News | Wednesday, 02 December 2009

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Maltese trust the EU more than other Europeans

James Debono
Judging by a Eurobarometer survey conducted in Spring, trust in the European Commission is higher in Malta than in 23 other EU members. The Commission also enjoys greater trust amongst the Maltese than the national government.
While 59% tend to trust the European Commission only 41% tend to trust their own government. And while 47% tend to trust the Maltese parliament, 64% tend to place faith in the European parliament.
The trust rating for the two major EU institutions has remained practically unchanged since 2005. Consistently the elected European Parliament tends to enjoy a greater trust among the Maltese than the appointed European Commission.
The Maltese are also familiar with European institutions, at least on paper. 95% are aware of the European Parliament, 85% have heard about the European Commission and 84% have heard about the European Central Bank.
But 64% have not heard of the Swedish Presidency of the European Council which commenced in July 2009. Yet the Maltese were more informed than most Europeans: on average three out of four Europeans (75%) were unaware of the Swedish Presidency.
Certainly, the Maltese citizens place more trust in the European institutions than their European counterparts. The European Parliament enjoys the trust of 64% of Maltese respondents but only of 48% of the Europeans in general. The European Commission is trusted by 59% of the Maltese and 44% of Europeans.
The most trusted international institution both in Malta and in the other Member States is the United Nations, mentioned by 63% Maltese respondents and 53% of the respondents in the EU 27. The majority of the Maltese (62%) also trust the European Union compared with 47% of the EU27.
53% Maltese respondents tend not to trust their political parties compared to the EU27 average of 76%. Moreover, 48% of the Maltese do not trust the Government compared to 63% of the EU average.
The absolute majority of the Maltese – 51% – has a positive opinion about the European Union, and only 18% had a negative opinion.
Significantly for the majority of the Maltese, the European Union means freedom to travel, study and work anywhere in the EU (51%), having a stronger say in the world (36%) and adopting the Euro (30%).
To a lesser extent the EU27 average also demonstrates that Europeans value the freedom to travel, study and work within any other EU country which stands at 42% – 9 % lower than the Maltese. Subsequently, 33% of Europeans relate the European Union with its currency, the Euro and peace (25%).
Another significant difference between the Maltese and their European counterparts is that 26% of the Maltese – compared to 16% of the EU27 average – associate the EU with the local economic prosperity.
More than half the Maltese interviewed (57%) are in favour of the fact that Malta joined the European Union. Moreover, (67%) of the participants feel that Malta has benefited from being a member of the European Union.
Young people have more confidence in the European Union and its institutions than their elders, an EU-wide survey has found.
In most cases the majority of the Maltese have a positive approach towards being part of the European Union especially in having Malta’s voice counting in the EU (66% compared to the EU average of 61%) and feeling more stable economically because Malta is a member of the euro area (57% compared to the EU average ).
Another European wide survey published on the occasion of the fall of the Berlin wall showed that while the European Commission enjoyed the confidence of 52% of Maltese young people compared to 43% in the 55+ group. 58% of young people had confidence in the EU against 43% in the older group.
The survey also found that more young people considered EU membership to be rather beneficial for their country. To young people aged 15 to 24, Europe represented the freedom to travel, work and study everywhere in the EU (55%), the euro (38%), peace (26%), cultural diversity (24%), a stronger say in the world (23%), democracy (21%), economic prosperity (18%), waste of money (11%) and a lack of control at external borders (11%).

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