Trust in the establishment fell sharply during the pandemic, with social media a key factor

The Eurofound report found that Irish people are slightly above the EU average when it comes to trusting institutions such as governments, police, and healthcare systems. Stock picture

Inflation and the influence of social media has led to trust in the so-called “establishment” waning across the EU, even among those relatively unaffected by rising costs.

Trust in national governments, policing, and healthcare systems has dropped significantly since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to some of the findings of major research from the Dublin-based EU agency European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, or Eurofound.