61% of Romanians consider communism a good idea

[Sol Invictus]

Act Media Romania | 27-09-2010

61% of Romanians consider communism a good idea at present, as against 53% four years ago, an opinion poll made by CSOP and the Institute Investigating Communism Crimes and the Memory of Romanian Exile (IICMER) shows. Half of the people interviewed say that before December 1989 life was better in Romania, while 23% consider it was worse. According to investigation results, 25% of Romanians say that Ceausescu did good things for Romania while 15% say he did bad things.

General perception on communism:
* people have a general positive perception on communism: 61% of Romanians consider now that communism is a good idea as against 53% of Romanians four years ago
* four years ago a similar study showed that 12% of Romanians considered communism a good idea well applied, 41% a good idea badly applied and 34% considered it a bad idea
* at present 1$ consider it a good idea well applied, 47% a good idea badly applied and 27% a bad idea
* the main reasons for which respondents said it was better before are: the existence of jobs (62%), the living standard (26%) and the fact that most people owned a home (19%)
* the main negative aspects mentioned by those who evaluate communism negatively compared to the present are lack of freedom in general (69%), the poverty degree (shortage of food, utilities and public services) and the lack of information (11%).

Perception on communist leaders

* as for the perception on the two political leaders of the communist period, Nicolae Ceausescu and Gheorghe Gheorghiu Dej, the former is better known than the latter and his image is a better one
* 25% of people say Nicolae Ceausescu did good things for the country as against 15% who say he did bad things
* most people consider that both leaders did both good and bad things (half of respondents believe that about Nicolae Ceausescu) and consider that history books should show that.

Communist repression

*13% of respondents say they had to suffer from the communist regime: 3% personally, 6% somebody from their families while 4% say both them and someone from the family had to suffer
* the main form of the negative impact was the food shortage and the lack of services (47%), the rest concerning the infringement of human rights and citizen freedom (confiscation of properties and goods – 11%, political arrests -6%)
* the responsibility of repression is attributed relatively equally to those with leading positions within the communist party and security apparatus (45% and 44%)
* the question of access to Security files is not important for half of respondents, 40%mentioning that it is important or very important.

Perception on memory of communist period

* less than half of respondents consider a National Museum of Communist Dictatorship in Romania is necessary, a quarter say it is not necessary and the rest did not respond
* half of respondents consider a national day commemorating victims of the communist regime in Romania is necessary, a quarter think such a day is not necessary. Those who answered positively mentioned 22 December (22% of respondents) and 23 August (10%).

1133 people were interviewed for the study. The error was 2.9% with a probability of 0.95%. Interviews were made based on a standard questionnaire at the respondents’ homes. Data were gathered over 27 August and 2 September as part of CSOP omnibus.

http://www.actmedia.eu/2010/09/27/to...d%20idea/29726

[Albion]

{sigh} They think the transition will just happen overnight despite no particularly good efforts to aid it as in Slovenia or Estonia.

[The Lawspeaker]

It didn't go too well for them the last time they gave it a try did it ?

[Daos]

It didn't go too well for them the last time they gave it a try did it ?

You make it sound like we wanted it...

[poiuytrewq0987]

It didn't go too well for them the last time they gave it a try did it ?

Obviously but since they're seeing that democracy isn't working out so well either they're more open to old ideas.

[Daos]

Obviously but since they're seeing that democracy isn't working out so well either they're more open to old ideas.

If democracy fails in the West, how could it work here? Democracy is a foreign concept to our people and all the corruption isn't doing it any favours.

We are ruled by former communists, that were in high positions, and their offspring, they rob us like never before, without even trying to hide it, and the populace passively accepts everything - perhaps have a meaningless protest every now and then. How could things possibly turn better?

The (old) people miss the security they had during communism, not communism itself. In capitalism you can lose your job any time - and a lot of people have, since the state closed most of our factories, and yes, we barely produce anything -, and not to mention that back then you knew that after graduating you had a job waiting for you.

Now, in the „brave new democracy” the streets aren't safe and are littered with beggars, there is no civic duty, with all the outside influence, people are losing their identity, oh, and a large part of our people move to other states for a better living.

[The Lawspeaker]

You make it sound like we wanted it...

I was being incredibly cynical, mate
Of course you didn't want it as it got stuffed down by your throat by the Allies.

[sioned]

Capitalism in my book is as rotten as communism...The only ideology I really can preciate is these days good old National-Socialism. Back in the day... I think N-S is good for Romanians aswell for the rest of the Europeans.

[Impaler]

Communism on the paper is ideal, but in the final is just a utopia.

[ixulescu]

This is an old thread from 2010, at the height of the economic crisis in Romania. Romania had a massive GDP drop in 2009 and 10. As a result the salaries in the public sector were cut by 25%, and those in the private sector didn't fare much better. People were seriously discontent back then.

That said, there is some nostalgia about the communist regime generally in the East.