Irish belief in democracy plunges in recession

One in five Irish citizens no longer believe in democracy — one of the lowest percentages in the EU — according to a detailed survey on the health of national governments.

People’s faith in the system appeared to take a major hit as a result of the economic crisis and the decisions taken by the then government to bail-in the Irish taxpayers to pay off bank debts.

One of the authors of the report, Jonathan Birdwell, described the change in attitude as “concerning”, and said it reflected a belief that politics was helpless in the face of the crisis.