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Maltese praise COVID response but say country ‘moving in wrong direction’
Eurobarometer shows Maltese to be less satisifed with country’s direction that EU or their own personal situation
10 September 2021, 12:00am
Matthew Vella
Matthew Vella
2 min read
Prime Minister Robert Abela and deputy PM and health minister Chris Fearne: the Maltese praised their COVID response but suggested the country was “moving in the wrong direction”
The Maltese want MEPs to address climate change with urgency, according to a snapshot of the European pulse in the flash Eurobarometer survey taken throughout the August heat of 17-25th August.
The Maltese were in line with their European counterparts by selecting climate change as the top priority for the European Parliament’s agenda (64%, EU-27 43%).
The summer season was the scene of huge wildfires across the globe and in Europe, as well as the return of various heatwaves over the season.
Holy cow: Maltese among least likely to cut down on meat for planet
The Maltese then ranked issues of priority for MEPs to be migration (43%, EU-27 27%), and the fight against terrorism and organised crime (30%, EU-27 31%).
Malta: wrong direction
A more revealing statistic from the survey is the sheer number of respondents (41%) who think Malta “is going in the wrong direction” – this contrasted with 26% who said it was going in the right direction, and 31% who chose “neither one, nor the other”.
When this question was asked about respondents’ personal situation, 36% said things were moving the right direction as against to 17% (wrong) and 43% (no change).
Indeed the Maltese were more positive about the EU’s direction, 33% saying it was moving in the right direction against 18% saying it was moving in the wrong direction.
The Maltese were also among the most satisfied with the EU’s response to the coronavirus pandemic (69%) and its own country strategy (84%). But they qualified this approval with 63% saying Malta’s response could not have taken place without the EU’s involvement.
52% also said they believed Malta’s public authorities had not been sufficiently transparent about the COVID-19 vaccines. Yet 85% said vaccination benefits outweighed risks, and 81% described vacation as a “civic duty”.
The flash Eurobarometer survey was conducted via computer-assisted web interviewing (CAWI) using Ipsos online panels while 500 respondents in Malta were recruited via social media networks. The survey was carried out between 17 August-25 August 2021.
Every year in September, the President of the European Commission delivers the State of the European Union address before the European Parliament, taking stock of the past year and presenting priorities for the year ahead. The European Parliament’s Directorate-General for Communication commissioned Ipsos European Public Affairs to conduct a Eurobarometer Flash survey, exploring European citizens’ opinions on some of the key priorities for the EU today.
This article is part of a content series called Ewropej. This is a multi-newsroom initiative part-funded by the European Parliament to bring the work of the EP closer to the citizens of Malta and keep them informed about matters that affect their daily lives. This article reflects only the author’s view. The action was co-financed by the European Union in the frame of the European Parliament's grant programme in the field of communication. The European Parliament was not involved in its preparation and is, in no case, responsible for or bound by the information or opinions expressed in the context of this action. In accordance with applicable law, the authors, interviewed people, publishers or programme broadcasters are solely responsible. The European Parliament can also not be held liable for direct or indirect damage that may result from the implementation of the action.
Matthew Vella, a freelance journalist at MaltaToday, was formerly executive editor at Malt...
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