Trust, Mistrust, and Distrust in the European Union: Conceptual Distinctions and Democratic Implications

Trust in institutions is essential for the functioning of modern democracies and for the legitimacy of political systems (Dalton 2004; Van der Meer 2010; Roth et al. 2013). It shapes citizens’ compliance with laws, engagement in elections, and support for collective decisions, and has been linked to key outcomes such as voter turnout and policy preferences (Devine 2024). In the European Union, however, trust in institutions such as the European Parliament has declined markedly since the Great Recession, reinforcing concerns about a persistent legitimacy deficit. Building on growing scholarly interest in distinguishing between trust, mistrust, and distrust (e.g.: Devine et al. 2024), this paper investigates how these orientations manifest toward the EU and how they relate to citizens’ political engagement. It addresses two main research questions: (1) Do European citizens differentiate between trust, mistrust, and distrust when evaluating the EU? and (2) How are these orientations associated with patterns of political participation and information engagement? Using original data from the EXPRESS2 survey conducted in 25 European countries, we pursue two main objectives. First, we transfer the trust–mistrust–distrust distinction to the supranational level to advance the conceptual and empirical understanding of political trust in the EU. Second, we analyse the behavioural implications of these orientations, exploring how different elements of the “trust family” are associated with political information and participation habits. Together, these analyses contribute to clarifying the multidimensional nature of EU trust and its implications for democratic legitimacy in Europe.