Matters of trust

We like the Church and government, but not the internet and definitely not the UN
GREEK CYPRIOTS trust the Church more than the state, parliament or political parties, and trust the United Nations less than any other EU member state, the latest Eurobarometer reveals.
“There is a considerable fall in the level of trust shown by citizens towards the government,” the report said. Compared with the last Eurobarometer survey in the Spring of 2006, Greek Cypriot trust in their government has decreased from 56 per cent to 53 per cent.

Trust in parliament, however, went up seven per cent to 51 per cent since the last survey, likely due to the election of a new House of Representatives in May.
Trust in the legal system has also increased to 60 per cent since the Spring 2006 but trust in the political parties fell to only 24 per cent down from the 27 per cent. It is still higher than the EU25 average of 17 per cent.

By contrast the citizens’ trust in the Church stood at 58 per cent, trade unions 37 per cent and in consumer associations 64 per cent.

Public opinion was divided on its trust in the press with 46 per cent in favour and 44 per cent against, although trust in television news was higher and the internet lower than the EU average.
While the majority of Greek Cypriots trust the EU, “the percentage of citizens who trust the United Nations is the lowest recorded in any of the member states surveyed”. Only 27 per cent of Greek Cypriots trust the UN.

In the north Turkish Cypriots trust their police more than any other institution, with support standing at 69 per cent.

The level of trust among Turkish Cypriots towards their political parties is only 27 per cent, a six per cent decrease since the last report.

Turkish Cypriots have lost trust in the EU from 50 per cent to 45 per cent, and the UN, which has dropped seven per cent. However the UN is still trusted by 41 per cent of Turkish Cypriots. But 55 per cent of Turkish Cypriots think their voice is not heard in the EU.

Over 50 per cent of Turkish Cypriots say the Cyprus issue as the most important issue facing their community, while the two major problems worrying Greek Cypriots are crime with 42 per cent and inflation 39 per cent,

Despite the problems, 88 per cent of Greek Cypriots say they are satisfied with the life they lead compared to 75 per cent of Turkish Cypriots.

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The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.