Study: Financial strain and corruption undermine Czechs’ trust in government

Public trust in the Czech government is being eroded by financial hardship, a lack of political representation, and corruption scandals, according to an analysis by the project Europe in Data obtained by the Czech News Agency (ČTK). Political scientist Lukáš Valeš of the University of West Bohemia in Plzeň told the Czech News Agency that a major problem in Czech politics is that political elites often serve business interests rather than the public good. The latest data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) show that only 19 percent of Czechs trust the government.