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of the state’s development are encountered in the Czech<br />

Republic, Slovenia, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia. Estonia’s<br />

public opinion, which, previously, differed significantly<br />

from that of Latvia and Lithuania, has now become<br />

quite similar, and public opinion, in Ireland, is similar to<br />

all three of them.<br />

If we compare this, to the answers to the same questions<br />

five years ago (2007), when the effects of the crisis<br />

were yet to be felt, we see that, at that time, the assessments<br />

of development were clearly optimistic. There were<br />

more supporters for the direction of development of the<br />

country, than there were doubters, in Finland, Denmark<br />

and Austria, as well as Estonia, Ireland and Slovakia. Of<br />

course, there are also exceptions like Hungary, were the<br />

assessments of the developmental path were low, for a<br />

long time; or Latvia, where, five years ago, the direction of<br />

development was assessed even more pessimistically, but<br />

now the percentage of optimists has increased slightly.<br />

Generally, it can be said that the crisis made the citizens<br />

of all the European Union states think about the possibility<br />

of alternative development models.<br />

However, the important question is whether<br />

the search for these alternatives takes place in a constructive<br />

democratic atmosphere, where workable<br />

solutions are being sought, or the crisis mentality has<br />

deteriorated the belief in democracy, and this leads,<br />

not to new solutions, but to conflicts, which make it<br />

increasingly difficult to find solutions, and threaten the<br />

stability of the entire society.<br />

2.8.4<br />

Summary<br />

In conclusion, it can be said that trust in a state and its<br />

institutions is an important indicator, which expresses<br />

not only the reaction of the public to the events and<br />

scandals occurring in the state, but also reveals the public’s<br />

more general attitude toward democracy, and their<br />

satisfaction with the general direction of development<br />

in the state. Trust in the state’s institutions is reflected,<br />

indirectly, in society’s cohesion, and its capability to<br />

cope with conflicts and crises, Therefore, a decline in<br />

trust can be seen as a dangerous symptom of the reduction<br />

in that society’s stability. In international comparisons,<br />

we see the following clear differentiation: on the<br />

one hand, are the Nordic countries and some other old<br />

democracies, where trust in the government and political<br />

parties, and the general assessment of the functioning<br />

of democracy, has quite definitely endured the crisis;<br />

and on the other hand, are the countries, primarily in<br />

Central and Southern Europe, where the trustworthiness<br />

of the political system has suffered a serious decline as<br />

a result of the crisis, and therefore, the stability of the<br />

society has fallen into crisis. The fragility of the trust<br />

capital of young democracies is demonstrated by the<br />

Figure 2.8.7<br />

Assessment of the direction of development in Estonia<br />

and the reference countries, 2007 and 2012<br />

Development progressing in the right direction:<br />

2007 2012<br />

Development progressing in the wrong direction:<br />

2007 2012<br />

Percentage 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90<br />

Denmark<br />

Austria<br />

Finland<br />

Netherlands<br />

Ireland<br />

Estonia<br />

Latvia<br />

Poland<br />

Lithuania<br />

Slovakia<br />

Hungary<br />

Slovenia<br />

Czech Republic<br />

Percentage 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90<br />

Source: Eurobarometer 68 and 78<br />

trajectory of the former success stories of the Czech<br />

Republic and Slovenia, during and after the crisis, when<br />

trust in the government and political parties has been<br />

steadily declining, falling below 10% of the population.<br />

Compared to these countries, Estonia’s democratic<br />

institutions have maintained a relatively good reserve<br />

of political trust, although the decline, during the last<br />

few years, is also cause for concern in Estonia, and the<br />

assessment of the correctness of the country’s direction<br />

of development has decreased, more than twofold,<br />

within the last five years.<br />

References<br />

1. Public Opinion and National Defence poll – www.kmin.ee/et/<br />

avalik-arvamus<br />

2. Eurobarometer 68 – Eurobarometer 68: Autumn 2007.<br />

– ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/eb/eb68/eb68_en.pdf<br />

3. Eurobarometer 78 – Standard Eurobarometer 78: Autumn 2012.<br />

– ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/eb/eb78/eb78_first_en.pdf<br />

4. Lauristin, M., Vihalemm, P. (2011). “Satisfaction with the Outcomes<br />

of Baltic Transition in Spring 2011,” Estonian Human Development<br />

Report 2010/2011. Tallinn: Estonian Cooperation Assembly<br />

Estonian Human Development Report 2012/2013<br />

99

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