(MENAFN) A recent study revealing growing admiration for Romania’s communist past has alarmed President Nicusor Dan, who voiced serious concern over the trend. The survey, released Tuesday, shows that a majority of Romanians now view the communist regime more positively than negatively.

The INSCOP Research poll, commissioned by the Institute for the Investigation of Communist Crimes and the Memory of the Romanian Exile, found that nearly 56% of respondents believe the communist era brought more benefits than drawbacks to the country. Conducted from June 25 to July 3, the study also found that 66.2% of those surveyed regard Nicolae Ceausescu—the authoritarian leader who ruled Romania from 1965 until his violent overthrow in 1989—as a good leader.

This favorable perception is especially prominent among older citizens, those with only primary education, rural inhabitants, and individuals with lower incomes. Conversely, just 24.1% view Ceausescu negatively.

President Dan attributed this rising nostalgia to widespread "deep disappointment" with Romania’s political elite over the past 30 years.

"Corruption, lack of transparency, broken promises, and the feeling of injustice have weakened people's trust in both the present and the future," he wrote in a Facebook post.

He further emphasized: "When hopes are betrayed year after year, nostalgia becomes a natural reaction, even if it is based on a distorted image of the past."

Highlighting the risks these attitudes pose, Dan warned that the findings reveal "how fragile our collective memory is."

He urged urgent action to safeguard democracy: "To keep democracy alive and relevant, we must firmly combat disinformation, restore people’s trust through fair public policies, and build a society in which justice, equity, and real development are felt by all citizens."

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