One in five Europeans open to dictatorship in certain cases Poll finds

A new cross-European survey suggests that while most citizens continue to support democracy as a system, a significant share of voters across the continent are increasingly frustrated with how it functions in practice — and some are open to more authoritarian alternatives.

The poll, conducted by research firm AboutPeople and commissioned by the think tank Progressive Lab, surveyed respondents in Greece, France, Sweden, the United Kingdom and Romania between November 25 and December 16. The findings, first published by POLITICO, indicate that roughly one in five Europeans — 22 per cent — believe that under certain circumstances a dictatorship could be preferable to democracy.

The study also identified a notable current of anti-parliamentary sentiment. About 26 per cent of respondents agreed with the statement that they would accept a capable and effective national leader even if that person limited democratic rights and was not accountable to citizens. At the same time, resistance to authoritarian governance remains dominant: 69 per cent rejected such an idea.

Researchers emphasise that dissatisfaction appears directed less at democracy itself than at its performance. Levels of frustration with democratic governance varied sharply between countries. In Greece, 76 per cent of respondents said they were unhappy with how democracy works, followed by 68 per cent in France and 66 per cent in Romania. The figure was lower in the United Kingdom at 42 per cent and lowest in Sweden at 32 per cent.

The survey comes amid growing electoral momentum for populist and nationalist movements across Europe, with far-right parties polling strongly in countries including Germany, France and the United Kingdom. Yet a third of those surveyed said they do not view the rise of the far right as a threat to democracy.

Dimitris Papadimitriou, a political science professor at the University of Manchester, said the results show that traditional distinctions between Western, Eastern and Southern Europe are becoming less relevant as political attitudes evolve. According to him, rapid economic growth in countries such as Romania has not necessarily translated into stronger public confidence in liberal democracy. Meanwhile, even affluent states like Sweden are experiencing pressure on democratic institutions and declining public trust. France — and to a lesser extent Britain — face what he described as a deep political crisis, while Greece appears caught between widespread institutional distrust and a lingering belief in democratic ideals.

George Siakas, assistant professor at Democritus University of Thrace, said the findings should not be interpreted as an outright rejection of democracy. Instead, he argued, they reflect dissatisfaction with political elites and an increasingly anti-establishment mood among voters.

Trust in institutions remains uneven. The European Union received the highest confidence rating at 43 per cent, compared with 27 per cent for the media and 24 per cent for political parties. Feelings of political detachment were particularly pronounced in Greece, where 55 per cent of respondents said they did not feel close to the party they supported in the last election. Comparable figures stood at 53 per cent in Romania, 47 per cent in the United Kingdom, 43 per cent in France and 32 per cent in Sweden.

By Tamilla Hasanova