A total of 78% of Ukrainians do not trust state agencies and officials, the latest poll showed, conducted by the Razumkov Center and the Ilko Kucheriv Democratic Initiatives Foundation, according to an UNIAN correspondent.
Level of trust in government agencies
Some 36.5% of respondents have no trust in government and officials. Another 41.2% say they "rather don't trust" them, while 13.3% and 1.4% are more likely to or completely trust government, respectively. It is the state agencies in general that have the highest trust-distrust balance of 63%.
Read alsoLatest poll updates Zelensky, Poroshenko's popular ratings"The fact that the leaders of distrust are the state agencies in general (78%) indicates poor communication between government agencies and the public, which leads to a negative assessment of the authorities, except for those structures that ensure country's defense and citizens' safety (the Armed Forces, the State Border Guard Service, the National Guard of Ukraine, and the State Emergency Service)," sociologists said.
Ukrainians' attitudes toward authorities: background
The Razumkov Center notes there is a downward trend in the level of people's trust in the authorities. In December 2019, 51.5% of respondents expressed no confidence in the Cabinet of Ministers, while 72% did not trust it in July 2020. The Verkhovna Rada had 54% and 75% trust, respectively, while president had 31% and 49%, respectively.
"While the 'autumn 2019 - spring 2020' political season began with a rapid rise in trust in the authorities, the start of the 'autumn 2020 - spring 2021' season is seeing a drop in trust," reads the report.
Level of distrust in judiciary, law enforcement
According to the poll, people generally distrust the judicial system as a whole (77.5%), the Supreme Court (69%), and local courts (67.5%). The prosecutor's office sees 73% distrust, the National Anti-corruption Bureau of Ukraine has 73%, the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office has 70.5%, the High Anti-Corruption Court has 70%, and the National Agency for Corruption Prevention has 70%.
Read alsoAlmost 40% of Ukrainian millennials report "constant anxiety" about futureAmong law enforcement agencies, distrust in the police and the SBU Security Service of Ukraine is expressed less often (although it also prevails over trust). Some 58% of respondents do not trust the National Police (against 33% who trust them), the patrol police (54% and 35%, respectively), and the SBU (56% and 31%).
Some 71% of respondents do not trust political parties, while about 50% do not trust trade unions.
Whom Ukrainians trust most
Most often, citizens of Ukraine express confidence in the Armed Forces of Ukraine (65%), church (63%), volunteer organizations (63%), the State Emergency Service (53%), volunteer battalions (53%), the State Border Guard Service (52%), Ukrainian media (50%), the National Guard (49%), and NGOs (47%).
Distrust in all other institutions is expressed more often than trust.
The poll: details
The survey was conducted from July 3 to July 9 through face-to-face interviews. Some 2,022 adult respondents were polled in all regions of Ukraine except Crimea and other Russia-occupied parts of Ukraine, namely certain districts in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The margin of error does not exceed 2.3%.
