Belgians Rate Government COVID Policies at 5.5 out of 10 in Public Opinion
Researchers from KU Leuven and UCLouvain calculated the satisfaction of Belgians with the COVID policy in our country based on the European Social Survey. With an average score of 5.5 out of 10, Belgium ranks 8th out of 28 countries. Residents were most satisfied with national health care (6.9). Care for the elderly in residential care centers scored the worst (4.7). Young people and people with little confidence in politics or the integrity of scientists are particularly critical of the COVID policy in Belgium.
The European Social Survey (ESS) asked the European population about their satisfaction with the handling of the corona crisis in their country. Measures were inquired into in various domains: economic support, support for families with children, policy towards the elderly in nursing homes, etc. The factors that can influence someone’s satisfaction were also questioned. 1341 randomly selected Belgians gave their opinion about the COVID policy of our governments. Researchers from KU Leuven and UCLouvain drew up a policy report based on this data. “Researching the economic and health effects of the corona crisis is of course very important, but the social aspect should also not be forgotten,” says Professor Bart Meuleman of the Center for Sociological Research. “If we learned anything from the corona crisis, it is that measures only have an effect if they are widely supported within the population. If this is not the case, polarization and a decline in confidence in political systems and democracy threaten.”
Average score: 5.5 out of 10
Respondents were asked to rate various domains such as support for those economically affected, Belgian healthcare and support for families with school-age children. National health care scores the highest with 6.9 out of 10. The enormous pressure on healthcare providers and high mortality rates in residential care centers translates into the lowest score: 4.7. It is striking that Flemish people are generally slightly more satisfied with the COVID policy than Walloon citizens.
The average satisfaction score in Belgium is 5.5 out of 10. “It seems as if the authorities have succeeded ‘by dragging their feet’, but for satisfaction with policy this score is not that bad. Also compared to other European countries and our neighboring countries – the Netherlands scores 5.6 and Germany 5.1 – the result is decent,” says Professor Meuleman. Iceland and Norway score the highest with 6.7. Bulgaria and Poland are at the bottom with an average score lower than 4.
Who is the most (dis)satisfied?
About 20% of Belgians indicated that they had been economically affected by the corona crisis. Yet this group with a loss of income is no less satisfied with the approach in our country. “We can deduce from this that the governments’ financial support measures have supported the people well and that we as a population have sufficient margin to cope with such crisis situations,” says Meuleman.
However, there was a noticeable difference when age was taken into account. Young people gave the policy a lower score than adults and the elderly. Perhaps because the restrictions on social contacts, online education and quarantine measures had the greatest effect on their daily lives.
The most important factor influencing the score appears to be political trust. People who have a lot of trust in state institutions score the policy on average 3 points higher compared to people who have very little trust. The difference becomes even greater when individuals also question the integrity of scientists.
This survey shows that citizens base their satisfaction mainly on personal beliefs and ideas, rather than objective criteria about the effectiveness of measures. Moreover, general trust in politics plays a greater role than political tendency. “The most important conclusion that we can convey to policymakers from this is that political trust is essential to gain public approval for measures that restrict people’s freedom,” Meuleman concludes.