The latest Standard Eurobarometer has shown that the Maltese economic optimism index increased by 15 per cent since spring, when the previous survey was carried out.
The Maltese have the highest expectations, among Europeans, for a better economic situation in the country, according to the results of the survey published yesterday.
Standard Eurobarometer 68 was carried out between September and November this year and involved face-to-face interviews with 500 Maltese respondents.
Of these, a total of 35 per cent said they believed the country’s economic situation would improve in the next 12 months – the highest rate registered among all of the Eurobarometer’s respondents, covering 31 countries or territories.
These were the 27 EU member states, the three candidate countries (Croatia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Turkey) and the Turkish Cypriot Community in the area not controlled by the government of the Republic of Cyprus.
When compared to the previous Standard Eurobarometer, the economic optimism index increased by 15 per cent.
Asked about their expectations for the next 12 months as regards their life in general, a total of 34 per cent of Maltese respondents said they believed it would be better – four per cent higher than the average number of responses from other Europeans.
Maltese respondents were also among the respondents with the highest expectations for a better employment situation in their country, while half the Maltese participants said they would judge the current situation of the economy as being “very good” and “rather good”.
As for EU membership, 54 per cent of Maltese respondents said that generally speaking, Malta’s membership in the EU is a good thing – four per cent less than the average number of other European respondents.
On the other hand, a strong 64 per cent of Maltese respondents said that taking everything into account, the country has benefited from being an EU member.
Asked about their level of trust in the European Commission and the European Parliament, 60 per cent and 63 per cent respectively, of Maltese respondents, said they “tend to trust” the institutions.
While this percentage is higher than the EU average, the results show that Maltese respondents’ level of trust in the European Commission decreased by eight per cent since the last Standard Eurobarometer survey. The level of trust in the European Parliament also decreased, this time by five per cent.
Respondents’ level of trust in the national government and parliament were also higher than the EU average, at 45 per cent and 42 per cent respectively.
The Standard Eurobarometer survey was commissioned by the Directorate-General Communication of the European Commission and was carried out by TNS Opinion and Social, a consortium formed by TNS and EOS Gallup Europe.