Ukrainians' trust in politicians dwindles. People are frustrated
1:14 PM EDT, November 1, 2023
The President, Government, and Supreme Council of Ukraine are witnessing a decline in national trust. Society is frustrated and exhausted due to the worsening situation in the country. Recent surveys from the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology reveal alarming statistics indicating a historically low level of trust in the leadership.
The data, gathered by the Kyiv institute in mid-October, was compared with results from a survey conducted three months after the Russian invasion. It appears that in May 2022, despite the looming threat of the neighboring country's aggression, Ukrainian society had complete faith in their political authorities.
However, after several grueling months of war, citizens are losing faith in their leaders. As reported by Interia, trust in the government of Denys Shmyhal has plummeted the most rapidly. Faith in the Prime Minister and ministers fell from 74 percent to 39, a decline of 35 percentage points.
The survey also bodes ill for the Supreme Council of Ukraine. Eighteen months ago, 58 percent of citizens expressed trust in parliament. Now, that number has dwindled to just 21 percent, marking a drop of 37 percentage points.
Despite the overall decline in trust, Ukrainians still hold the kindest views towards their president, Volodymyr Zelensky. Following the war's outbreak, an overwhelming 91 percent of society expressed trust in him, a record-breaking global figure. Eighteen months later, the figure is still remarkable, with 76 percent of citizens maintaining a positive view of the President.
Declining trust in Ukrainian politicians bears witness to citizens' disillusionment
"The level of trust in institutions indicates that citizens' criticism is currently primarily directed at the Government and the Supreme Council, somewhat less towards the President," comments Anton Grushetsky, Director of the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology.
The surveyors also inquired about public opinion on institutional support. This component of the study is favorable to the nation's protectors. Society continues to hold strong trust in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Since May 2022, the military's trust rating has only slipped by 2 percent, from 96 to 94 percent.
Experts comment that Ukrainians trust their military more than their leaders. Society believes that soldiers would perform even better on the frontlines if provided with adequate support from politicians. Current challenges involve inefficient local budget management and frequent incidents of corruption and embezzlement of funds by politicians.
