Survey: Estonians Still Trust Rescuers and Cops, Trust in EU Declining
Results of a recent poll indicate that society still has a high degree of trust for state institutions whose members wear uniforms. NGOs gained most in a year, while the EU and the president slipped most down the trust scale.
The survey, ordered by ERR and conducted in November by pollster Turu-uuringute AS, found that the Rescue Board was still society's most trusted institution.
Combining the poll's “full confidence” and “mostly trust” categories, the Rescue Board came in at 94 percent, while the Police and Border Guard Board was trusted by 84 percent and the Defense Forces by 80 percent, ETV reported.
Estonian Public Broadcasting came in fourth right after the institutions whose members use sirens and/or carry guns, with 77 percent. Private broadcasting networks and printed press both earned the trust of 61 percent.
Others who commanded the trust of the majority of respondents were the Tax and Customs Board (76 percent), the Bank of Estonia (75 percent), the Justice Chancellor (69 percent), the Defense League (69 percent) and the National Audit Office (67 percent).
Political parties, meanwhile, languished at just 30 percent, while Parliament's 44 percent trust figure actually rose five points from the previous year's survey. The president was one political figure who bucked the trend, coming in at 63 percent.
After the European Union (51 percent) that slipped 10 percentage points, the president was also the second biggest loser of public trust year on year, giving up 8 percent. The prime minister (44 percent) fell 5 points on the trust scale.
Non-governmental organizations (47 percent) gained the most, or 7 percent, since the last survey.
Steve Roman, Erkki Sivonen
