Dutch confidence in politics is at its lowest level in 10 years. Only 25% of over 15s trusted the House of Representatives, according to a survey by Statistics Netherlands. CBS chief economist Peter Hein van Mulligen calls this surprising, especially as trust in other institutions is at its relatively high pre-corona level.
In any case, Van Mulligen sees that trust in all types of institutions has declined slightly over the past year, but this is due to the fact that trust was very high during the corona crisis. Despite there being a correction, trust in politics is declining significantly faster. A quarter of people trust the House of Representatives, up from 40% before the coronavirus crisis. “This is also low by Dutch standards.”
Hit
According to Van Mulligen, the Netherlands is still a country where people generally have a lot of trust in other people and institutions, “so we can be beaten in that respect.” The chief economist thinks this has to do with the many painful dossiers that have flooded the country in recent years, such as the Supplements scandal, Groningen and the nitrogen dossier.
“This is very low by Dutch standards”
It is extraordinary that trust in institutions has returned to a reassuring pre-coronavirus level. Think healthcare, police, judges and churches. Trust in the latter is consistently at 30%, while three-quarters of Dutch people say they trust judges, the police and healthcare. A high level of trust compared to international standards.
Rally around the flag
According to the chief economist, confidence has increased significantly in 2020 and 2021, refers to what sociologists rally around the flagEffect: People rally around the leader in times of need. “That has created more confidence, but now the corona virus is back and that too has a somewhat reassuring effect.”
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Also noteworthy is the fact that trust in other human beings has increased. “We see that trust in other human beings has been growing for years.” Ten years ago, just over half of the Dutch trusted their fellow humans, now it’s two out of three. “A considerable increase.” A possible explanation? Educational level. This has only increased in the Netherlands in recent years, and the more educated people have, the more trust they often have in each other.
Source: BNR
Fernando Dowling is an author and political journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. He has a deep understanding of the political landscape and a passion for analyzing the latest political trends and news.
