European Union citizens' perceptions of the independence of courts and the judiciary in their home country are clearly divided between older and wealthier member states mostly in the north and west of the EU, and the newer member states in the south and east of the union, with a few notable exceptions. The countries with the highest level of trust in the judicial system are Finland, Denmark, and Austria. This is perhaps unsurprising, as these countries often lead rankings and indexes for their high quality of governance and the rule of law.
On the other hand, Croatia, Poland, and Slovakia come at the other end, with between 65-75 percent of their citizens having a negative view of the courts and judiciaries. These post-communist countries are still struggling with the legacy of tight political control of the judicial system under communism, and in cases such as Poland have seen a renewed attempt by right-wing governments to curb judicial independence and oversight.
The post-communist country with the greatest trust in the justice system, Estonia, has recorded almost 60 percent of its citizens with positive impressions, a notable success for a country which was a part of the Soviet Union until 1990. Spain and Italy rank as the lowest member states which had joined the EU before 2004, highlighting these countries' ongoing struggles with corruption.
EU citizens' rating of the justice system in their home country in terms of the independence of courts and judges in 2022, by country
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European Commission (Eurobarometer). (May 20, 2022). EU citizens' rating of the justice system in their home country in terms of the independence of courts and judges in 2022, by country [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved August 25, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1376631/rule-of-law-eu-citizens-courts-judges-independence/
European Commission (Eurobarometer). "EU citizens' rating of the justice system in their home country in terms of the independence of courts and judges in 2022, by country." Chart. May 20, 2022. Statista. Accessed August 25, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1376631/rule-of-law-eu-citizens-courts-judges-independence/
European Commission (Eurobarometer). (2022). EU citizens' rating of the justice system in their home country in terms of the independence of courts and judges in 2022, by country. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: August 25, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1376631/rule-of-law-eu-citizens-courts-judges-independence/
European Commission (Eurobarometer). "Eu Citizens' Rating of The Justice System in Their Home Country in Terms of The Independence of Courts and Judges in 2022, by Country." Statista, Statista Inc., 20 May 2022, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1376631/rule-of-law-eu-citizens-courts-judges-independence/
European Commission (Eurobarometer), EU citizens' rating of the justice system in their home country in terms of the independence of courts and judges in 2022, by country Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1376631/rule-of-law-eu-citizens-courts-judges-independence/ (last visited August 25, 2024)
EU citizens' rating of the justice system in their home country in terms of the independence of courts and judges in 2022, by country [Graph], European Commission (Eurobarometer), May 20, 2022. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1376631/rule-of-law-eu-citizens-courts-judges-independence/