The role of trust in the formation of social capital is crucial due to the current socio–political situation, in particular the growing political polarization, significant differences in confidence in the European Union between member, and finally, the COVID–19 pandemic. The report describes social capital in Poland and Hungary in terms of four dimensions: 1) Trust, 2) Norms and values, 3) Structure and 4) Action.

The study was based on qualitative and quantitative research conducted in Poland and Hungary. While the vast majority of respondents from both countries tend to be cautious towards others, the survey results find significant differences between countries. In particular when it comes to declared trust in the European Union, as in the case of Poland it is the highest of all institutions surveyed, while in Hungary it is one of the lowest. On the other hand, the majority of respondents from Hungary have trust in their national government, as opposed to respondents from Poland.

The Polish version of the publication is available to download here.

This publication is produced by Projekt: Polska with the support of the European Network of Political Foundations (ENoP). Co-funded by the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union and ENoP.