It’s official: Maltese people believe the EU must become more involved in protecting European citizens against global crises and security risks.
According to the latest Eurobarometer data, 82% of Maltese people agreed that the EU must become ‘more important’ in the future. This is notably above the EU average of 66% who believe that the EU must do more to protect citizens in times of crisis.
However, less than half of the survey’s Maltese respondents (47%) felt that the EU managed to do so over the past years – clearly indicating that Maltese people feel that the status quo must change.
This overwhelming 82% majority places Malta among the top seven European countries in this regard: Sweden (87%), Finland (84%, the Netherlands (84%), Cyprus (83%), Denmark (82%), and Ireland (82%).
The Eurobarometer survey’s results are based on 503 responses collected during 9 January – 4 February last year. Maltese people’s desire for more EU protection stands in stark contrast with the Maltese government’s reluctance to participate in the EU’s rearmament drive.
This comparison becomes more significant when factoring in how Maltese people responded to a direct question about European unity.
According to this survey’s results, 73% of Maltese people totally agree that ‘EU member states should be more united to face global challenges.’ A further 25% tend to agree that this should be the case, bringing the total percentage to a whopping 98%.
This places Malta squarely at the top of the chart for member states who explicitly want EU member states to build more unity. Again, Malta’s score is above average here: just 51% of EU citizens totally agree with this statement.
Most Maltese people – 56% – also totally agree that ‘the EU needs more means to face current global challenges’, above the EU average of just 32%.
Focus areas
When respondents were asked about what they believe the EU should focus on, Malta’s results also differ significantly from the EU average.
Ranked in order of priority, Maltese people feel that protecting democracy, human rights, and EU values in general should be at the top of the EU’s to-do list.
This is followed by education and research, climate action and emissions reductions, food security and agriculture, and technology.
The EU average indicates that defence and security tops the list for EU citizens as a bloc, followed by economic competitiveness, energy independence, food security and agriculture, and education and research.
These differences in public perception are typical for Southern Mediterranean countries like Malta when compared to the rest of Europe.
Given Malta’s distance from the frontlines of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and its relative economic stability when compared to other member states, it’s understandable that defence and security would not be at the forefront of anyone’s mind when answering such a survey.
Maltese people’s preference for a more generic focus on protecting democracy, human rights, and EU values is uniquely interesting. In spite of Malta’s history as a non-aligned country, there seems to be clear awareness of the threat presented by a fragmented European landscape.
An infographic which illustrates a comparison between Malta’s results and the EU’s overall average. Source: EU Parliament Press Office
Members with benefits
Besides being Europe’s most fervent believers in the need for unity, Maltese people also have an overwhelmingly positive appreciation of the country’s status as a member state.
When asked to assess the value of being a member of the EU, 92% of Maltese respondents believe that Malta benefited from its status as a member state. On average, 74% of EU citizens felt the same way.
At the same time, when asked to describe the EU’s overall image, respondents across the board were a bit less enthusiastic.
Just 55% of Maltese respondents think that the EU’s image is totally positive, with a further 36% expressing neutral sentiment about it. 9% described it as totally negative.
Similarly, 50% of EU citizens feel totally positive about the EU’s image, with a further 34% expressing neutral sentiment. 15% described it as totally negative.
European Parliament
Several questions were about the functions and overall performance of European Parliament.
When asked about which values the EP should prioritise and protect, Maltese people have a marked preference for peace, democracy, the rule of law, freedom of speech and thought, and the protection of human rights across the globe. In this respect, Maltese people’s priorities rank similarly to the EU average.
An infographic which shows the list of priorities as they ranked according to the Eurobarometer survey results. Source: European Parliament Press Office
As for specific topics which respondents believe should be prioritised, inflation and cost of living rank at the absolute top across the EU, followed by more support for public health, migration and asylum, the fight against poverty and social exclusion, and climate change action.
The full report can be accessed by clicking here.