Trust Sinks in Southern European Governments

Europe’s financial crisis has had a dramatic impact on residents’ confidence in their national governments. Nowhere has this been more evident than austerity-ravaged southern Europe. According to Gallup, less than one in five residents in Spain, Greece, Italy and Portugal have confidence in their national governments.

Back in 2008, 58 percent of people in Spain approved of the government. By 2013, this had plummeted to 18 percent. During the same period, confidence in the Greek government fell from 38 percent to just 14 percent.

Italy and Portugal have also been gripped by unemployment and harsh austerity measures. In Italy, confidence in the government stood at 36 percent in 2008. This figure fell to 15 percent in 2013. In Portugal confidence fell from 34 percent to 18 percent between 2008 and 2013.