This is an interesting barometer, which confirms our convictions and has the merit of providing reference figures.
Sofres analysis:
A steady decline in confidence in the future
Confidence in the future has never been so low. About 2/3 of French people 20 or 30 years ago had confidence in the future. Today, just over a third of them are.
This fear is accompanied by a an avalanche of pessimistic views on the future of humanityThis is against a backdrop of unprecedented mistrust of globalisation in the Western world: 85% of French people think that the world is in a bad way, and 49% say that the situation will get even worse. Only a quarter of French people (27%) have confidence in the future of future generations, and less than a fifth (19%) in the ability of mankind to preserve the planet.
This pessimism about the collective future certainly doesn't translate into massive personal despair: 3/4 of French people say they have confidence in themselves (77%), and 2/3 believe they will be able to get out of it. However, self-confidence is much lower among the younger generations, who have been hard hit by the difficulties of the job market: only 64% of 15-25 year-olds say they have self-confidence, compared with 86% of the over-60s, and the same proportion think they can get by. It is therefore 1/3 of young people today lack the most intimate and powerful source of confidence: self-confidence.
But looking beyond the future, the latest edition of La Poste's Observatoire de la Confiance confirms the existence within French society of a widespread distrust, which is worsening over time, towards others, elites, major institutions and economic and social regulation mechanisms.
This is clearly a cultural phenomenon, but not the only one: the scale of the changes over the last few decades also highlights the historical nature of the phenomenon, in a society that has been faced with mass unemployment for the last 40 years.
Difficulty in building trusting relationships with others outside the intimate circle
The closer a person is to us, the greater our trust in them. We can identify 3 circles of trust:
The circle of intimates In addition to the above-mentioned people, there are other people with whom we share the same values and interests, and with whom we exchange information on a daily basis, such as our spouse, family and friends. 99% of French people say they trust their spouse, 94% their family and 93% their friends.
The inner circle 62% of working people trust their colleagues, and 59% of French people trust their neighbours, a proportion that falls to 42% among Internet users for people we meet on social networks. It is interesting to note that trust in those close to us is strongly correlated with self-confidence: without this foundation of trust, it is impossible to open up to others.
And finally, the third circle seems much more threatening: that of the 'others' in generalIn this respect, trust is giving way to distrust. For example, only 23% of French people say they "can trust most people", compared with 77% who believe that "you can never be too careful when dealing with other people". While this mistrust of the "unknown" may seem logical, it is a "French exception". Our compatriots are among the most distrustful, in contrast to the Scandinavians, two-thirds of whom say that most people they meet can be trusted, and the Americans, nearly one in two of whom trust people a priori.
Politics and city life
Political staff has suffered massive discredit, which has increased over the last 20 years: only 7% of French people say they have confidence in politicians, compared with 29% in 1982 and 27% in 1993.
This deterioration in the image of politicians, combined with an increase in abstention and blank or invalid votes, are often cited as symptoms of a "political crisis".a deeper crisis of political representation in France.
The mayorsThe local political players are still highly regarded (51%), even though they have lost almost 20 points since 1982.
In the same vein, only 5% of the French trust the political partiescompared with 22% 30 years ago. A historically high level of mistrust, undoubtedly fuelled by the succession crisis at the head of the UMP, which coincided with the latest survey.
The State currently enjoys the confidence of 30% of the French people, a lower level of confidence than that of its main institutions, even though, as we know, the French have high expectations of it. Is this the result of doubts about his ability to act, at a time when the centres of power seem to have shifted towards Europe and the economic sphere? Or is it the result of his difficulty in reforming himself?
Among the sovereign functions of the State, the only the army continues to enjoy massive confidence (at 72%). Today, its role seems to be doubly valued: on the one hand for its protective function, which is appreciated in an anxiety-inducing context, and on the other for its involvement in humanitarian actions.
The judgements are more circumspect, and have been declining over the last decade, concerning the police and justice respectively 59% and 37% of French people have confidence in them. Court congestion, the cost of proceedings, the opacity of the justice system, debates about re-offending - the crisis of confidence in the French justice system is nothing new. In the early 1980s, fewer than one in two French people said they had confidence in the justice system. Confidence in the police remained at a good level until the 2000s (around ¾ of French people had confidence in the police) and has only recently dropped.
The public services Only one in two French people have confidence in the system, and 2/3 of them have major fears about the social protection system (retirement, unemployment). This is all the more worrying given that, in the eyes of the French, the social protection system is now the most decisive factor in helping them to "get by". Confidence in the healthcare system is higher, although it has fallen sharply over the last ten years.
The school Despite the criticism it has received, the majority of French people continue to have confidence in it, even though this confidence has been eroded over the last few years.
Among international institutionsIn terms of trust, the UN and the European Union are experiencing different fortunes. While the UN, the international 'judge of peace', retains a fairly high level of trust, the same cannot be said of the European Union, which is in steady decline. Against the backdrop of the debt crisis, the proliferation of last-chance summits and the questioning of the financial solidarity of European states, the EU now enjoys the confidence of only a third of French people.
The associative world Consumer associations and humanitarian organisations continue to enjoy massive trust. This is particularly true of consumer associations, which are credited with defending everyone's interests, and which are trusted by 81% of French people. This level of trust is 16 points higher than that of humanitarian associations, which, by appealing to people's generosity, ask them to make an effort for a benefit that does not directly concern them, and benefit from a slightly lesser sense of proximity. Finally, it should be noted that French people involved in an association are more confident in political and social institutions (57% have confidence in public services vs. 47% for French people not involved in associations), in other people (29% have confidence in others vs. 16%), and in the future of generations to come (33% vs. 23%).
The media and information Trust in the media has remained stable (and low) since 2000: around 1/4 of French people say they trust the media. Today, traditional media and word-of-mouth from friends and family continue to generate much more trust than the Internet:
- Traditional media: 46%
- Word of mouth from relatives: 44 %
- Information on the Internet: blogs, forums, social networks, wikipedia, etc.: 29 %
The economic sphere
Confidence in banks confidence has plummeted in 30 years, from 63% in 1982 (when the major banks were nationalised) to 25% today. This steady decline predates the current financial crisis, but has been exacerbated by it.
Company directors now inspire confidence in 44% of French people. A stall occurred in 2002, with the Vivendi affair and the first "scandals" about "bosses' salaries", but the current crisis does not seem to have had any impact.
And there is still a huge gap between the confidence engendered by small businesseswho embody proximity, integrity, hard work, and large companiesThese are all symbols of the disorders of globalisation in the eyes of the French.
Science and progress: confidence remains high
Despite fears about the future, science and progress (in the minds of the French, progress means above all scientific progress) continue to generate massive confidence, despite a slight erosion.
THE FULL REPORT:
Click to access 2013.01.10-trust.pdf