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The Polling Europe survey, released in March, was carried out to find out what the citizens of the European Union think about the judicial system and the Union’s relations with US President Donald Trump. The poll was conducted between the 14th and the 24th of March 2025 on a sample of 5,006 completed interviews, distributed proportionally to the population of the 27 EU countries, with a slight correction to allow the data to be analyzed at a pan-European level and 5 different zones: Germany, France, Central and Eastern Europe, Northern Europe, Southern Europe. For each country, proportional quotas for age and gender were established. The quotas were calculated on the basis of the most recent Eurostat parameters.
Justice and the judiciary in EU countries
As a snapshot of perceptions of the independence of the judiciary in the EU, only 36% of European citizens think that the judiciary in their own country is independent. Of these, 9% believe that the judiciary is “completely independent”, while 27% say it is “largely independent”. By contrast, 57% of respondents to the opinion poll believe that the judiciary is influenced by the political environment, either “partly” (37%) or “completely” (20%). This general perception is extremely worrying as it shows widespread public distrust in the impartiality of the judiciary, which can seriously undermine citizens’ trust in democracy and the rule of law.
According to those interviewed, significant regional differences could be observed. Northern Europe (Sweden, Denmark, Finland) has the most positive perception of the justice system, with 44% of respondents saying that the judiciary is independent. At the opposite pole, respondents in Southern Europe (Spain, Italy, Greece) and Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) have the highest levels of skepticism: only 26% and 27% of citizens respectively believe that the judiciary is independent.
The countries most critical of the justice system are Spain, Poland and Italy. In Spain, for example, 21% of those surveyed perceive the judiciary as independent, while 74% see it as politically influenced. In Poland, too, the percentages do not differ much. Thus 29% of Poles consider the judiciary to be independent, while 63% say it is politically influenced. In Italy, the percentages are similar to those in Poland. 29% of Italians have a positive perception of the judiciary, while 63% have a negative one. In Germany and France, people’s views of the justice system are more balanced, but even there the majority of citizens tend to see justice as politically conditioned (controlled).
According to the ECR poll, voters of center and center-left parties, such as the Greens (Greens), Renew Europe (RE) and the Party of European Socialists (S&D), have a more favorable perception: Greens: 47% perceive the judiciary as independent, S&D: 43%, RE: 48%. At the opposite pole, voters of far-right parties such as the “Patriots” (Rassemblement National, Vox, Fidesz) and “Europe of Sovereign Nations (ESN)” are much more skeptical: Only 23% of ESN voters and 27% of Patriots’ voters believe that the judiciary is independent. Some 71% of ESN voters believe justice is politically conditioned, as do 68% of Patriots. This polarization suggests that trust in the judiciary is influenced by political ideology, being stronger among pro-European voters and weaker among Eurosceptic or nationalist voters.
EU citizens’ trust in the justice system
ECR respondents were also asked how much confidence they have in the judiciary in their own country. The results show a society split in two. Some 46% of respondents said they trusted the judiciary (“very much” – 10%, “somewhat” – 36%). On the other side of the divide, 50% of citizens said they did not trust the judiciary (“a little” – 34%, “not at all” – 16%) and 4% did not know how to answer. The highest level of trust in the judiciary is found in the Nordic EU countries with 56%. Confidence gradually falls to 55% in Germany and 43% in France. At the opposite pole, the countries with the lowest level of trust are Spain where only 37% of citizens trust the judiciary, the EEC with 35% and Italy with 45%. Left-wing voters (Greens, S&D) tend to be more trusting (up to the 60% threshold), while radical right-wing voters (Patriots, ESN) are deeply distrustful (only 29-35% say they trust the judiciary).
Relations between European parties and Donald Trump
The ECR poll also included a question on which European parties are perceived to have the best relations with US President Donald Trump. The Patriots and ESN are considered closest to Donald Trump, followed by the ECR: Patriots (Rassemblement National, Vox, Fidesz) – 26%, Europe of Sovereign Nations (AFD, Reconquete) – 24% . ECR – European Conservatives and Reformists (Fratelli d’Italia, PiS) – 17%. The other parties are well below these percentages: EPP (CDU, Spanish People’s Party) – only 8%, Left-wing parties (Die Linke, Syriza, LFI) – between 4-5%, Greens and Socialists – 3-4%. It should also be noted that a rather significant percentage of those interviewed, 38%, did not know how to answer.
Analyzing the survey data by country shows that there are major differences. Thus, in Northern Europe and CEE, the scores are much lower at under 20%. Spain: 53% of respondents identify the Vox (Patriots) party as close to Trump, France: 37% point to Rassemblement National, Germany: 41% say AFD (ESN) has the best relations and Italy: 38% mention Fratelli d’Italia (ECR) as close to Donald Trump. Even left-wing voters recognize the closeness between the European populist right and Trump. 30% of GUE/NGL voters think the Patriots are close to Trump. 33% of Green voters say the same about ESN. However, ECR Party supporters are the ones who most clearly identify their party’s closeness to the US President: 34% of them say the ECR has the best relationship with Trump. Donald Trump is an influential figure in the European political imaginary, and nationalist and far-right parties are clearly perceived as closest to his political style and vision. However the high level of “don’t know” (38%) on European relations with Trump indicates a lack of information or interest on the part of a large part of the population, which may have consequences for political mobilization. Trust in and perception of judicial independence varies considerably by region and political orientation. Northern European countries are the most confident, while the south and east of the EU show deep skepticism towards the judiciary. Ideological polarization is evident: progressive and pro-European voters tend to have more trust in the judiciary, while Eurosceptic voters perceive it as politically influenced.
Romanians’ perception of judicial independence
According to the ECR survey, only 28% of respondents in Romania believe that the judiciary is independent. This is significantly below the European average of 36%. Of the Romanians who consider the judiciary to be independent, only 7% see it as “completely independent” and 21% as “mostly independent”. On the other hand, 65% of Romanians believe that the judiciary is influenced by politics. In this context, 40% think it is “partially conditioned”, while 25% say it is “completely influenced by the political class”. These figures show a structural distrust in the Romanian judicial system. This mistrust is associated with the numerous judicial scandals in recent years, the perception of a selective fight against corruption, but also with politicians’ interventions in judicial appointments or in the reform of justice laws.
In terms of trust in the judicial system, Romania has a low level of trust in justice. Only 39% of respondents said they trust the judiciary (“very much” – 8%, “somewhat” – 31%), 56% say they do not trust it (“a little” – 36%, “not at all” – 20%) and 5% do not have an answer. This puts Romania below the European average of 46% and closer to countries such as Poland, Italy and Spain, where perceptions of the judicial system are equally negative. This lack of trust may have the following implications: a decrease in civic participation and cooperation with state institutions, support for political parties that promise to “reform justice” in an authoritarian or populist way, and a weakening of democracy and the rule of law.
In Romania, voters of center-right (PNL – affiliated to the EPP) and center-left (PSD – affiliated to the S&D) parties have a mixed perception of justice. PSD voters tend to have less trust in the judiciary, probably as an effect of their experience with corruption cases and the perception of a “selective” justice system. PNL voters are slightly more optimistic, but not significantly different. AUR voters are overwhelmingly critical of justice. Over 70% of AUR supporters believe that the Romanian judiciary is politically controlled. Only 19% of AUR sympathizers say they trust the judiciary, which is extremely low. This kind of perception supports populist anti-system rhetoric, which portrays the judiciary as a tool of the “parallel state” or corrupt elites.
The lack of public trust in the Romanian justice system may contribute to the rise of Eurosceptic or nationalist parties that promise to “clean up the system”. Mainstream parties need to strengthen their pro-European message, focused on the rule of law and transparency, if they want to regain voters’ trust. Associating with controversial international figures such as Donald Trump may mobilize hard core voters, but it isolates Romania in Europe, where such sympathies are problematic in the context of the global crisis. Romania is, unfortunately, following the negative European trend in terms of the perception of justice – but in a more accentuated form. The low level of trust and the strongly negative perception of the independence of the judiciary reflect the still unhealed wounds of the post-communist transition, the failures in reforming the justice system, and the influence of polarizing political discourse. If these trends continue, they may undermine not only Romanian democracy, but also Romania’s position in the EU, especially as the rule of law becomes an essential criterion for the allocation of European funds and for integration into the EU bloc’s major decisions.
How do Romanians perceive the relationship with Donald Trump?
32% of Romanians perceive AUR as the party closest to President Donald Trump. Another 12 percent of Romanians point to the PMP as having affinities with Trump. Only 7 percent see a closeness between the PNL (EPP) and Trump, and less than 5 percent see a link between the PSD and the image of the American president. On the other hand, 45% of respondents did not know how to answer, which shows a relative disconnection of Romanian public opinion from international politics – a constant in many polls. However, Donald Trump’s image in Romania is still positive in certain circles, especially among the conservative, religious or anti-globalist electorate – an electorate captured by AUR. The figure of Trump is seen as a symbol of the fight against elites, the promotion of traditional values, the defiance of international rules.