MaltaMedia.com

The way the Maltese perceive their standard of living and quality of life reflects the economic climate both locally and abroad.Less than half think EU membership was a positive step but on the other hand they think the euro mitigated the effects of the international ecconomic crisis on Malta.

This can be deduced from the latest findings of the National Eurobarometer Report for Autumn 2009. With regards to Malta’s accession to the EU, 45% feel it was a positive step, a significant drop of 12 percentage points from the last exercise. On the other hand, the majority of the Maltese (54%) believe that the Euro has mitigated the negative effects of the current crisis.

As confirmed earlier this week by the European Commission’s Social Situation Report, the National Eurobarometer Report shows that the majority of the Maltese are generally satisfied with their life. However, three out of four Maltese consider the local economic situation to be bad, and they don’t see the economy on a European level any better. The report cites measures taken in the 2010 Budget and the current economic and financial difficulties as the elements that had the most evident impact on the participants’ perceptions. The main concerns are related to the cost of living, energy prices and the environment, confirming the constant trend of previous polls. Most do not appear particularly optimistic when looking ahead towards the next twelve months.

Immigration is still a major concern. However one can note that the percentage of Maltese mentioning immigration went down by 14 percentage points when compared to the same time last year.

When asked what could improve the performance of the European economy, the top three factors selected by the Maltese were increasing energy efficiency (54%), improving education and professional training (51%), and facilitating the creation of companies (38 %).

Current Acting Head of the European Commission Representation in Malta Dr Marios Camhis commented on the outcome of the report saying that, in the main, the perceptions of the Maltese echo those of fellow Europeans struggling with the current economic crisis. He noted that less participants cited immigration as a concern, but that it is still amongst the top priorities to be addressed. The waning figures of those who think EU membership was a good idea is worrying and mean that the EU needs to do more to convert all its efforts in concrete benefits.