A recent study has found that a significant number of voters in Western nations are concerned about the state of democracy in their countries. According to a poll conducted by Ipsos, 45% of residents in these nations believe that democracy is “broken.” The poll, which surveyed 9,800 voters from the US, UK, France, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Croatia, the Netherlands, and Poland, found that people in seven out of the nine countries are dissatisfied with how democracy is working.

The main concerns cited by respondents include disinformation, corruption, lack of accountability for politicians, and the growing popularity of extremist parties. In France, 60% of those polled expressed dissatisfaction with the state of democracy, followed by the US (53%), UK (51%), and Spain (51%). In contrast, Sweden and Poland were the only two countries where most respondents expressed confidence in their democratic systems.

The poll also found that many voters feel unrepresented by their governments. In the UK and Croatia, only 23% of respondents believed that their governments were representing them effectively. Additionally, a clear majority in the surveyed countries, with the exception of Sweden, are worried that risks to self-governance will increase over the next five years.

Gideon Skinner, senior director of UK politics at Ipsos, noted that there is widespread concern about the functioning of democracy, with people feeling unrepresented by their national governments. He added that there is a desire for radical change in most countries. The study’s findings come as some leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, have criticized Western democracies for ignoring public opinion and eroding democratic values.

The concerns about democracy in Western nations are not new, and some leaders have pointed to examples of what they see as a decline in democratic values. For instance, the designation of certain political parties as extremist organizations and the disqualification of candidates from elections have been cited as evidence of a trend towards authoritarianism. As the debate about the state of democracy in Western nations continues, it remains to be seen how these concerns will be addressed and what impact they will have on the future of democratic governance.