“A large-scale international survey conducted by the Ipsos company has shown that almost half of voters in nine Western countries are disappointed with how democracy works in their countries.”, — write: www.pravda.com.ua
Illustrative photo: Getty Images Source: Politico with reference to the results of the study
Details: The survey, conducted by Ipsos between September 12 and 29, surveyed more than 9,800 voters in nine countries: Great Britain, France, the United States, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Croatia, the Netherlands and Poland. According to the data, an average of 45% of respondents in all the studied countries expressed dissatisfaction with how democracy works in their states.
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Gideon Skinner, senior director of political affairs at Ipsos in Great Britain, noted that there is widespread concern about the functioning of democratic institutions.
“People feel that their national governments do not represent their interests. Of particular concern are the influence of fake news, disinformation, lack of political accountability and extremism. In most countries, there is a desire for radical change,” he commented on the results for Politico.
The survey found that the most critical voters identify themselves as adherents of far-left or far-right political views. They are the ones who most often claim that the democratic system is failing.
Voters in France (86%) and Spain (80%) expressed the greatest concern about the future of democracy in the next five years. Among the biggest risks, the respondents named disinformation, corruption, lack of accountability of politicians and the strengthening of extremist politics. In the USA, 61% of respondents believe that the state of democracy in the country has worsened since 2020.
Sweden has become the only country in which the majority of citizens are satisfied with how democracy works. Instead, the lowest level of trust in government representation was recorded in Croatia and Great Britain, where only 23% of respondents agreed that the government effectively represents their interests. In addition, in Croatia, 51% of respondents said that it is worth preserving democracy only if it provides a good quality of life.
The political events of the last year also affected the mood of the voters. For example, in France and the Netherlands, the level of satisfaction with democracy has significantly decreased against the background of government crises and the collapse of political coalitions. At the same time, in Poland, where presidential elections were held this year with a record turnout, the majority of respondents noted that the state of democracy has improved, not worsened, over the past five years.
Despite the disappointment, the majority of respondents continue to support democratic ideals. Respondents called for concrete steps to protect democracy, including strengthening anti-corruption legislation, protecting the independence of the judiciary, improving the quality of education, and regulating social media to combat fake news and hate speech.