Survey finds improved perception of economy, EU membership

A new Eurobarometer survey, conducted in Malta last April, shows increased support for Malta's membership of the EU and a significantly improved perception of the economy.

The Eurobarometer is an EU-wide survey conducted across the 27 member states of the EU every six months.

According to the first results published in Brussels yesterday, 51 per cent of the Maltese now think that Malta's accession of the EU is a good thing, an increase of six percentage points over October of last year.

Those thinking that EU membership is a bad thing dropped to 17 per cent, down two points, while those who answered that it is neither good nor bad were 30 per cent, down six.

More significantly are the results on the question of whether Malta benefited from membership. Sixty-six per cent said "yes", an increase of eight points from six months before.

The feel-good factor was however expressed in bolder terms when the 500 respondents were asked how they perceived the state of Maltese economy.

Forty-eight per cent said it was doing well and gaining momentum, an increase of 15 percentage points over October 2006. Those giving a negative opinion on the economic performance of the country dropped by a staggering 19 points to 44 per cent.

The Eurobarometer, conducted in Malta by the research agency Misco, also dealt with the most important issues facing the country at the moment.

Only 30 per cent indicated immigration as an important issue, a drop of 15 points. The issue most mentioned this time, at 34 per cent, was inflation. Unemployment also came high in the "issues" list, mentioned by 25 per cent of respondents.

Asked about their opinion on a new EU constitution for the EU, 56 per cent said that they agreed with it while 19 per cent oppose it. Twenty-five per cent stated that they don't have an opinion on the issue.