56 percent of the population trust their mayor, according to a new survey. Although confidence in local leaders has fallen slightly, it is still very high, Alfred Riedl, president of the Austrian Association of Municipalities, said Thursday.
In the run-up to the Municipal Day on June 29 and 30, the Association of Municipalities commissioned a study into the subjects of trust in politics, aid to Ukraine and the mood in the municipalities.
Community cohesion not improved since pandemic
Between 8 and 13 June, a total of about 1,700 people were interviewed across Austria. Twelve percent said cohesion in their community had improved since the start of the pandemic. In December last year, only seven percent shared this opinion. But 27 percent also say that the handling has become harder (-10 percentage points compared to December 2021). 56 percent of the respondents were satisfied with their mayor. That is less than in February 2021 and April 2020 (both 61 percent), but more than before the pandemic in December 2018 (52 percent).
When asked whether they had the most confidence in local, state, federal or EU policies, 42 percent said they would trust their community. 19 percent would most likely trust state politics, 10 in EU politics and only 7 percent most likely in federal politics.
82 percent of those surveyed trust politics and parties “less” or “not at all”, while 67 percent trust a mutual willingness to help in their home communities.
Support for Ukrainians
They also asked for help for displaced persons from Ukraine. 62 percent of people believed that refugee housing worked well. 51 percent still see the need for action in expanding alternative energy sources.
Municipal day on June 29 and 30
On the 68th Community Day in Wels on June 29 and 30, approximately 2000 community representatives are expected. In addition to Governor Thomas Stelzer (ÖVP), Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen, Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) and several other government members will also participate in the event. In addition to the themes of childcare and assistance for Ukraine, Riedl also likes to talk about transparency. Here the communities were often presented as “brakes”. “One thing is clear: we are not opaque. We just don’t want excessive bureaucracy,” Riedl emphasized.
Source: Krone
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