Study: Digitalization is seen as a key solution for efficiency and transparency

Our country's citizens want a modern state that works quickly, efficiently and without unnecessary trips to the counters, according to a recent study. Although three quarters of citizens have used online public services in the last year, the general perception is that digitalization is progressing much too slowly. These are the main conclusions of a study conducted by Edge Institute and AtlasIntel and presented at the Digital Governance Summit 2025, held at Cotroceni Palace under the High Patronage of the President of Romania. According to the survey, 76.4% of Romanians have used electronic services of public institutions in the last year, a percentage that shows a consistent interaction with the digitalization of the state. This high level of use allows citizens to directly assess the quality and limits of current digital systems. For most Romanians, digitalization means first and foremost eliminating trips to the counters. The most anticipated changes are: online submission of applications, without physical presence (68.7%); automatic circulation of documents between institutions (61.4%); interoperability of databases, which would eliminate repeatedly requested certificates (57.1%).

• The state is perceived as poorly digitized

Although people want simple and efficient services, the perception regarding the degree of digitization of public institutions remains a reserved one: 65% consider that the public sector is poorly digitized. In contrast, the quality of the internet in Romania and the digitization of private companies are evaluated much better, which suggests that the state is perceived as a lagging factor in technological progress.

Romanians identify obvious benefits of digitization: reduction of bureaucracy (65.3%); saving time (50.5%); faster access to information and services (48.7%). However, there are also concerns: the impact on vulnerable people (29.2%), the disappearance of jobs (28.3%) and excessive dependence on technology (28.1%). However, almost 73% of respondents consider digitalization to be a good or very good thing. Otherwise, 84% of Romanians consider that the pace of state digitalization is slow or very slow, a wave of dissatisfaction that highlights the discrepancy between expectations and reality. For citizens, digitalization is not just a technological option, but a vital element of modernizing the administration. The same perspective is also found in the fact that 75.8% of Romanians believe that the country needs major changes, a direct message to public institutions, perceived as insufficiently adapted to current needs.

• Corruption remains the big problem

The main concern of Romanians is still corruption: 77% of respondents indicate it as the main fear, surpassing structural problems such as education, health or inflation. In this context, digitalization appears as an essential tool: process automation, decision traceability, internal document circulation and reducing direct contact at counters are perceived as direct solutions for reducing abuses and increasing transparency. The level of trust in central institutions remains low:

Parliament: 53% no trust; Presidency: 51% no trust; Government: 45% no trust. City halls are somewhat better off, with a level of distrust of 39% and 24% trust. Responsibility for digital transformation is mainly attributed to: the Prime Minister and the Government (75.5%); Parliament (41.1%). Private institutions and the President are perceived as having a secondary role.

The presentation of the study was carried out by Robert Berza, executive director of Edge Institute, together with sociologist Barbu Mateescu and journalist Mihnea Măruţă. Berza highlighted the maturing of public perceptions regarding digitalization: "The data shows us that expectations are clear: Romanians want efficient public services, without unnecessary bureaucracy and a state that respects people's time. Digitalization is just the tool - the real stakes are trust.” The Edge Institute - AtlasIntel study was conducted on a representative sample of 2,240 adult respondents from Romania, through random digital recruitment.