Non-voters in European elections said they lacked faith in political system

There was widespread apathy towards politics in the last Europe elections of June 2024, where 56% of non-voters in Malta told a Eurobarometer survey they had lack of faith in the political system.

The figure was far higher than the average 21% across the EU27 who expressed a lack of trust in politics as their reason for not voting.

A significant segment of non-voters in Malta (31%) felt that their vote would not make a difference or have any tangible consequences.

The most prevalent reason citizens cited for participating in the 2024 European elections was a sense of civic duty. In the survey, 46% of respondents in Malta and 37% across the EU27 stated that voting was their civic duty.

A substantial proportion of voters cast their ballots in support of a particular political party or candidate whose proposals resonated with their own ideas or values. 47% of respondents in Malta and 42% across the EU27 voted based on alignment with party proposals on European issues.

A considerable number of citizens believed that participating in the European elections could bring about positive change. 20% of Maltese voters chose their party because they liked their proposals on the most important issue in the election.

Respondents were asked to identify the main subject that encouraged them to vote. The leading subjects for Maltese voters were: rising prices and the cost of living (52%); the economic situation (27%); social protection, welfare, and access to healthcare (24%); the international situation (13%).

Economic concerns, encompassing rising prices, the cost of living, and the overall economic situation, were dominant motivators for voter participation in both Malta and the EU27.

Support to EU and trust in parliamentary democracy high  

Support for the EU remains high, despite economic woes. Results of the survey indicate that citizens are optimistic about the future of the EU (65%), and that they continue to hold a positive impression of the EU (48%, with only 16% stating they have a negative image). 

EU membership is viewed in a favourable light, too. Seven in ten (70%) Europeans think that their country has benefited from being a member of the EU, a figure that has been stable in recent years. In the EU overall, there are four main rationales for why membership is considered beneficial: increased co-operation between Member States (36%), protecting peace and strengthening security (32%), the EU’s contribution to economic growth (28%), and the creation of new work opportunities (24%). 

The Maltese continue to be optimistic about the future of the EU (74%) and have a positive image of the EU (51% positive, whereas only 9% of respondents in Malta have a negative image).  Malta has benefitted from EU membership for a large majority (90%). The Maltese consider EU membership beneficial because it contributes to economic growth (48%), brings Maltese people new work opportunities (38%),  improves co-operation between Malta and the other countries of the EU (30%) and gives Maltese people a stronger say in the world (30%). 

Trust in European parliamentary democracy is particularly high at the onset of the tenth EP parliamentary term: 42% of the citizens have a positive image of the European Parliament - the highest ever recorded result for this indicator.