This year again, France did not do well in Edelman’s overall ranking on the Trust Barometer coming in at a very modest 19th position. But surprisingly, France is the nation that has trusted its civil servants the longest.
In May 2020, this indicator reached 61 percent even if it did not exceed 55 percent in January. The first measures against Covid-19 announced by the Elysee Palace visibly reassured voters but the second confinement brought the level down to 56 percent.
However, the administration should not be confounded with politicians or their lackeys: journalists. The rate of trust given to leaders of political authorities collapsed by 13 points last year to 33 points, a figure comparable to that given to journalists (-5 points). Some 57 percent of French people even think that journalists are deliberately trying to mislead the public and one in two is convinced that the political and economic elites are deceiving them.
This level of mistrust is worrying. Even public figures that have generally been trusted the most, such as members of the local community or scientists, have seen their popularity drop by 17 points in 2020.