In research conducted in 38 countries, the Pew Research Center found that “a deepening anxiety about the future of democracy around the world has spread over the past few years. Emboldened autocrats and rising populists have shaken assumptions about the future trajectory of liberal democracy, both in nations where it has yet to flourish and countries where it seemed strongly entrenched.”
In response to the question of satisfaction with the way democracy is working in their country, 53% of Hungarians responded that they are “not satisfied.” This compares to dissatisfaction levels among Poles and Russians of 44% and 36%, respectively, according to data published by Hungarian current affairs magazine hvg.hu. After the Brexit vote in the United Kingdom, 47% of British respondents said they are not satisfied with democracy, while much greater numbers of Spaniards and Greeks – 74% and 79%, respectively – declared their dissatisfaction.
As for how much nationals trust their government to do what is right for the country, the results showed that only 9% of Hungarians responded “a lot” and 48% “somewhat.”
By contrast in West European countries, distrust towards governments is much stronger: only 1% of Italians, 3% of French and 5% of Spaniards believe “a lot” that their leaders do what is right for the country. The U.K. and Poland stand at 14%, while Russia is at 20% on the trust scale.
The Pew Research Center, based in Washington, D.C., describes itself as “a non-partisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world.”
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