Investing further in education and training is the answer to boost growth in the EU and resolve the economic crisis, according to the majority of Maltese respondents to an EU-wide survey.
Many also said they would not mind if the government discussed its Budget plans with Brussels before taking it to Parliament.
The findings of the Eurobarometer survey, commissioned by the European Parliament, were published on Tuesday, on the eve of an emergency EU summit addressing the eurozone crisis. The survey, conducted in Malta by TNS Opinion among a sample of 500 respondents last March, shows that measures to boost growth are more popular than austerity, even though Malta has been spared from the latter as it fared relatively well compared with other member states.
Only 18 per cent of Maltese respondents said that reducing the deficit and debt levels should be a first priority.
The overwhelming majority, 41 per cent, preferred to see austerity measures coupled with steps to boost growth.
Asked what measures they envisaged to be the best recipe to boost the economic situation, 61 per cent said increased investment in education, training and research was the best way forward.
On an EU-wide level, 49 per cent of respondents felt that support for small and medium enterprises was the best way to boost growth. When asked about the need for member states to respect EU financial rules, particularly in controlling their debts and deficits better, 65 per cent of Maltese respondents said they were in favour of measures providing for Malta to discuss its national budget plans with Brussels before going to Parliament.
Twenty-one per cent objected, citing sovereignty issues.
Rules established last year already oblige member states to send Brussels draft national budget plans before these are officially adopted.
The EU now has the right to ask member states to review their plans if these are not in line with its overall rules on public finances.
The results of the survey also show that, despite the focus on the economic crisis, knowledge about certain technical terms was still limited.
Just over 50 per cent of Maltese said they had never heard of the term Eurobonds and 60 per cent said they had no idea what credit agencies were or did.