Only 13% of Bulgarians believe that our country is governed by the will of the people. A majority of 61% disagreed and 22% hesitated. Confidence in elections is also at critical levels – 21% believe that they are free and honest, 49% are of the opposite opinion, 20% neither agree nor reject the statement, and the rest cannot answer. This is according to a new study on democracy, conducted by the world association “Gallup International” in 43 countries around the world, reports Dariknews.bg.
The study “At the end of the year“ of the association “Gallup International“ has been an annual tradition initiated and designed by Association President Dr. George Gallup since 1977. The survey has been conducted annually since then. This year it was held in 43 countries around the world. A total of 44,603 people were interviewed globally. In each country, during the period October-December 2023, about 1,000 people were interviewed face-to-face, by phone or online. The statistical error in the study is in the range of +3-5% with a confidence interval – 95%.
In Bulgaria, public perceptions show that democracy retains its image of the best possible governance, regardless of possible shortcomings – 51% of the Bulgarians asked think so. However, 19% do not agree, and about a quarter of the population in our country hesitates (24%) and neither agrees nor disagrees. Few cannot answer.
Regarding the perceptions of democracy as a form of government, our country is positioned at average levels for the European Union (EU) and close to its neighbors. Trust in the basic conditions for democracy, however, has been seriously damaged, especially in recent years, and this places our country among the societies with eroded trust in the foundations of democratic governance.
The data of the world
Democracy continues to be the best form of government for a clear majority of 43 countries around the world, but belief in this appears to have declined compared to previous research, and the prevailing public opinion in countries now is that government there is not according to the will of the people . While elections in most places are considered more likely to be free and fair, trust in their product is clearly in question, even in some of the most stable democracies, the survey said.
Democracy may have its flaws, but it is the best system of government for the majority of the world's population – 59%, asked in 43 countries, think so. Only 14% disagree, and one in five neither agrees nor disagrees.
EU countries seem to most agree that democracy is the best form of government, despite its flaws (71%). However, these attitudes are more strongly expressed in the western countries of the Union (77%) than in the eastern (60%), European countries outside the EU also like democracy, but not with the same confidence (57%). There are, of course, exceptions such as, for example, Kosovo – one of the countries globally where people are most confident in democracy as a system of government.
Democracy is approved around the world, yet in regions such as West Asia, East Asia and Latin America, positive attitudes are not so strongly expressed – about 50%, unlike the western parts of the world.
The case with Russia is particularly interesting – there, only 22% of respondents agree that democracy is the best form of government, and 13% disagree; a third hesitate, and another third do not know how to answer.
However, two of the basic conditions for the existence of democracy are at risk. For example, the share of respondents globally who agree that their country is governed according to the will of the people is smaller – 35% – from that of the dissenters – 40%.
The results also show that in some of the countries and regions that are considered models of democracy, criticism of the way of governance is strongest. The USA (25%), Canada (30%) and the EU (32%) have some of the lowest shares of agreement with the statement “My country is governed according to the will of the people”.
In the context of the presidential elections in Russia, the survey registered only 13% of the respondents there who agree that the government there is according to the will of the people.
In large regions and countries such as India (68% positive responses), some countries in Latin America (42%) and the Middle East (44%), people are found to be much more likely to say that governance is to their liking.
Attitudes towards the elections are also similar – 44% think they are fair and free, but a third of the world disagrees.
Elections are considered free and fair in India (66% affirmative answers), the EU (especially Western countries – about 68%, but noticeably less in the East – 36%). Canada and the US also have relatively high shares of their societies believing in the fairness and justice of voting. In Africa, West Asia and Russia, it turns out that people who think that elections are not free and fair are more than those who think that their country is governed by the will of the people.