We are pleased to announce that the TRUEDEM project has participated in the 2025 ECPR General Conference, taking place in Thessaloniki, Greece. As part of our ongoing research on political trust in European democracies, TRUEDEM presented two dedicated panels that showcase both quantitative and qualitative findings from the project’s first phase. We warmly invite all colleagues, scholars, and attendees to join our sessions and engage with our work.

Panel 1: Political Trust in European Democracies: Drivers, Challenges, and Solutions

Date & Time: Thursday, 28 August 2025, 08:30–10:15 EEST
Full details: https://ecpr.eu/Events/Event/PanelDetails/16039

This panel presents first results from the 2023–2025 TRUEDEM project, funded by the Horizon Europe programme. It explores the drivers, consequences, and potential solutions for declining political trust in European democracies. Topics include political trust and support for democracy; attitudes toward immigration and institutional trust; media environments and information flows; participation of “populist citizens” in democratic innovations; framing of immigration discourse in EU parliamentary debates. The panel highlights the double-edged nature of trust: essential for democratic legitimacy, but also potentially exploited in times of democratic backsliding. It further discusses how institutional reforms and participatory innovations can rebuild trust across Europe.

Panel 2: Relational Dimensions of Trust in European Democracies

Date & Time: Tuesday, 26 August 2025, 10:45–12:30 EEST
Full details: https://ecpr.eu/Events/Event/PanelDetails/16040

This panel draws on qualitative research conducted within the TRUEDEM project, focusing on the relational and discursive dimensions of trust. Through case studies from France, Austria, Greece, and other European countries, the panel explores: how citizens and political elites perceive each other’s roles and responsibilities; civil society perspectives on trust, legitimacy, and accountability; framing of political trust in public discourse; social media and its impact on trust perceptions; institutional credibility and trustworthiness from a qualitative lens. Findings are based on interviews, focus groups, and consultations with key stakeholders, offering an in-depth view of how trust is built, challenged, and negotiated in contemporary democratic settings.

These two sessions reflect the core ambition of the TRUEDEM project: to provide innovative, evidence-based insights into the nature of political trust in Europe, and to develop practical strategies for enhancing trust in democratic governance.

Haerpfer, C. (2025). Political Trust and Support for Democracy in Europe. Paper presented at the ECPR General Conference, Thessaloniki, Greece. 

Kanellopoulos, K., Yfanti, A., & Sotiropoulos, D. A. (2025). Political Trust and Attitudes Towards Immigration: Analysing Data from Countries Across Europe. Paper presented at the ECPR General Conference, Thessaloniki, Greece. 

Kafe, A. (2025). Framing Trust in Immigration Discourse: A Comparative Analysis of EU Parliamentary Proceedings. Paper presented at the ECPR General Conference, Thessaloniki, Greece.

Kizilova, K. (2025). Information Environment, Media Use, and Political Trust. Paper presented at the ECPR General Conference, Thessaloniki, Greece. 

Palt, C. (2025). Trust as a Political “Currency”: How Political Elites and Representatives of CSOs Describe the State of Political Trust and its Changes. The Case of Austria. Paper presented at the ECPR General Conference, Thessaloniki, Greece. 

Batko, K. (2025). Shaping Trust: The Drivers of Political System and Institutional Credibility in Poland. Paper presented at the ECPR General Conference, Thessaloniki, Greece. 

Cabada, L., & Šárovec, D. (2025, August). Trust in Political Institutions Through the Lens of Politicians: The Case of the Czech Republic. Paper presented at the ECPR General Conference, Thessaloniki, Greece. 

Kafe, A., Kanellopoulos, K., & Yfanti, A. (2025). Dynamics of Political (Dis)Trust: A Qualitative Exploration of Public Attitudes in Greece. Paper presented at the ECPR General Conference, Thessaloniki, Greece. 

Vilagi, A. (2025). From Posts to Perceptions: Social Media and Political Trustworthiness. Paper presented at the ECPR General Conference, Thessaloniki, Greece.