Trust in European Democracies  Online Survey in 24 Countries

In June-July 2025, the TRUEDEM project conducted a cross-national online survey on political trust and democratic attitudes in 24 EU member states. The countries included were Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden. In each country, around 1,200 respondents were interviewed, with 1,500 in France and Germany, resulting in nearly 29,000 participants in total. The national samples were designed to reflect the demographic structure of each population, ensuring comparability across countries.

The questionnaire covers a broad range of themes related to democracy and trust. It measures confidence in parliaments, governments, political parties, the judiciary, the European Union, and international organizations, alongside perceptions of competence, fairness, accountability, and integrity. Respondents were asked to assess government performance in areas such as the economy, healthcare, security, and the environment, and to express their levels of satisfaction with democracy both nationally and at the EU level.

Beyond institutional trust, the survey explores political orientations and values, ideological positions, support for populism, and perceptions of polarization. It examines different forms of political participation, including voting, protest, and online engagement, as well as media use, exposure to misinformation, civic knowledge, political efficacy, and support for democratic norms and civil liberties. To complement these modules, the survey also included survey experiments examining how issue framing and context influence citizens’ perceptions of trust.

The TRUEDEM survey provides a detailed, comparable dataset on how Europeans evaluate their institutions, leaders, and democratic systems in 2025, offering a valuable basis for research and policy reflection. Survey questionnaire can be accessed here; the dataset will be made available for the public shortly.

The 2025 TRUEDEM Online Survey 2025 measured public trust in various political institutions: respondents were asked about their confidence in the head of state, the judiciary, elections, parliaments, governments, the armed forces, regional authorities, and political parties. The results show that levels of trust vary sharply across Europe. In the Nordic countries (Sweden, Denmark, and Finland), confidence in institutions is generally high, with over 70 percent expressing trust in the judiciary, elections, or the armed forces. In Western Europe, trust is more uneven: Germany and Belgium record relatively strong confidence in some institutions, while in France levels are much lower, especially toward parties and regional authorities.

In Southern Europe, trust is weaker overall. In Greece and Romania, fewer than one in three respondents express confidence in most political institutions. Spain and Italy record somewhat higher trust in heads of state and elections, but political parties remain among the least trusted institutions. In Central and Eastern Europe, patterns are mixed. Poland shows strong confidence in the armed forces and national government, while Bulgaria, Slovakia, and Slovenia report low levels across most institutions. By contrast, the Baltic states—particularly Estonia and Lithuania—stand out with higher levels of trust in the judiciary and armed forces.

Across all 24 countries, political parties consistently attract the lowest levels of trust, rarely exceeding one third of the population. In contrast, the armed forces and judiciary are the most trusted institutions, often reaching confidence levels above 70 percent. Parliaments and governments occupy a middle position, with significant variation across countries. These findings underline the diversity of institutional trust in Europe, highlighting both areas of resilience and ongoing challenges for democratic legitimacy.

The survey measured confidence in social institutions. Respondents were asked about their trust in civil society organizations, labor unions, banks and corporations, and the church. The results show clear regional patterns. In the Nordic countries — Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and the Netherlands — trust in civil society organizations and labor unions is particularly high, often exceeding 70 percent. By contrast, in countries such as Romania, Slovenia, and Greece, fewer than half of respondents report confidence in these institutions. Trust in banks and corporations is more moderate, with higher figures in Northern Europe and lower levels in Southern and Eastern Europe. Confidence in the church varies most strongly: majorities in Poland, Hungary, and Lithuania express trust, while in Czechia and Slovenia only around one in five respondents do so. Across Europe as a whole, civil society organizations consistently receive more public trust than banks, corporations, or the church, while labor unions attract strong support mainly in Northern Europe. These results suggest that while social institutions often enjoy higher levels of confidence than political parties or parliaments, their legitimacy remains uneven and closely shaped by national context.

The survey also measured confidence in supranational institutions: the European Commission, the European Parliament, the European Council, and the United Nations. Overall, levels of trust in EU institutions vary widely across member states. In Portugal, Ireland, and Lithuania, more than 60 percent of respondents express confidence in the European Commission and the European Parliament. By contrast, in France, Slovenia, and Romania, fewer than 40 percent do so. Trust in EU institutions is generally higher in Northern and some Western European countries, while lower levels are recorded in parts of Southern and Eastern Europe. Confidence in the United Nations shows a similar pattern, though with slightly higher averages. Around two thirds of respondents in Denmark, Sweden, Portugal, and Hungary report trust in the UN, compared to fewer than one third in Slovenia. Across Europe, trust in supranational institutions is strongest where confidence in domestic institutions is also higher, particularly in the Nordic countries. At the same time, in several member states trust in the UN surpasses that of the EU institutions, underlining the importance of global as well as European actors in shaping citizens’ perceptions of governance.

The survey also explored patterns of interpersonal and social trust. Respondents were asked how much they trust neighbors, employers, people they meet for the first time, people of another nation, people of another religion, and supporters of other political parties. Trust in neighbors and employers is relatively high in many countries, particularly in Northern and Western Europe, where around three quarters of respondents report confidence. In Southern and Eastern Europe, however, levels are more uneven, with fewer than half expressing trust in these groups in countries such as Greece, Romania, and Bulgaria.

Confidence in strangers—people met for the first time—is markedly lower and highly variable across the region. In Denmark, Sweden, and the Netherlands, close to half of respondents report trust in people they meet for the first time, while in Romania, Bulgaria, and Slovenia fewer than one third do so. Attitudes toward people of another nation and another religion also differ considerably. In the Nordic states, around 70 percent or more of respondents report confidence in people from other groups, while in Greece and Romania fewer than 40 percent do so. Trust in supporters of other political parties shows similar variation: it is highest in Ireland, Sweden, and the Netherlands, where more than 70 percent express confidence, and lowest in Romania and Slovenia, where fewer than one third do so.

These findings highlight the persistent divides across Europe in levels of openness toward strangers, minorities, and political outgroups, underscoring the role of social cohesion and polarization in shaping the broader environment of trust in European democracies.