58% think State is ‘effectively’ fighting corruption

Surprisingly, a European-wide survey held in October 2013 by Eurobarometer reveals that 58% of the Maltese think that their government is effectively fighting corruption.

Only 35% of all EU 28 respondents express the same opinion.

The most likely to think that the state effectively fights corruption are the Danes (75%), the Swedes (64%) and the Finns (64%)

But in 12 member states less than three out of 10 people agree that the state fights effectively against corruption, and less than a fifth agree in five of them: the Czech Republic (14%), Spain (17%), Italy (18%), Greece (19%) and Slovenia (19%).

While the vast majority of Maltese believe that the state is effectively fighting corruption, they are less likely to believe that public authorities behave in a non-arbitrary way. Only 41% tend to believe this in contrast to 47% of all Europeans.

Only 45% of the Maltese trust their national justice system while 47% tend not to trust it. In all, 28 EU member states a majority of 53% tend to trust their national justice system.

The highest levels of trust in the justice system are registered in Finland and Denmark, where 85% tend to trust the justice system. The lowest levels of trust are registered in Slovenia, Slovakia and the Czech republic were only a quarter trust the national justice system.

Only 16% of the Maltese compared to 25% of all Europeans think that their national justice system is better than that in other countries.

In Malta only 6% of the respondents say that either they or a close relative have been to a criminal courtroom in the last ten years.

The UK (27%) has the highest proportion of people who say that either they or a close relative have been to a criminal courtroom in the last ten years. Scores above 20% were also measured in Germany, Austria, Greece, Spain, Ireland, Finland and Sweden.