A recent poll conducted by the Center for Public Opinion Research (Centrum pro výzkum veřejného mínění – CVVM) revealed a decline in Czechs’ trust in various international organizations. Trust in the European Union (EU) dropped from 58% to 46% compared to the previous year, while trust in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the United Nations (UN) also experienced significant decreases, down to 56% and 52% respectively.
The survey, conducted by CVVM between late March and late May of this year, indicated that trust in the UN, NATO, and the EU is closely interconnected. People who trust one of these organizations are more likely to trust the other two as well, although the link between trust in the EU and the UN is slightly weaker compared to the connection between NATO and the EU.
Distrust in the EU prevailed over trust in this year’s survey, with half of the respondents answering negatively. 4% of participants indicated they did not know. Additionally, 36% expressed mistrust in NATO, while 37% lacked trust in the UN. These figures represent an 11 percentage point decrease from the previous year. In July of the previous year, 67% of Czechs trusted NATO, and 63% placed their trust in the United Nations.
The Center for Public Opinion Research noted that the trust levels in the UN and NATO have returned to those observed in 2020 and 2021. From 2003 to 2011, confidence in the EU among Czech citizens remained around 55%, with a peak of 64% in 2004 and a significant drop in 2007. Notably, trust in the EU experienced the most substantial decline in 2012 and 2016, reaching 40% and 37% respectively, which the study authors attribute to economic and migration crises. Last year, trust levels saw a significant increase, but this year they have fallen back to 2017 levels.
Regarding NATO, the least trustworthy period was between 2003 and 2009, while trust in the organization equaled that of the EU in 2010 and slightly surpassed it in subsequent years until 2020. In the previous year’s survey, trust levels in the UN, NATO, and the EU were nearly equal. The UN has historically been the most trusted organization among those surveyed, although trust declined from a record high of 70% in 2004 to 55% in 2007. Trust in the UN fluctuated over the years but reached 68% in 2015.
CVVM conducted the survey between March 27 and May 22 of this year, gathering responses from 834 individuals aged 15 and older.
