Maltese dislike Putin, Trump and Netanyahu, lukewarm on Zelenskyy and Von der Leyen

Trump, Putin find more sympathy among PL voters 

The new US President receives a negative rating from both PN and PL voters. However, in a clear case of ideological dissonance, Labour voters tend to be somewhat more positive towards the right-wing US leader. 

While PN voters give Trump an abysmal rating of 2.5, his score improves to 3.6 among Labour voters. The percentage of those rating Trump below 5, drops from 73% among PN voters to 54% among PL voters. 

Labour also harbours a larger cohort of Trump sympathisers than the PN. While 26% of PL voters give Trump a rating of 6 or more, only 15% of PN voters do the same. And while 38.2% of PN voters rate Trump at zero – the lowest score possible – 22.6% of PL voters do likewise. 

PL voters are also marginally more positive about the authoritarian Russian president, who, apart from invading Ukraine, stands in stark contrast to Labour’s trailblazing track record on LGBTQ rights. 

While PN voters give Putin a rating of just 1.3, PL voters rate him at 2.3. And while both parties include a small cohort of Putin sympathisers, only 6% of PN voters give him a rating of 6 or more, compared to 14% of PL voters. 

Non-voters follow a similar trend to Labour supporters, giving Trump (3.5) and Putin (2), higher scores than PN voters. 

PL supporters negative about Von der Leyen, Zelenskyy 

Reflecting the PN’s historically more Western-leaning and pro-European foreign policy orientation, its voters are more positive towards the Ukrainian President and the European Commission President. 

Zelenskyy, who over the past three years has led his country’s resistance against the Russian onslaught, is rated at 5.2 by PN voters. His rating drops to just 3.9 among Labour supporters. 

Both major parties, however, include detractors of the Ukrainian leader. While a third of PL voters give Zelenskyy a score between 0 and 2, only 13% of PN voters do likewise. 

The greater antipathy towards the Ukrainian leader among Labour supporters defies the Maltese government’s own stance, which has consistently denounced Russia as the aggressor. But it could reflect recent declarations by Prime Minister Robert Abela that Ukraine cannot win the war and will have to compromise. Moreover, Zelenskyy’s higher ratings among PN voters partly reflect Roberta Metsola’s support for the Ukrainian leader in her role as President of the European Parliament. 

Similarly, Ursula von der Leyen – who has recently led efforts to boost the EU’s defence spending – is given a solid rating of 5.8 by PN voters, compared to just 3.9 among PL voters. 

While a third of Labour voters assign the Commission President a low score (between 0 and 2), only 12% of PN voters do the same. The lower rating for the European Commission president among PL voters can be partly explained by the prime minister’s recent ambivalence on the rearmament package, which he supported in Brussels while expressing public misgivings in Malta. 

Less divergence on Netanyahu 

There is less divergence in the assessment of Netanyahu, who, like Putin, faces charges of crimes against humanity before the International Criminal Court. The Israeli prime minister is given a slightly lower score by PL voters (2.6) than by PN voters (2.9). However, while less than 13% of PL voters give Netanyahu a score of 6 or more, the share rises to 22% among PN voters. This could reflect the stronger anti-Israeli stance adopted by Labour MEPs, in contrast to Metsola’s refusal to call out genocide in Gaza – even if the government itself has been hesitant to recognise the Palestinian state. 

Trump, Putin fare better among males, young people 

The survey reveals notable differences in how various demographics assess global leaders based on age, gender, and education. 

Younger voters tend to be more favourable towards Trump, who receives his highest rating of 4.2 from those aged 16 to 35. His support drops significantly among older age groups, with those aged 65+ rating him at just 2.4. 

Similarly, Putin fares slightly better among the younger demographic, scoring 2.9 among 16- to 35-year-olds, but remains deeply unpopular overall, particularly among older voters, where his rating plummets to 1.3 among those over 65. 

In contrast, Zelenskyy is appreciated both by the younger generation, who rate him at 4.8, and by those aged over 65, among whom he scores 4.6. However, his ratings dip among middle-aged respondents (aged 36–50), who give him just 3.8. 

Netanyahu’s ratings are fairly consistent across age groups, with a slight increase among younger voters, who rate him 3.1. 

Gender differences 

Gender also plays a role in the ratings, with significant gaps for some leaders. Trump, for example, is rated considerably higher by men (3.6) than by women (2.8), which reflects his controversial track record, including misogynistic comments. Putin follows a similar pattern, receiving a higher rating from men (2.2) than women (1.6). 

Zelenskyy, however, is more appreciated by women (4.8) than men (4.2). Netanyahu’s ratings are relatively equal between genders, with men rating him at 2.8 and women giving him a slightly lower score of 2.6. Von der Leyen, on the other hand, sees little gender disparity in her ratings, with women rating her slightly higher (4.7) compared to men (4.5). 

Zelenskyy, Von der Leyen highest among tertiary educated 

Educational background also influences perceptions, particularly with Trump, who is rated more favourably by those with post-secondary education (3.7).   His rating drops to 3.5 among those with a tertiary education and to 2.9 among those with a secondary level of education. Similarly, Putin fares slightly better among the post-secondary educated (2.7). 

Zelenskyy’s ratings are highest among the tertiary educated (4.8), with his score decreasing slightly among those with a post-secondary education (4.4) or secondary education (4.2). Netanyahu’s ratings show little variation based on education, with a slight increase among those with post-secondary education (3). Von der Leyen is rated highest by those with a tertiary education (5.1), but her score drops to 4.3 among the post-secondary educated and to 4.4 among the secondary educated. 

Identikit of the Maltese Trumpist 

The survey suggests that the typical Maltese Maga supporter is more likely to be male, post-secondary educated, aged between 16 and 35 and Labour-leaning.  The same applies to the smaller category of Putin sympathisers who also tend to thrive in the same demographic groups. On the other hand, while following similar patterns in respect to age and gender, the typical Netanyahu supporter is more likely to be PN-leaning. 

Pope Francis is universally loved 

Amid growing concerns about his deteriorating health, Pope Francis continues to enjoy near-universal approval in Malta, as the pope scores an average of 8.3 out of 10, with 90% giving him a rating of 8 or higher. 

The pope is given top marks by 23.2% and in contrast, only 3% rate the Catholic church’s leader between 0 and 4. 

The survey suggests an outpouring of sympathy for the pope amid global apprehension as to whether his legacy will survive a more conservative successor. 

Surprisingly, the relatively progressive Francis receives his relatively lowest ratings from 16- to 35-year-olds (7.8) and among respondents with post-secondary or tertiary education (8.1). This is mostly due to the lower number of younger and more educated respondents who give him full marks. 

For the same reason, women – 27.6% of whom give the pope full marks – rate Francis slightly higher (8.4) than men (8.1). Among men, 18.5% award him top marks. 

It is only among the post-secondary educated that a small minority (6%) rate the Pope at 4 or less. This percentage drops to 2% or less among those with a tertiary or secondary education. This slightly higher proportion of papal detractors among those who continued their studies beyond secondary but have not attended university may reflect a degree of cultural conservatism in this demographic, which is also more sympathetic to Trump and Putin. 

Nationalist Party voters are also marginally more sympathetic to the Pope (8.4) than Labour voters (8.2) and non-voters (8.3).  

The MaltaToday survey suggests that global conservative misgivings about Pope Francis – stemming from his focus on social inequalities rather than divisive culture wars – have not eroded his popularity in Malta. 

His image has also not been diminished by his inability to push through reforms such as allowing the blessing of same-sex couples, in the face of opposition from conservative bishops. 

And despite concerns about immigration, the Maltese remain undaunted by the pope’s denunciation of the “globalisation of indifference” towards irregular migrants.