Danes and their politicians : a summary of the findings of a research project on political credibility in Denmark

A recurrent topic in Danish public debate is the sense of a confindence crisis between the population and the politicians. Lately, the problem acquired additional importance through the Danish failure to ratify the Maastricht treaty in the first referndum in June 1992. The referendum resulted in a rejection of the treaty - despite the recommendations of a clear majority of parliamnetarians, parties, professional and industrial bodies, and labour unions. In 1989, the Rockwool Foundation Research Unit at the Central Dansih Bureau of Statistics initiated a research project focused on the relationship between Danes and their politicans and, in a more general sennse, their perception of the political system.