Trust in the Government and the economy soared after Labour’s sweeping victory last March, according to the results of a Eurobarometer survey published yesterday in Brussels.
The survey, conducted in Malta by Misco in May among a sample of 500 adults, also shows people have high expectations of the new administration over the next 12 months.
Compared to the previous survey conducted in November 2012, during the final months of the Nationalist administration, the results show an increase of 25 per cent in those replying that they trust the Government, reaching a 59 per cent trust rate.
Only 25 per cent replied that they don’t trust the Government, 27 per cent less when compared to the autumn survey.
In Malta, 57 per cent said that generally things were moving in the right direction
This newfound positivity is reflected throughout the survey results.
A total of 62 per cent of respondents described the current state of the Maltese economy as “good” – up 18 per cent on the previous autumn – while 35 per cent (+18 per cent) said they expected the economy to be “better” in the coming year.
On the other hand, those expecting the economy to get worse declined by 14 per cent, dipping to just seven per cent of respondents.
Expectations are also high when it comes to the job market and personal finance.
Asked whether they thought more jobs would be available in the next 12 months, 33 per cent of respondents said they expected better prospects, up 17 per cent over last year, while 21 per cent are expecting to be in an improved personal financial situation, up seven per cent.
However, 66 per cent said they were expecting no changes in their financial situation.
The Maltese were more positive than most of the other EU nationals, the majority of who do not see any green shoots in their economies due to the ongoing downturn.
The exceptions are Sweden, Luxembourg and Germany.
A total of 71 per cent of Maltese respondents felt Malta’s economy was faring better than the EU average while 68 per cent believed the quality of life in Malta was better than in the rest of the EU.
Only in the environment and cost of living did the Maltese feel they were worse off than in the rest of the bloc.
Asked to state what they perceive as the biggest challenges facing the island, the majority, 29 per cent cited migration, followed by the economy (28 per cent), cost of living (24 per cent) and public debt (24 per cent).
However, 57 per cent said that, generally speaking, things were moving in the right direction, a 27 per cent rise from the last survey carried out under the Nationalist administration.