Two-thirds of citizens see themselves as Maltese and European at the same time, research has found.
On the other hand, in the rest of Europe only half the people interviewed cherish their European identity in this way.
A Eurobarometer survey published yesterday found that just 37 per cent of citizens of this island consider themselves to be solely Maltese.
This contrasts with the European trend where an average of 44 per cent referred to themselves in terms of their own nationality alone. And only 49 per cent consider themselves both in terms of their national and European identities.
Some four per cent see themselves as European only.
For anthropologist Mark-Anthony Falzon, it is not clear what is meant by “European”, as the term can be used to describe a geographical, cultural, economic or even an ethnic region.
And this “terminological fuzziness” is more of a problem in comparative research across large areas.
“We might ask what exactly did a particular respondent from, say, France, have in mind when they were asked if they felt European,” he said.
Prof. Falzon added he was not too surprised that Maltese respondents said they felt both Maltese and European.
“Malta is an island on the periphery. People from Luxembourg, for example, might never wonder whether they’re European because it’s rather obvious they are, by virtue of being in the thick of it.
“People in Malta, on the other hand, will probably deem it important to specify they are both Maltese and European – the second being far less obvious.”
According to the survey, in the eyes of many Europeans, the values of freedom and democracy are the main elements that make up European identity, followed by the euro as well as European “culture” and history.
The Eurobarometer also seeks to gauge Europeans’ perceptions of the EU, their knowledge of its institutions and their expectations in this time of crisis.
For the Maltese, the role of the European Parliament in a crisis should be creating jobs and combating unemployment (56 per cent), reducing member states’ public debt (50 per cent) and increasing purchasing power and combating inflation (42 per cent).