Almost two out of every three Maltese believe that having political connections are the best way to get ahead, well above the EU average of 56 per cent.

A new Eurobarometer poll on how fair life was showed that having a good education was the most important factor (98%), while 91 per cent felt that knowing the right people was also essential or important.

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Gender did not feature very highly, with only 42 per cent saying it was essential or important – even lower than the EU average of 46 per cent in spite of the fact that Malta often rates badly when it comes to female participation and wage gaps.

Coming from a wealthy family is not as much as a deterrent here in Malta, compared to the EU. In Malta, 51 per cent felt it was important, compared to 64 per cent in the EU.

The survey found other stark differences between Malta and the EU: Only 73 per cent felt that there was too wide a gap in people’s income, compared to 84 per cent in the EU who felt there was unfair income distribution.

Other questions revealed that 90 per cent of the Maltese consider themselves to be happy, and 86 per cent in good health, while 56 per cent felt that most of the things that happened to them were ‘fair’.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE SURVEY

The poll showed that most Europeans think life is generally fair, but have concerns over justice, political decisions and income inequality.

• More than half of respondents think that people have equal opportunities to get ahead (58%). However, this figure hides substantial regional disparities, with 81% agreeing in Denmark, but only 18% in Greece.
• Respondents are less optimistic about fairness in specific fields. Only 39% are confident that justice always prevails over injustice, while the same proportion disagrees. Even more pessimistically, only 32% agree that political decisions are applied consistently to all citizens and 48% disagree. Overall, people are more likely to perceive things to be fair if they are better educated, younger, and better-off.
• The overwhelming majority think that income differences are too great (84%), ranging from 96% in Portugal and 92% in Germany to 59% in the Netherlands. In all countries except Denmark more than 60% agree that governments should take measures to reduce differences.
• For getting ahead in life, good health and quality education are regarded as essential or important by 98% and 93% of respondents respectively. Working hard and knowing the right people are also deemed essential or important by more than 90%. Coming from a wealthy family, having political connections, being of a specific ethnic origin or birth gender are seen as less important.
• Fewer than half of respondents (46%) believe that opportunities to get ahead have become more equal compared to 30 years ago, with more than 70% agreeing in Malta, Finland and Ireland, but fewer than 25% in Croatia, France and Greece.
• Overall, 47% of Europeans think that globalisation is a good thing and 21% disagree. 39% think migration into their country is a good thing while 33% do not.

As part of the European Pillar of Social Rights, the European Commission has put forward a series of legal and policy initiatives in this sense, including a proposal to increase gender equality by improving the balance between private and professional life for working parents, as well as proposals aiming at creating more predictable and transparent working conditions and access to social protection for all.

To harness the full potential of education and culture in boosting social fairness, participation and economic growth, the Commission is working towards a European Education Area by 2025, proposing a series of initiatives on education, youth and culture. Its first package of measures presented in January included a proposal on strengthening inclusive education to promote quality education for all pupils.

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