A startling minority of Syrians have confidence in the new People’s Assembly’s ability to represent the people or influence the government’s decisions, according to a survey conducted by the Arab magazine Syria in Transition.
The poll was conducted only weeks before Syrian authorities announced the names of 70 lawmakers appointed to a transitional parliament by Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa. The 210-member chamber will wield limited power under a presidential ruling system established under Sharaa since he ousted former president Bashar al-Assad in 2024.
Interviewing 900 people across Damascus, Damascus Countryside, and Homs in mid-June 2026, the research found that only 14% of respondents believed that the assembly would represent the people, and only 10% thought it would influence government decisions. In contrast, 45% of people said that the body would not represent the people, though over a quarter (29%) explicitly said they didn’t care, even though they believed it wasn’t representative.
Notably, while efforts were made to ensure female representation, as well as representatives from certain sects, such as the Alawite community, Sharaa did not allow the selection of lawmakers for the predominantly Druze province of Sweida, saying that such a selection would take place only once “conditions become suitable.”
The majority of Syrian respondents (64%) said they couldn’t predict what influence the assembly would have, while 26% said they didn’t think it would have any weight on government decisions at all.
Those residing in wealthier areas generally had a more positive perspective (64%) on the rule of law than those in less economically stable communities (6%). Neighborhood wealth also strongly aligned with perceptions of safety, satisfaction with public services, and satisfaction with Syria’s economic situation.
While the country is still reconstructing its political identity, a majority of respondents (68%) said they wanted democratic values to be taught in schools, while 18% said they explicitly opposed such instruction.
Negotiations over violence in Sweida
Asked how they wanted the government to address issues in Sweida, where sectarian violence saw around 1,700 people murdered and hundreds abducted last year, and where tensions remain high with periodic outbreaks of violence, only 7% said they supported a military solution. Much more popular a resolution was a negotiated solution, supported by 67% of respondents.
Syrian respondents were far less certain when it came to the issue of integrating the formerly US-backed Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces. A majority of 63% said they were unaware of any developments when it came to the integration of SDF forces, while 16% said they didn’t believe Damascus resolved the issue. Only 21% believed that Damascus’s efforts had been a success.
Majority hold Moscow accountable for Assad
On the issue of holding Moscow accountable for supporting the Assad regime (Russia continues to host the former dictator since he was ousted), 53% said it should be held accountable for its backing, 10% refused to answer the question, 18% said they were unsure, and 19% explicitly stated that the Kremlin should not be responsible.