The way countries handled the Covid-19 pandemic had a major impact on people's trust in government and resulted in high levels of pandemic fatigue, a new report has found.
According to the OECD’s inaugural Survey on Drivers of Trust in Public Institutions, a little more than a third of respondents believe their government would not be prepared to respond to a future pandemic.
On a more positive note, nearly half (49.4 per cent) have faith that their government would be able to better handle the next health crises.
YouGov, on behalf of the OECD, polled about 50,000 residents in 22 countries to measure and better understand what drives people’s trust in public institutions.
The judiciary, the police, the civic service and some local governments tend to inspire more confidence than national governments, elected officials, political parties and parliament
Elsa Pilichowski,
OECD Directorate
While most OECD countries saw an increase in trust in government in 2020 around the start of the pandemic, by mid-2021 this trust had declined in many countries.
“The Covid-19 pandemic and the exceptional measures restricting civil liberties that were taken in many countries bluntly reminded decision-makers and institutions that citizens’ trust towards them and towards their decisions is vital to guarantee the functioning of our democratic societies,” said Xavier Bettel, Prime Minister of Luxembourg, during the launch of the report.
“If the majority of citizens trusted decision-makers and believed and followed decisions taken by them, the violent and irrational reactions of a tiny fraction of our citizens who lost trust gave us a glimpse of what the lack of trust implies.
“If this lack of trust in politicians persists on a longer-term [basis], we run the risk that it interferes with the institutions themselves, questioning their legitimacy and putting into danger the functioning of our democracies.”
The survey interviewed respondents in 13 of the 22 participating countries in November and December 2021. This corresponded with rising case counts in Europe and interventionist measures such as the closures of public places and the start of vaccine passes.
Across several countries, pandemic fatigue had already set in, especially in Asia where the pandemic has been going on the longest.
Lockdowns, vaccination drives and long-term strict public health protocols left people feeling frustrated with how the pandemic was handled, affecting their views on the government.
Per the report, few people see their government as responsive to their wants and needs, and many see high-level political officials as easily corruptible.
The OECD said governments must take a more holistic approach to building trust, focusing in particular on how to address perceptions of low government responsiveness and integrity.
This will help to “advance the pandemic recovery and help to address the significant policy challenges” countries face today.
As countries fight to emerge from the largest health, economic and social crisis in decades, they urgently need to invest in re-establishing trust to tackle the policy challenges ahead or it could be lost for good, Mr Bettel said.
Room for improvement
The Trust Survey was launched to help governments to understand better where citizen confidence is wavering, where it remains solid, and what needs to be done to close the gap.
Elsa Pilichowski, director of the OECD directorate for public governance, said overall, the results show that OECD countries are performing "reasonably well on average" in many measures of government. These include citizens’ perceptions of government reliability, service provision, and data openness.
“For the majority of participating countries, the survey was run somewhere between a year and a half and two years after the beginning of the pandemic and before the Russian invasion of Ukraine,” she said.
“The results vary considerably because of various cultural, social, institutional, and economic factors, but there's also the specific context of the country at the time when the survey was run and comparisons need to be made cautiously.
“Particularly because in some countries the proportion of people responding that they're neutral, or that they do not know is relatively high.”
Per the results, four out of 10 respondents said they trusted their governments, while four out of 10 said they did not.
Ms Pilichowski said the results showed trust was under strain, but “remained slightly higher on average than in the aftermath of the financial crisis in 2008”.
The survey revealed large variations across countries, with trust levels above 60 per cent in Finland and Norway and trust levels below 30 per cent in countries such as Australia, Colombia, France, Japan and Latvia.
“At a more granular level when we unpack the data, the judiciary, the police, the civic service and some local governments tend to inspire more confidence than national governments, elected officials, political parties and parliament,” Ms Pilichowski said.
“The first important message of the survey on the drivers of trust is that, on average, citizens in these countries are reasonably confident that they can rely on governments to deliver public services.
“The majority say they are satisfied with the healthcare and educational systems and satisfaction with administrative services is even higher, at 65 per cent for all, on average, across countries.
“I think we can say that this is a remarkable finding considering that the survey was conducted almost two years into the Covid-19 pandemic.”
Looking at the wider picture, more than two-thirds (65.1 per cent) of respondents said they can find information about administrative processes easily, and more than half (51.1 per cent) trust their government to use their personal data safely.
When it comes to national health care, a majority in most countries (61.7 per cent) say they are satisfied with services available to them.
Finland scored the highest on the healthcare scale, with more than 80 per cent of respondents satisfied with their provisions, with Belgium, Korea, Luxembourg and Norway close behind.
Looking at education, about six out of 10 people across all countries are happy with their education system, with those in tertiary education most satisfied.
Finland again came out on top, with more than 90 per cent of respondents from the country giving it the highest rating.
“More than half of respondents, on average cross-nationally, trust their government to use their personal data only for legitimate purposes, and about six in ten think they would be treated fairly if they applied for a benefit,” the report said.
The 22 countries featured in the survey were Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Ireland, Iceland, Japan, Korea, Latvia, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Sweden and the UK.
About 2,000 respondents were surveyed from each nation.
Pandemic safety rules and restrictions in Europe – in pictures
Company profile
Name: Steppi
Founders: Joe Franklin and Milos Savic
Launched: February 2020
Size: 10,000 users by the end of July and a goal of 200,000 users by the end of the year
Employees: Five
Based: Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai
Financing stage: Two seed rounds – the first sourced from angel investors and the founders' personal savings
Second round raised Dh720,000 from silent investors in June this year
I Care A Lot
Directed by: J Blakeson
Starring: Rosamund Pike, Peter Dinklage
3/5 stars
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
WORLD RECORD FEES FOR GOALKEEPERS
1) Kepa Arrizabalaga, Athletic Bilbao to Chelsea (£72m)
2) Alisson, Roma to Liverpool (£67m)
3) Ederson, Benfica to Manchester City (£35m)
4) Gianluigi Buffon, Parma to Juventus (£33m)
5) Angelo Peruzzi, Inter Milan to Lazio (£15.7m
RESULT
Bayer Leverkusen 2 Bayern Munich 4
Leverkusen: Alario (9'), Wirtz (89')
Bayern: Coman (27'), Goretzka (42'), Gnabry (45'), Lewandowski (66')
What went into the film
25 visual effects (VFX) studios
2,150 VFX shots in a film with 2,500 shots
1,000 VFX artists
3,000 technicians
10 Concept artists, 25 3D designers
New sound technology, named 4D SRL
Changing visa rules
For decades the UAE has granted two and three year visas to foreign workers, tied to their current employer. Now that's changing.
Last year, the UAE cabinet also approved providing 10-year visas to foreigners with investments in the UAE of at least Dh10 million, if non-real estate assets account for at least 60 per cent of the total. Investors can bring their spouses and children into the country.
It also approved five-year residency to owners of UAE real estate worth at least 5 million dirhams.
The government also said that leading academics, medical doctors, scientists, engineers and star students would be eligible for similar long-term visas, without the need for financial investments in the country.
The first batch - 20 finalists for the Mohammed bin Rashid Medal for Scientific Distinction.- were awarded in January and more are expected to follow.
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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UAE
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Japan
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Canada
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Veil (Object Lessons)
Rafia Zakaria
Bloomsbury Academic
Premier League results
Saturday
Crystal Palace 1 Brighton & Hove Albion 2
Cardiff City 2 West Ham United 0
Huddersfield Town 0 Bournemouth 2
Leicester City 3 Fulham 1
Newcastle United 3 Everton 2
Southampton 2 Tottenham Hotspur 1
Manchester City 3 Watford 1
Sunday
Liverpool 4 Burnley 2
Chelsea 1 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1
Arsenal 2 Manchester United 0
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The advice provided in our columns does not constitute legal advice and is provided for information only. Readers are encouraged to seek independent legal advice.
The%20specs
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Result
UAE (S. Tagliabue 90 1') 1-2 Uzbekistan (Shokhruz Norkhonov 48', 86')
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
SCORES IN BRIEF
New Zealand 153 and 56 for 1 in 22.4 overs at close
Pakistan 227
(Babar 62, Asad 43, Boult 4-54, De Grandhomme 2-30, Patel 2-64)
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
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Final%20Fantasy%20XVI
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Diablo%20IV
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Baldur's%20Gate%203
%3Cp%3EDeveloper%3A%20Larian%20Studios%0D%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20Larian%20Studios%0D%3Cbr%3EConsole%3A%20PC%0D%3Cbr%3ERelease%20date%3A%20August%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The%20Legend%20of%20Zelda%3A%20Tears%20of%20The%20Kingdom
%3Cp%3EDeveloper%3A%20Nintendo%0D%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20Nintendo%0D%3Cbr%3EConsole%3A%20Nintendo%20Switch%0D%3Cbr%3ERelease%20date%3A%20September%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Marvel's%20Spider-Man%202
%3Cp%3EDeveloper%3A%20Insomniac%20Games%0D%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20PlayStation%0D%3Cbr%3EConsole%3A%20PS5%0D%3Cbr%3ERelease%20date%3A%20Fall%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Assassin's%20Creed%20Mirage
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Starfield
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
The specs: 2019 Subaru Forester
Price, base: Dh105,900 (Premium); Dh115,900 (Sport)
Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder
Transmission: Continuously variable transmission
Power: 182hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 239Nm @ 4,400rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.1L / 100km (estimated)
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo
Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic
Power: 242bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Price: Dh136,814
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
