While the image values of Austrian politicians are declining, the reputation of the institutions in Austria is still good. This is evident from the current APA/OGM trust index. Only political levels such as the federal government, parliament and state governments had to accept significant losses compared to last year’s survey. The police are stable at the top, ahead of the army, which has clearly gained recognition.
For the current trust index, 933 people were asked whether they trust an institution or not. The balance of this results in a value of plus 55 for the police and plus 52 for the army, followed by the Chamber of Commerce with 50.
Army with the strongest image gain
All three see an image gain compared to July 2021, with the military being the strongest with an increase of 20, which OGM boss Wolfgang Bachmayer sees in connection with the war in Ukraine. Universities, the Constitutional Court, the Court of Auditors, schools and the Federal President follow in the following places.
The office in the Hofburg is not free from the general negative mood towards politicians. The current balance of 32 is well below the 41 of the previous year, although Bachmayer sees the first effects of the Hofburg election campaign here.
Federal government crashed in last place
Yet the Federal President enjoys much more respect than the state and federal governments. The first plummeted from plus 14 to minus two. The federal government even dropped from minus 17 to minus 34, putting it at the bottom of the list of 31 institutions, and thus well behind the opposition, which has a balance of minus eleven.
Continued trust in local politics
A year ago, the last position was in the hands of insurance companies. In the meantime, however, they have also overtaken the editorial media, which are second to last with a value of minus 31. In the political field, there is one exception. People continue to trust local politics in Austria. There was even a minimal plus on the value of plus 22.
It is unknown if it has anything to do with the Vorarlberg business association affair, but unlike the workers’ representatives, the Chamber of Commerce has experienced a real crash this year. Confidence in her dropped from plus twelve to minus one. The Federation of Industrialists is clearly even worse at minus 16.
Church can’t get rid of her bad reputation
The debates about the judiciary had little impact on her image. After plus nine in the previous year, it has even risen to plus twelve. However, the Catholic Church cannot shake off its currently moderate reputation and is just ahead of the insurance companies at minus 27. The EU also lost a lot of confidence, falling from minus five to minus 18. Bachmayer thinks he sees a connection with the disagreement over sanctions against Russia.
OGM boss Bachmayer generally sees the result as positive. Two-thirds of the surveyed institutions achieved positive trust values.
Source: Krone
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