Eurobarometer on the Sunday Times

The latest Malta report by the EC's Eurobarometer, of which yours truly is the National Editor, is the subject of today's editorial on the Sunday Times. A summary of the survey findings also appears on a seperate feature on page 5 of the paper. From today's Sunday Times editorial:

Perhaps it is a bit early to gauge the effects of European Union membership on Malta. After all, it is less than a year ago that the island, together with eight East European (formerly Communist) states and Cyprus joined the Union. However, a number of initiatives are already being taken in Germany and other countries to look at what, a year later, this historic enlargement of the EU has meant to the countries concerned, to the "old" member states and to Europe as a whole.

The European Commission regularly holds Europe-wide surveys, known as Eurobarometer, precisely to gauge public opinion and public perceptions of the EU and of key issues. The results of the latest Eurobarometer were published recently, and its findings about Malta make interesting reading.

Not surprisingly, the state of the economy was identified as the most important challenge for Malta at present, closely followed by unemployment and inflation. Understandably, too, the immigration issue, which had ranked ninth in the previous survey, was considered the fourth most important issue...

But if the passage of time has achieved anything, it is that EU membership is no longer an issue in Malta today - except for a vociferous but hopefully tiny minority in the MLP - thanks to the maturity and realism displayed on this score by the same Labour Party, whose European credentials and credibility were undoubtedly boosted when it won the majority of Malta's five seats in the European Parliament last year.

Eurobarometer report - Wired Temples

Eurobarometer report (2) - Wired Temples