Local politicians enjoy more voter’s trust

The trust of common people on politicians has seen a significant rise in the wake of the April 9 municipal polls, reported a survey commissioned by the Municipal Development Foundation.

The survey results also showed that the voters of Kansallinen Kokoomus (National Coalition Party) were most confident on their leaders, while the voters’ confidence level on the Perussuomalaiset (Finns Party) leaders was very low.

Fifty-two per cent of the respondents said they were very confident or quite confident of their municipal decision-makers. Over one-third, 36 per cent, said they didn’t trust their leaders much or at all.

TNS Gallup carried out the survey one week after the elections, on April 14 to 18. The organisation in its previous survey in December 16 found only 33 per cent of the respondents had good faith in Finland’s and EU’s decision-makers.

This survey report said local politicians are more trusted than the regional, national or EU decision-makers. Only one-quarter of the respondents said they were very confident or quite confident in European Union leaders. The Suomen Keskusta (Centre Party) and the Kokoomus had the major share of trust in their local and national leaders, while supporters of the Finns Party were very distrusting.

Twenty-three per cent of the respondents said they didn’t have any confidence in the national leaders, while 53 per cent said they didn’t trust them much.

In particular, supporters who voted for the opposition Suomen Sosialidemokraattinen Puolue (Social Democratic Party of Finland-SDP), Vasemmistoliitto (Left Alliance) and Vihreä Liitö (Green League) showed a distinct lack of confidence in the national-level politicians.