Washington (AFP)

In a majority of 20 countries, people have a rather positive perception of scientists and the military, but in eight countries including India, the United States and France, people trust the military more than scientists , according to a survey by the American Pew Institute published Tuesday.

The institute questioned 32,000 people around the world on their perception of scientists, soldiers, but also journalists or their governments, as well as their feelings towards vaccines or pesticides.

It turns out that the military and science are much more appreciated than other institutions, but India is apart, with a record 80% of respondents saying they "very" trust the military to "do this. which is good ”, compared to 59% for scientists.

In the United States, 56% have great confidence in the military, compared to 38% for scientists.

In France, 38% have great confidence in the army, and 31% in scientists.

Conversely, in six other European countries (Spain in the lead), scientists gain more confidence than the military.

As for the news media, mistrust is among the most important in France (only 5% of French people say they have great confidence in them), worse than in the United States.

Pew's global investigation stopped at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, in March 2020, but it confirms that the phenomenon of politicization of science observed during the crisis has older roots.

In general, voters on the right trust scientists less than those on the left.

The largest partisan gap is observed in the United States, where Donald Trump has challenged the reality of climate change and created a sling of scientists for his untruths about the coronavirus: 20% of right-wing Americans place great trust in scientists against 62% of those on the left;

for the army, the proportions are reversed: 75% of people leaning on the right trust the army, against 35% on the left.

These differences are also significant in three other English-speaking countries (Canada, Australia, United Kingdom).

In France, on the other hand, there is no ideological difference except in confidence in the army.

This is the first global survey of science carried out by Pew, who therefore cannot confirm whether the trend of politicization has increased in recent years in the world ... with the exception of the United States, where the institute has been asking similar questions for several years.

"We know Americans are an exception," Cary Funk, director of science and society research, told AFP.

Since the pandemic, polls have shown "an increase in Democrats' confidence in scientists, and a stagnation among Republicans."

© 2020 AFP