President Nicusor Dan says that he is 'deeply concerned' about the findings of a poll presented on Tuesday by INSCOP and the Institute for the Investigation of Communist Crimes and the Memory of the Romanian Exile - IICCMER, revealing that two-thirds of Romanians consider Nicolae Ceauescu a good leader.

'In my opinion, the main reason why more and more Romanians idealise communism is the deep disappointment with the political class of the last three decades. Corruption, lack of transparency, broken promises and a sense of injustice have weakened people's confidence in the present and in the future. When hopes are dashed for years, nostalgia becomes a natural reaction, even if it is based on a distorted image of the past,' Dan wrote in a social media post on Tuesday.

According to the President, 'this false image of the communist period is also kept alive by disinformation campaigns that try to undermine democratic values and offer a beautifully packaged past, while hiding the truth about repression, fear, hunger and lack of freedom.'

'The fact that two-thirds of Romanians consider Nicolae Ceausescu a good leader shows how fragile our collective memory is and how easily perceptions can be manipulated when the state does not invest enough in historical and civic education and honest communication with citizens. To keep democracy alive and relevant, we must firmly fight disinformation, restore people's trust through correct public policies and build a society in which justice, equity and real development are felt by all citizens. Romania cannot build a solid future by looking back with illusions. We have the duty to learn from the past, not to revive it,' said Dan.

Over 48% of Romanians believe that life was better under the communist regime, according to an INSCOP poll commissioned by IICCMER.

Data were collected between June 25 and July 3, using the CATI method (telephone interviews). The sample size was 1,505 people, aged 18 years and over. The maximum permissible error of the data is +/-2.53% at a 95% confidence level.

According to the poll, 48.4% of Romanians believe that life was better under the communist regime, while 34.7% believe that life was worse during that period.

As many as 55.8% of those surveyed consider that the communist regime was rather a good thing for Romania, while 34.5% adopt a contrary opinion.

Respondents believe that before 1989 food was healthier (85.1%), there was less freedom (80.9%), people helped each other more (80%), there was more public safety (75.1%), more was produced than today (68.5%), the state took more care of citizens (66.4%), there was less corruption (65.1%), state bodies were more efficient (58.7%), access to education was easier (49.9%), access to healthcare services was easier (48.6%), people lived better (48.4%), more values were promoted than at present (48.2%).

As many as 77.2% of the surveyed believe that before 1989 Romania was a richer country than it is today, and 73.2% say that it was more respected abroad. At the same time, 52.8% believe that during the communist regime there was less industry-generated pollution.

As many as 59.2% of the surveyed say that the communist regime was responsible for abuses and crimes, while 23.7% believe the opposite.

Also, as many as 66.2% say that late communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu was a good leader, while 24.1% consider that he was a bad leader. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Andreea Rotaru; EN - writing by: Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu)