The Eurobarometer survey conducted by the European Commission in the second half of July confirms how, despite the pandemic, in Malta in recent months there is still a good level of optimism and confidence.
In fact, this survey indicates that 58% of the people trust the government, against 40% in the rest of the European Union. Prior to the change of administration in 2013, confidence in the Maltese government was only 34%. In addition, the proportion of Maltese and Gozitans who trust the government has increased by 7% compared to the survey conducted in November 2019. In contrast, the Eurobarometer indicates that people’s trust in the media has fallen to 21%, the lowest level of trust in the EU.
92% of Maltese and Gozitans said they were happy with the measures taken by the government to combat the pandemic. This is against an average of 62% in the EU. Only the Danish government had a better result than the Maltese government. 41% of those interviewed in Malta believe that there was a good balance between the need of the health sector and the economic one, while 41% think that more attention is needed to the economic aspect. Almost a quarter believe that by the end of 2021 the Maltese economy will have recovered, against one in five in the European Union. Only in the Netherlands is there a higher proportion who believe in such a speedy recovery.
Malta is one of the few countries in the EU where the majority of respondents believe that the country is going in the right direction. 52% of those surveyed said they believed that things in our country were going in the right direction, in contrast to the average rate of 36% across EU countries. The proportion in Malta in July 2020 was almost double that at the end of 2012, and 13% more than the survey conducted in November 2019.
Despite the pandemic, 60% of those interviewed in Malta said the economy was doing well, compared to 34% across the EU. The economic optimism in the country is almost the same as it was in the first months after the change of government in 2013.
73% of families in the country said that their financial situation is good, while 53% of Maltese believe that the employment sector is doing well. In addition, 34% of those interviewed said they expect the situation to improve next year, compared to 20% who said so across the European Union.
While in 2012 a third of households worried about the economy, today this proportion has fallen to 18%. While in 2012 24% of respondents were worried about the national debt, this has now decreased to 2%. In thr country there is currently the lowest fear rate on unemployment among households across the EU, 4% against an average of 28%.
The results of the Eurobarometer confirm how much there is a sense of trust among families in the country. The economic situation, which has plagued families across Europe, is not terrifying families in our country. The government is enjoying more trust, against other institutions in our country, including the media, where trust has declined. A key factor seems to be the strong support the government enjoys to protect the livelihoods of families. With the measures taken in the 2021 Budget, the success achieved so far in protecting employment and income is expected to be further strengthened.
