Estonian residents have the highest trust in the rescue service, Police and Border Guard Board (PPA), and the Estonian Defense Forces (EDF), new polling commissioned by the Ministry of Defense shows.
The Rescue Service is considered to be completely or mostly trustworthy by 96 percent of Estonian residents, the Police and Border Guard Board by 86 percent, the Estonian Defense Forces by 77 percent, the president by 77 percent, and the Defense League by 76 percent.
Residents have the lowest levels of trust in the Riigikogu (42 percent), the prime minister (42 percent), and the government (36 percent).
The 101-seat Riigikogu is completely trusted by 8 percent of residents, the government by 15 percent, and the prime minister by 20 percent.
The ministry carries out annual polling into societies’ attitudes toward national defense and for the last five years the rescue services, the PPA, and the EDF have topped the charts.
This year, trust in the president and Defense League has risen.
Compared to last year’s survey, trust in institutions has not changed significantly and all differences are within 2 percent.
There are differences in support among Estonians and residents of other nationalities.
Both groups have high levels of trust in the rescue service and the PPA. But there are noticeable differences in relation to the prime minister and NATO.
While Estonians are less satisfied this year than last, the opposite is true for residents of other nationalities.
Their support grew the most for the Defense League (7 percent), the president (6 percent), NATO (5 percent), and the European Union (5 percent).
The survey was conducted in the spring by Eesti Uuringukeskus OÜ and 1,200 residents between the ages of 15-74 participated. Of these, 70 percent answered online and 30 percent during phone interviews.
Researchers looked at people’s trust in 12 national and international institutions.
Polling has been carried out since 2000.
VES/ERR News
