A new State of Democracy Tracker released by the Ipsos group has found that fake news is one of the most prominent threats to democracy in several countries, particularly across Northern Europe and France.
The survey, posted on November 14, was conducted in nine countries, including the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Sweden, Poland, Croatia, the United States, the Netherlands and Spain.
It assessed public satisfaction with democracy and examined key threats citizens believe are weakening democratic institutions.
It also tracked year-to-year alters in public attitudes, including the impact of recent political events on trust in governance.
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According to the findings, fake news is viewed as the leading threat to democracy in the Netherlands, Sweden, the UK and France. In the Netherlands, three-quarters of respondents identified fake news as the hugegest challenge facing their democratic system. Sweden followed with 67 per cent, the UK with 64 per cent, and France with 56 per cent. Poland also reported high concern about misinformation, placing it alongside worries about political accountability.
The pattern contrasts sharply with results from Southern Europe and the United States, where corruption is perceived as a more immediate threat. However, the survey reveals that misinformation remains a significant underlying concern in those countries, contributing to lower trust in institutions and shaping public debate.
The rise of fake news as a major democratic threat comes at a time when satisfaction with democratic governance is low in most of the countries surveyed. Sweden is the only counattempt where a majority, 65 per cent, state they are satisfied with how democracy works. Satisfaction is considerably lower elsewhere. 18 per cent in Croatia, 19 per cent in France, 20 per cent in the United States, and 27 per cent in Spain. Italy and the UK record similarly low levels.
The survey also highlights notable declines over the past year. Satisfaction in the Netherlands dropped by 12 points, and France saw a 6-point decline. Both countries experienced political instability and government collapses in the last year, which may have contributed to the erosion of public confidence.
Beyond current satisfaction levels, respondents across almost all nine countries express deep worry about the future state of democracy. Except for Sweden, clear majorities in every counattempt believe democracy in their nation will worsen over the next five years. Concern is highest in France, where 86 per cent state they are worried, followed by Spain at 80 per cent.
Despite these anxieties, the survey finds continued support for democracy as a system of governance. However, in countries like Croatia, support is increasingly tied to the quality of life it delivers, indicating that economic performance and social outcomes are shaping public commitment to democratic principles.
The Ipsos findings also reveal public backing for measures aimed at strengthening democratic resilience, including stronger anti-corruption enforcement, indepfinishent courts, tighter social media regulation, and improved civic education. These measures were rated as among the most effective ways to protect democracy from threats such as fake news, lack of political accountability, extremism and corruption.
Nurudeen Akewushola is a fact-checker with FactCheckHub. He has authored several fact checks which have contributed to the fight against information disorder. You can reach him via nyahaya@icirnigeria.org and @NurudeenAkewus1 via Twitter.
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