The Eurobarometer survey results that were published last Monday are encouraging and worrying at the same time.

While, for example, support for EU membership has increased for the first time in many months – and this shows that the initial scepticism that crept in soon after membership in May 2004 is starting to be overcome – the Maltese also expressed their concern about the country’s economic progress and their standard of living.

It has often been said, and written, that the benefits of EU membership would not be seen overnight but after a number of years. People who expected that Malta would change drastically for the better soon after 1 May 2004, were disappointed, and this showed in Eurobarometer surveys that were held soon after membership.

The latest results show that support for EU membership has however increased slightly from 40 (in spring 2005) to 43 per cent last autumn. Taking everything into account, 55 per cent of respondents said that Malta had benefited from EU membership.

This shows that after nearly two years as EU members, more Maltese are slowly realising that, on the whole, Malta did the right thing in joining the European Union. As more time passes, the benefits of membership will continue to be of benefit to the country.

On the other hand, the economic situation seems to be worrying the Maltese, and only 29 per cent – down from 40 per cent last spring – believe that their life will improve in the short-term. That the survey was held soon after the government had announced increases in the water and electricity surcharge, may have helped to push the percentage down in this case.

The fact that the opposition and entrepreneurs continuously bombard the public with statements claiming that the economy is not doing well and that business has slowed down, must also be contributing factors. The problem is that the more the people hear of an economic downturn, the less they are likely will go out and spend. This inevitably results in a slowdown of the economy.

Support for the euro remains constant at 50 per cent, and this suggests the need for an educational campaign in the coming months – before Malta adopts the single currency on 1 January 2008. Many people still feel that they have not been informed enough about the benefits – or otherwise of the changeover – and what impact the changeover will have on many facets of everyday life. We are confident that in the coming months, we will get to know a lot more, as a public information campaign gears up.

There have been considerable changes in the way the Maltese look at the government and Parliament. For the first time since spring of 2003 – that is soon after the EU referendum and general election – there has been an increase in trust in the Maltese government.

It perhaps goes to prove the general idea that the first two years of a government are used to take all decisions that will not make it popular, and that things start turning round midway through the legislature. The 11 per cent jump – from 40 to 51 per cent – is a positive result for the government, but it in no way does it mean that it does not have any problems or that it will do well in the next election.

There was also a jump in people’s trust in Parliament. 51 per cent said they trusted the parliament, up from 38 per cent in spring last year.

What is perhaps strange is that support for the European Constitution went up by 10 per cent to 60 per cent, in spite of the negative results in referenda held in France and Holland, which put the issue on the back-burner.