Why rural Europe trusts local leaders more than the EU: insights from new JRC study
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A new study by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) reveals that trust in the EU has reached its highest level since the 2008 financial crisis – but a significant and growing urban-rural divide persists. The analysis further confirms that rural residents continue to place the strongest trust in regional and local authorities.
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The publication ‘Trust in EU rural areas’ examines how trust in institutions varies across territories and identifies the socioeconomic factors most strongly associated with these differences. Financial hardship and lower educational attainment are key drivers of lower trust: only 24% of respondents in very difficult financial situations tend to trust the EU, compared with 71% of those in very good financial circumstances.
Rural areas face structural disadvantages in both areas – education levels remain lower, and incomes more vulnerable – making trust-building a continued challenge. Even after accounting for these socioeconomic and demographic factors, rurality itself remains a statistically significant predictor of lower trust in the EU, suggesting a deeper territorial dimension to perceptions of exclusion or being ‘left behind’.
At the same time, rural trust in local and regional authorities is consistently high regardless of attitudes toward the EU. This reinforces the importance of place-based policymaking and the role of local actors in strengthening cohesion, delivering visible improvements, and helping rural residents reconnect with EU-level institutions.