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After Daphne Caruana Galizia’s Assassination, This Is How Maltese People Feel About Malta

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The latest Eurobarometer survey looking at the public opinion of the Maltese reveals the contradictory nature of the island. More than 500 face-to-face interviews with Maltese people were conducted in November 2017 for this survey, which was also held Europe-wide. 

Maltese respondents were questioned in the weeks following the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia and before any suspects had been found, capturing a key moment in Malta’s modern history.

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1. Since Daphne Caruana Galizia’s assassination, trust in the media has gone up

While only 23% of respondents had shown trust in the written press in in the previous survey, 31% of respondents now said they trusted the media, revealing a rise of 8 points.

2. While trust in the government has slightly dipped

Trust in the government of Malta stood at 51%, a slight dip from the previous year’s 52%.

It’s interesting to note that while Malta had just experienced a high-profile murder and a contentious snap election, the Maltese government remained more trusted than most other EU governments – the EU trust rating in other EU governments was just 36%.

3. Other Maltese institutions also got hit 

Trust in some of Malta’s institutions indicate some serious shortcomings in major cornerstones of Maltese democracy. 

Political parties and online social networks came in with the lowest trust ratings, with just 21% of respondents saying they trust either of them.

The written press didn’t do much better, achieving a 31% trust rating. In previous studies, only 23% of Maltese people trusted the media.

Even the world wide web got hit, with only 35% of Maltese people saying they trust the internet.

4. And just one in three Maltese people trust the legal system

Malta’s judiciary received a 35% trust rating. This is especially damning when compared to the EU average of 50%.

5. The Maltese institution with the highest trust rating is…

The army is the most trusted institution in Malta, with 67% of people expressing trust in Malta’s military power. 

However, this was still below the EU average of 73%, meaning Maltese people still trust their army less than most EU countries trust theirs.

6. And the police are still among the most trusted institutions in Malta

The police enjoy 53% trust rating, coming in as the second most trusted Maltese institution. 

This trust rating is much lower than the EU average of 72%, but is still high considering that the survey was conducted just weeks after one of the most high profile murders in Malta’s history. 

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7. In the face of all of this, Maltese people are still among the happiest in Europe

An impressive 95% of Maltese people responding to the survey said they were generally satisfied with the life they lead. 

This is a slight increase over last year’s results, which was 94%, and beats the score for the rest of the EU, which is 83%.

8. And they are pretty confident about the future

80% of Maltese respondents felt expressed confidence about their future; just 68% of the rest of the EU did.

Three out of four Maltese are positive about the situation in Malta, and 35% of respondents even expecting the situation in Malta to get better. 

89% of respondents also said the economic situation in Malta is very positive, compared to 60% for the whole of the EU.

9. Rising prices are Malta’s biggest worry…

Nearly a quarter (22%) of Maltese respondents said rising prices was their biggest concern. 

This was followed by the environment, climate and energy (20%), followed by crime (17%), pensions (16%), health and social security (14%) and immigration (13%).

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10. Even though Maltese people feel pretty good about their jobs and money

Even though rising prices was a major concern, two out three respondents described their personal job situation to be either very good or rather good. Only 6% of respondents expressed a negative opinion on this aspect.

87% described the financial situation of their household as positive, compared to 72% of their European counterparts.

11. Maltese people love their country (and the EU)

Nearly everyone in Malta feels attached to Malta, with 95% of people saying they feel either very attached or fairly attached to the country. 

Maltese people even feel relatively attached to Europe, with 66% of respondents in Malta claimed to be very attached or fairly attached to the European Union, compared to an average of 55% for the whole of the EU.

12. And when presented with a set of problems, one clear issue arose

Crime was the biggest issue that was mentioned when presented in a list of problems, with 45% of respondents choosing it as the most important issue Malta is facing at the moment. 

This was followed by illegal immigration at 32%.

Distressed Persons Are Transferred To A Maltese Patrol Vessel

13. And even though the Maltese love these two things…

The two most positive things brought by the EU according to the Maltese were the free movement of people, goods and services within the EU, and the euro.

14. They are also worried about what comes with them 

Terrorism and immigration were Maltese people’s biggest EU worries; 56% were worried about the former, and 54% about the latter. 

15. That said, don’t expect a ‘Maltexit’ anytime soon

77% of Maltese respondents believe that Malta would not face a better future outside of the EU, with 14% believing leaving the EU would be better for Malta. 

Were you surprised by any of these results?

READ NEXT: WATCH: Do Maltese People Even Know Where EUROPE Is?

Johnathan is an award-winning Maltese journalist interested in social justice, politics, minority issues, music and food. Follow him at @supreofficialmt on Instagram, and send him news, food and music stories at [email protected]

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