US going to the dogs under Trump, vast majority believe

The Maltese are increasingly viewing the EU as a vital anchor of stability, contrasting sharply with deepening pessimism over the United States’ trajectory under Donald Trump.

This emerges from a Eurobarometer survey held in April and May, showing that a significant 73% of Maltese agree the EU is a place of stability in a troubled world.

At the same time, a staggering 78% of Maltese respondents believe the US is heading in the wrong direction. In contrast, only 9% think the US is going in the right direction.

Back in November 2025, 22% of Maltese respondents believed that, in general, things are going in the right direction in the US and nearly half (48%) thought the US was heading in the wrong direction, while 30% were unable to express an opinion.

This means that since November the percentage of people who think the US is going in the wrong direction has increased by a remarkable 30 points, while those who think the US is going in the right direction has decreased by 13 points.

Maltese citizens are slightly more critical of the path taken by the United States under Donald Trump than the average European (76%). But the number who view the US positively is higher in the EU as a whole—4% compared to 9% in Malta.

While Malta shares the prevailing European view that the US is on the wrong track, it remains significantly more critical than countries like Hungary where 46% of respondents think the US is going in the right direction. 

Hungary is the only EU country where a relative majority view the US’s direction in a positive light. Nonetheless, this perception still did not save Trump ally Viktor Orban from defeat in recent elections won by centre-right leader Peter Magyar.

Other countries with a larger segment who think the US is moving in the right direction include Romania (37%), Croatia (25%) and the Czechia (24%).

In contrast the perception that the US is going in the wrong direction is higher in a number of countries like Sweden (94%), Denmark (94%) and the Netherlands (93%)

Quality of Life: EU vs global powers

When comparing the quality of life within the EU to that of other major powers, Malta holds a higher-than-average preference for the European model over the American one. The survey shows that 68% of Maltese respondents believe the quality of life in the EU is better than in the United States, surpassing the EU27 average of 62%.

Specifically, 33% of Maltese respondents believe life in the EU is “much better” than in the US. Only 20% of Maltese see the US quality of life as superior.

The perception of China is more complex. While 62% of Maltese believe life is better in the EU than in China, this is lower than the EU27 average of 67%

Furthermore, there is a high degree of uncertainty regarding China among the Maltese, with 14% stating they “don’t know” how the two compare.

The EU a ‘safe haven’

The most consistent sentiment among Maltese respondents is the perception of the EU as a “safe haven”. A significant 73% of people in Malta agree that the EU is a place of stability in a troubled world

This reflects a two-point increase since the October/November 2025 survey

While Malta’s level of agreement is high, it is slightly below the EU27 average of 75%.

Notably, the “safe haven” sentiment has surged across the broader union, with the EU average seeing an eight-point increase in agreement since late 2025—a much more rapid rise in confidence than that observed specifically in Malta.

The survey commissioned by the EU parliament was conducted between 9 April and 4 May 2026 and included a wide range of questions on the future of Europe.

Across all 27 Member States, 26,421 total interviews were conducted via face-to-face and video methods. The survey interviewed 500 Maltese.