Whether Austrians feel better protected against future pandemics also depends on where they live: Only in Vienna (52 percent) and the western federal states of Tyrol and Vorarlberg (54 percent) do the majority see Austria better armed than two years ago against new health challenges . Gallup surveyed 1,000 people in its online panel between February 14 and 17, making the survey representative of the web-active population aged 16 and over.
One in three: “Austria as a society has completely failed”
For the majority of the population, coping with the pandemic has not been a real success so far: 59 percent of those surveyed agreed with the statement that society in Austria had “challenged itself quite well through the crisis, but there were also many problems”. 31 percent of Austrians are of the opinion that Austria “completely failed as a society in the corona crisis”. The supporters of the FPÖ (58 percent) and MFG (70 percent) share this view, while the sympathizers of the governing parties ÖVP (11 percent) and Greens (14 percent) agree the least. “The slight optimism resulting from promises of easing should not hide the fact that the mood in the country is gloomy. The lifting of corona measures allows people to breathe a sigh of relief and see a light at the end of the tunnel, but not the burdens and disappointed expectations forgotten in the last two years,” says the head of the Gallup Institute, Andrea Fronaschütz.
The worst is over, say 39 percent
39 percent of Austrians believe that the worst is over. This value was only higher in April 2020 and May/June 2021. However, two-thirds also agree that the world has generally changed for the worse in the past two years. Social cohesion (76 percent), politics in general (71 percent), social justice (65 percent), and peace, order and security in the country (65 percent) have suffered particularly from the pandemic.
Politicians are the clear losers
When it comes to image issues, the clear losers of the pandemic are politicians and decision-makers. Both the federal government, the opposition and the state governments have a worse reputation than before the pandemic. The Viennese state government loses the least. But there are also winners: the professional group of scientists and researchers has a better image among 31 percent of Austrians than before the pandemic began.
The economy continues to be the biggest concern for Austrians. In May 2020, 72 percent of the population named unemployment as an issue with the most urgent need for action, while the main concern of Austrians today is inflation (70 percent). Other burningly important topics are currently health and care (68 percent) and affordable housing (66 percent). “The uncertainty, the restrictions and the growing economic concerns have shaken the relationship between the institutions and the citizens,” Fronaschütz commented on the results of the survey .
Source: Nachrichten
