Crisis and trust in national and European Union institutions : panel evidence for the EU, 1999 to 2012

Abstract

This paper analyses the effects of the crisis on trust in national and European Union institutions within an EU27 country sample from 1999 to 2012. The paper finds that the overall negative trends in trust throughout the crisis are driven by countries from the eurozone (EA12). However, whereas the crisis triggered only moderate declines of trust within eight core countries of the EA12, a significant decline of trust can be detected within four periphery countries, namely Spain, Greece, Portugal and Ireland. Econometric results reveal that, amongst others, the significant increase in unemployment rates in those four countries, especially in Spain, largely contributed to this pronounced fall in trust.