Immigration was the main issue on the minds of Maltese voters during the European Parliament elections, followed by economic growth, according to a new Eurobarometer survey.

In Europe as a whole the main issue of concern was unemployment but this was only the case for about a fifth of the voters in Malta.

At a European level, concern over immigration grew considerably since 2009, by seven percentage points. It even doubled in the United Kingdom (to 42 per cent, up by 21 points compared to 2009) and France (to 21 per cent, up by 11).

The study also shows that trust in EU institutions was at its highest in Malta, with 69 per cent saying they trusted them.

This figure represents an increase of four per cent on 2009 results, with Luxembourg topping the list alongside Malta. The average for the 28 states stood at 43 per cent.

In Europe as a whole the main issue was unemployment

The survey provides insights into the views of Europeans following the MEP elections in May. Information and electoral campaigns preceding the vote seem to have been successful in Malta, as 81 per cent said they had the necessary information to choose their MEPs.

Meanwhile, up to 63 per cent of the Maltese – compared to the European average of 38 per cent – believe the European Parliament takes into consideration the concerns of its citizens.

Ten years after EU accession, 68 per cent of the Maltese consider EU membership a good thing and three quarters feel “attached to Europe” – up by 12 percentage points on 2009.

The portion of respondents who said they feel like citizens of the EU reached 84 per cent, following that of Luxembourg’s 90 per cent, which are again the highest two figures among member states.