【By Observer Net, Wang Yi】According to a report by Politico Europe on November 14, a public opinion survey covering major Western countries shows that Western voters are concerned about the threats facing the democratic system, worrying that extremist parties, fake news and corruption will undermine elections.

The international well-known polling firm Ipsos conducted a survey from September 12 to 29 among more than 9,800 voters from nine countries: the United Kingdom, France, the United States, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Croatia, the Netherlands and Poland.

The survey results show that on average, 45% of respondents expressed "dissatisfaction" with the operation of democracy in their country. Except for Sweden, most countries' citizens are worried that the democratic political system will face risks in the next five years. Voters who identify themselves as extreme left or right in the political spectrum are more likely to believe that "democracy is failing".

From the national perspective, 86% and 80% of respondents in France and Spain, respectively, are worried about the future of democracy in their countries, which are the two highest proportions, followed successively by the UK (75%), Poland (75%), the Netherlands (74%), Croatia (73%), the US (69%), and Italy (64%). Only Sweden has a proportion below half, at 41%.

Ipsos

These respondents believe that the main risks facing democracy include misinformation, corruption, lack of accountability for politicians, and the rise of extremist politics.

French and Dutch voters have seen a significant decline in satisfaction with democracy over the past year. The French government collapsed several times due to budget crises, while the Dutch coalition government broke up earlier this year and held elections in October.

In the nine countries surveyed, none had more than half of the voters who believed that their government could effectively represent their views. In Croatia and the UK, only 23% of respondents approved of their governments "representing them," the lowest in all surveyed countries.

Except for Poland, where voter turnout in the presidential election was significantly higher this year, more people in other countries believe that the country's democracy has deteriorated over the past five years. 61% of US voters believe that democracy has worsened since 2020.

Politico Europe noted that this survey was released at a time when global concerns about the regression of democracy are increasing. According to a recent report submitted to the G20, global wealth inequality is fueling support for extremist parties, weakening public debate, and providing fertile ground for the spread of authoritarianism.

This week, the European Commission announced a plan to strengthen the democratic resilience of member states. However, critics point out that its measures to combat election interference are insufficient, and the participation mechanism within the EU is not mandatory. In the past year, multiple European countries, from Romania to Germany, have found signs of spreading false information and interfering in elections.

"The public is deeply concerned about the operation of the democratic system, especially feeling that they are not adequately represented by the national government," said Gideon Skinner, senior political director at Ipsos UK. "The issues that the public are most concerned about are the impact of fake news, misinformation, lack of accountability for politicians, and extremism. In most countries, people hope to see more thorough changes."

The survey shows that the public generally supports taking action to protect democracy, especially through measures such as enacting and strictly enforcing anti-corruption regulations, maintaining judicial independence, strengthening civic education in schools, and regulating fake news and hate speech on social media.

This article is an exclusive article by Observer Net. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7572598985647538707/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author. Please express your attitude by clicking the [Up/Down] buttons below.