Survey: Dutch trust everyone more than Parliament, Mass Media

The Dutch population has more trusts in almost everyone than in the Tweede Kamer, lower house of parliament. The only institution to score lower on the trust scale than parliament, is the mass media. This is according to a survey published by Statistics Netherlands on Wednesday. Almost two-thirds of the Dutch population has little or no confidence in the Tweede Kamer. The percentage of people willing to put their trust in parliament differ from region to region. Confidence is lowest in the region of Oost-Groningen/Delfzijl with 23 percent, Zuid-Limbirg with 25 percent and Zuid-Drenthe and Kop van Noord-Holland, both with around 26 percent. People living in Greater Amsterdam and Gooi and Vecht are most willing to trust the Tweede Kamer - about 40 percent of people in both regions indicated that they trust the parliament. Only the press scored lower than the Tweede Kamer when it comes to confidence in Dutch institutions. Slightly more than two-thirds of Dutch have little or no confidence in the mass media. This is at about the same level as in 2012. Inhabitants of Midden-Limburg have the least trust in the media with about 25 percent. Amsterdam residents have the most trust in the press with 38 percent. Confidence in the European Union decreased from 39 percent in 2012 to 36 percent last year. With about 45 percent, people in the regions Greater Amsterdam, Gooi and Vecht and "other Groningen" have the most trust in the EU. The least trust comes from Oost-Groningen/Delfzijl, Midden-Limburg, Zuid-Drenthe and Kop van Noord-Holland with less than 30 percent.