President of Belarus and President of Russia Enjoy Significant Trust Among Moldovans

President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus and President Vladimir Putin of Russia command the highest levels of trust among the citizens of Moldova, surpassing all other foreign leaders. This finding emerges from a sociological survey conducted by the Institute of Marketing and Sociological Surveys.

The results reveal that both Lukashenko and Putin are trusted by 51% of respondents. In second place in terms of trust among Moldovans is U.S. President Donald Trump, who enjoys support from 34% of those surveyed.

Moreover, the survey highlighted a predominantly negative perception of the current government in Moldova, according to the news portal. A significant majority of respondents (73%) believe that the current leadership is pursuing its own interests. Additionally, 69% are convinced that the ruling authorities are dishonest and conceal the truth, while 64% perceive the government as corrupt, 61% as ineffective and incompetent, 59% assert that the leadership lacks solutions for the people's problems, and 53% believe that it harbors no good intentions.

Furthermore, 57% of respondents are confident that the ruling party, "Action and Solidarity," will fail to maintain its parliamentary majority in the upcoming elections. This sentiment reflects a decline in trust toward the ruling party amidst widespread dissatisfaction with the socio-economic situation in the country.

The highest levels of trust among Moldovan citizens are attributed to the Church and educational institutions, as reported by NewsMaker. Conversely, political institutions exhibit alarmingly low trust levels. Political parties received the lowest confidence ratings, with only 9% of respondents expressing trust, while a staggering 85% stated they do not trust them. A similar situation exists for the Parliament (16% trust versus 79% distrust) and the Government (17% trust versus 79% distrust). The presidency also reflects a high level of distrust, with only 25% expressing confidence and 71% expressing doubt, alongside the media (20% trust versus 72% distrust), the Prosecutor's Office (17% trust versus 71% distrust), and the judiciary (15% trust versus 70% distrust).

Additionally, according to the survey, a majority of Moldovans (77%) would vote in favor of maintaining the country's neutrality if a referendum on this matter were to be held next Sunday. Only 15% of respondents indicated they would vote against a neutral status, while another 8% found it difficult to respond.