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National Monday 6 August 2012 - 10:49

Maltese say economy is faring better than the rest of Europe

Economic outlook was less gloomy than EU average at the height of political crisis.

although 53% think the economic situation in Malta is still bad, the Maltese are becoming less gloomy about the economic outlook.
James Debono

An absolute majority of Maltese respondents, 53%, still think that the island's economy if faring better than the rest of the European Union's economies... even if the same percentage still describe the economic situation in Malta as being bad.

The first results of the biannual standard Eurobarometer survey, carried out in all EU countries during the month of May, saw the number of Maltese who think the economy is faring better than the rest of Europe's actually increased a staggering 17 points since autumn.

A more optimistic picture, or less gloomy outlook on the domestic economy by Maltese nationals emerges from the Eurobarometer survey - even if this was carried out in May, at the peak of the political crisis when Lawrence Gonzi was facing two no-confidence votes by the Opposition and a rebellious backbench.

An absolute majority 53% now think Malta's economy is doing better than the rest of Europe while only 39% think it is worse.

The survey also shows that although 53% think the economic situation in Malta is still bad, the Maltese are becoming less gloomy about the economic outlook. This is because the survey also shows a 7% increase in the number of those who describe the economic situation in Malta as being good.

While in the whole EU, only 27% describe the economic situation of the country as good, the percentage rises to 41% in Malta.

The same survey shows that only 27% think Malta is faring better than other EU countries with regards to public finance, while nearly half (49%) think Malta is doing worse.

Still, the survey confirms the perception that employment remains Malta's strongest point. In fact the percentage of those who think that the employment situation in Malta is better in Malta than the rest of Europe has increased by 16 points since Autumn. While 48% think that Malta has a better employment situation than other EU members, only 39% think it is worse off.

On the other hand, 71% think that Malta is worse off than the rest of the EU with regards to inflation but the survey shows a sharp 10-point drop in those expressing this opinion in autumn.

The Maltese also report an improvement in their personal situation with the percentage of those who describe the financial situation of their household "good" increasing by 5%. The number of Maltese who describe their financial situation as being good has now surpassed the EU average of 62%.

The survey shows that concern in Malta about inflation is one of the highest in Europe while concern on unemployment is one of the lowest in Europe.

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  • 10 Comments
Posted by: david_lexicon — 06/08/2012 20:44:14
What are the guarantees that Eurobarometer is not tampered with. I never underestimate GonziPN.
Posted by: Thorny — 06/08/2012 20:13:30
Especially with an Opposition that does not make spokes in the wheels like in Eddie's times and his infamous "Malta Files"! The times the PN fail to mention when they used to go !abroad to discourage investment to Malta to distabilise the Labour administration of the day!
Posted by: xprun — 06/08/2012 20:04:19
@ Briffy - what you wrote is a load of BS. The labour government of 1971 and 1976 were the most successful governments EVER in attracting foreign investment to Malta - not that's a FACT that no skewered PN-blinkered report can deny. We are today still benefitting from large companies that started their operations in Malta during the Labour government. Remember the days when all industrial estates were chock-full of manufacturing companies employing thousands. I know because I was directly involved in industry in those days. @AVella - you are just repeating ad nauseam what you have read in In-Nazzjon and heard on Net TV these past 25 years. And just for your information, Karmenu Vella is renowned in the tourist sector as the best Minister of Tourism Malta ever had. You can rest assured that at least 65% of Maltese would prefer to have Karmenu Vella and leo Brincat as Ministers than any of the sorry lot we've been saddle with these past years. Do you want me to mention names?
Posted by: briffy@maltanet — 06/08/2012 19:26:43
@ xprun....one is not comparing the success of PN successive governments with the abysmal performance in this field by Labour governments. This is a fact and facts are not open to discussion; only opinions are discussed, facts are taken for granted. It was no less than Mintoff who lamented that he was not successful in providing good jobs for the Maltese; but he was good at bringing funds to Malta
Posted by: AVella — 06/08/2012 18:31:26
No Xprun, compared with the last 25 years (excluding the 96-98 Alfred Sant government) the years of Labour government are associated with unemployment and disasterous economic policies. The thought of having Karmenu Vella, Leo Brincat and co as ministers running this country once again is frightening.
Posted by: BETTER FUTURE — 06/08/2012 18:05:45
An accolade to the power of spin. With most TV & radio newsrooms and printed "news" sources being sympathetic to the PN (BECAUSE OF THEIR ADVERTISING REVENUE STREAMS), the Maltese are easily swayed.
Posted by: xprun — 06/08/2012 16:04:07
@ A Vella - your idiotic statement "Its hopeless track record in employment and history of economic mishandling are bad enough" is, to say the least, banal. How can you speak of Labour's record in employment when, for the last 25 years we have had successive Nationalist governments. If you'r talking about Labour in the seventies, the government then was responsible for attracting to Malta much more foreign investment then the PN can ever dream about. As for your quote "will send us headlong into the abyss to join Greece and other bankrupt Eurozone states", that's exactly where we're heading with the PN government's mismanagement of our economy.
Posted by: AVella — 06/08/2012 14:16:05
This is exactly why I would never trust Labour. Its hopeless track record in employment and history of economic mishandling are bad enough. The lack of serious proposals from the PL is, frankly, frightening. In the current economic climate in the EU and beyond one slight mistake will send us headlong into the abyss to join Greece and other bankrupt Eurozone states
Posted by: Xifajk — 06/08/2012 14:06:31
The Maltese also report an improvement in their personal situation ........ Aren't you fed up with taking the Maltese Nation for a ride???????????? Did families of the inner circle receive some €500 behind our back like Dr Gonzi and company did?
Posted by: franco — 06/08/2012 13:17:55
Yea right James............pull the other one.