January 20, 2014
Europe’s public trust in government plunges
By Gary Silverman in New York
Public trust in government has plunged to alarmingly low
levels in France and many other leading European countries, creating fertile
recruiting grounds for populist political movements, according to research.
The annual Edelman Trust Barometer, to be presented to the
World Economic Forum, which starts in Davos this week, shows that faith in
government worldwide fell during the past year to some of the lowest levels
recorded since the eponymous public relations firm began the study in 2001.
Only 39 per cent of those surveyed among the world’s general
public said they trusted government, down from 41 per cent the previous year.
Among the wealthier, better-educated people that Edelman calls the “informed
public”, the trust level fell to 44 per cent – just shy of the low of 43 per
cent – from 48 per cent.
Notable declines in trust in government were registered
everywhere from the US to Hong Kong. But the crisis of confidence appeared
particularly acute in western European countries with weak economies.
Among the informed public, trust in government fell from 49
per cent to 32 per cent in France, from 35 to 24 per cent in Italy and 20 to 18
per cent in Spain. For the general public, government trust levels fell from 33
to 20 per cent in France, from 21 to 18 per cent in Italy and 19 to 14 per cent
in Spain.
Richard Edelman, chief executive of the PR firm, said the
low levels of trust in government in countries facing economic challenges could
herald a rise in populist political activity.
“I really worry about the general population throwing its
hands up,” he said. “We saw some of this in developing countries this past
year. We saw riots in Turkey, Brazil and South Africa.”
A more wide-ranging distrust of elites in Europe was
revealed when the general public were asked who they would trust most to
provide company information in a crisis.
In Spain, 13 per cent said they would trust a chief
executive, while 41 per cent said they would put their faith in a company
employee. Those trust levels were 19 per cent and 39 per cent respectively in
France, and 18 per cent and 45 per cent respectively in Italy.
By contrast, 31 per cent of people in the US said they would
trust a chief executive most, while 29 per cent would put their faith in a
company employee.
Trust in government in the US fell from 53 per cent to 37
per cent among the informed public. The same measure fell in the UK from 47 per
cent to 42 per cent and rose in Germany from 48 per cent to 49 per cent.
Global faith in business remained steady. Fifty-eight per
cent of the informed public trusted business, the same as the previous year,
and 49 per cent of the general public trusted business, down from 50 per cent
the year before.
Sem comentários:
Enviar um comentário