collected between September 15 and 22 using the CATI method (telephone interviews). The sample size was 1,550 individuals, stratified and representative across significant socio-demographic categories (gender, age, occupation) for the non-institutionalized population of Romania aged 18 and older.