The national conference on the ‘State of the Nation’, at the initiative of strategic communications consultant Lou Bondì and statistician and university lecturer Vincent Marmarà, in collaboration with the Office of the President, will be held for the second year in a row—this year on the 9th of June at the Verdala Palace.
Once again, in connection with this conference, a scientific study will be carried out among the people of Malta on how the Maltese national identity is evolving.
At the launch of this year’s edition, the President of Malta, George Vella, said that in order to fully understand the outcome of the survey, one must take into account both the local and the global context in which this survey is being conducted. President Vella referred to, among other things, the general election, Pope Francis’ visit to Malta, the effect of the pandemic, as well as the stability at the international level that is still undermined by the war in Ukraine. He added that it would be very interesting to see if these developments will have any impact on the way citizens think, and if there will be changes from the outcomes of the 2021 survey.
The President noted that many of the subjects to be analysed are linked to his constant call for unity. He explained that his intention is to identify, through the survey, those areas in which we lag as a nation, with the aim of further improving the quality of life – not only from an economic perspective. While encouraging the public to participate in the State of the Nation Conference, the President said that this in itself should serve as an example of how to debate the facts at hand, without using an arrogant tone and undermining the opinion of others.
Vincent Marmarà explained that the information will be gathered from the 27th of April 2022 from a sample of 1,064 people aged 16 and over. He said that the main interest is not to make known the opinions on a particular thing or different events, but to look deeper at what could lead to the formation of the principles and the opinion of the people.
Lou Bondì announced that the discussion at the national conference is expected to touch on some of the most important issues that define where the nation is today—the environment, the rule of law, the roots of divisions, corruption, the physiognomy of the state and others. Among those who have already confirmed their participation are the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition.
