The RRF allowed for negotiated policy conditionality, balancing economic imperatives with greater policy responsiveness at the national level.
Research team
10 June 2025
Flexible approach to COVID economic recovery improved trust in democracy
A new study co-authored by a King’s academic reveals the European Union’s (EU) handling of the COVID-19 economic crisis significantly improved citizens’ satisfaction with democracy, particularly in countries that endured austerity measures during the 2010 sovereign debt crisis.
The research, published in the journal European Union Politics, analysed the impact of the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), a €750billion fund agreed in July 2020 to help member states recover from the pandemic.
Unlike the strict bailout conditions imposed during the 2010 crisis, the RRF allowed nations more flexibility in spending, balancing EU priorities with domestic needs.
Using survey data from Eurobarometer - a series of public opinion surveys conducted on behalf of the European Commission - the study found the announcement of the RRF led to an immediate rise in public satisfaction with democracy, especially in countries like Greece, Ireland, Portugal, and Spain, which had previously experienced stringent austerity.
Adults who lived through the 2010 crisis showed the most significant positive shift, suggesting they viewed the RRF as a more democratic alternative to past policies.
The research was authored by Dr Ruben Ruiz Rufino (Department of Political Economy) and Dr Lea Heyne (University of Lisbon).
The academics said: “The EU’s management of the 2020 COVID-19 crisis marked a departure from the strategy used in 2010. The decision-making process that led to the establishment of the RRF embodied a more inclusive and cooperative strategy, one that emphasised policy convergence and fiscal solidarity.
“This approach not only demonstrated institutional learning from the 2010 crisis but also reflected a deliberate effort to restore trust by aligning national and supranational priorities.
The academics said the findings highlighted how crisis management strategies shape public perceptions of democracy. While the 2010 crisis deepened disillusionment, the RRF’s collaborative design helped restore faith in EU institutions.
The study underscores the importance of balancing economic responsibility with democratic responsiveness—a lesson that may prove vital as the EU faces new challenges.
You can read the study in full here: Crisis management and attitudes towards democracy: The case of the COVID-19 recovery plan in Europe.
In this story
Reader in Comparative Politics