According to the European Parliament’s Winter Eurobarometer survey, 98% of Maltese respondents believe that EU member states should be more united to face current global challenges and crises.
The European Parliament has published the Winter 2025 Eurobarometer, which introduced new questions reflecting today’s evolving challenges, including EU citizens’ views on the European Union’s role to protect against global challenges.
A total of 26,354 interviews were carried out across all EU member states, either in person or via video, between 9 January and 4 February. In Malta, 503 interviews were conducted, with people aged 15 and over. The data was weighted according to the size of the population of each country.
For the first time, the Eurobarometer asked specific questions about citizens’ expectations of the EU’s role to protect, and expectations were high EU-wide.
Half of respondents across the EU, along with 47% of Maltese respondents, said the role of the EU to protect European citizens against global crises and security risks has become more important over the past years.
However, a higher percentage believe that the EU’s role in this regard should increase – 66% at EU level said the role of the EU to protect citizens against global crises and security risks in the future should become more important, while 82% of Maltese respondents made the same statement.
The Maltese were among those with the highest expectations for the EU and the importance of its role to protect its citizens in the future, ranking seventh among all member states.
The Eurobarometer asked respondents to what extent they would agree or not with these statements: that EU member states should be more united to face current global challenges, and that the EU needs more means to face current global challenges.
98% of Maltese respondents totally or tend to agree that EU member states should be more united to face current global challenges, topping the charts, with 89% EU wide also agreeing.
Meanwhile, 76% at EU level agree that the EU needs more means to face current global challenges, while 91% of Maltese agree that the EU needs more means, the Winter Eurobarometer showed.
Asked which aspects the EU should focus on to reinforce its position in the world in the future, Maltese respondents (29%) prioritised EU values including democracy and the protection of human rights, education and research (29%), and climate action and emissions reductions (28%).
At EU level, however, 36% of respondents prioritised defence and security, followed by energy independence, resources and infrastructure (27%) and food security and agriculture, the survey showed.
The Eurobarometer asked more familiar questions on the key priorities, concerns and values of citizens.
Inflation, rising prices and the cost of living remain a top concern for both the EU and Malta, scoring 43% and 46% respectively. Respondents also want the European Parliament to address more support for public health in priority, with 35% of Maltese respondents and 25% of European respondents.
29% of Maltese respondents said that migration and asylum should be a priority for the European Parliament, which is a 21 percentage point decrease compared to the last Eurobarometer.
Albeit an 11-percentage point decrease as compared to the last survey, the Maltese still want the fight against poverty and social exclusion addressed (27%), with 31% saying so at EU level.
At the EU level, 33% of respondents believe their standard of living will decline over the next five years, compared to 22% of respondents in Malta who share this view. 51% of EU respondents and 42% of Maltese respondents expect that their standard of living will not change, the Eurobarometer showed.
The Eurobarometer also asked which values the EP should defend as a matter of priority, and peace was at the top of the list for both Malta and at EU level, 39% and 45% respectively.
There was also a significant increase in Maltese respondents who pointed to freedom of speech and thought (22%) as a value they would like the EP to defend compared to the last Eurobarometer, a 10-percentage point increase.
33% of Maltese respondents and 32% of European respondents also chose democracy as a value which should be defended, as well as the rule of law (27% Malta, 21% EU).
The Eurobarometer also asked about citizens’ perceptions of the EU, the European Parliament and EU membership.
Malta ranked eighth among member states in terms of those who responded that they have a positive image of the EU, which is a 4-percentage point increase than the last Eurobarometer, with 55%, while 36% are neutral.
Moreover, 50% view the European Union in a positive image, with 34% remaining neutral. 15% at EU level view the EU negatively, while only 9% of Maltese respondents have a negative image of the EU.
48% of Maltese respondents view the European Parliament institution in a positive image, with 40% remaining neutral. Meanwhile, 41% of EU respondents view the EP in a positive light, with 38% remaining neutral, the Eurobarometer showed.
Asked if respondents would like to see the European Parliament play a more or less important role, 70% of Maltese respondents said they want the EP to play a more important role, while 18% believe it should play a less important role.
Among EU member states, 62% would like to see the EP play a more important role, with 25% believing it should play a less important role, the Eurobarometer showed.
Respondents were asked if they believe the actions of the EU have an impact on their daily lives, to which 81% of Maltese respondents said “yes” and 18% replying in the negative.
At EU level, 72% believe that EU actions have an impact on their daily lives, while 27% do not believe so.
Asked if their country has benefited from being a member of the EU, 92% of Maltese believe that Malta has benefited from EU membership, ranking highest among all member states, with 6% believing that it has not.
74% at EU level believe their country has benefited from EU membership, while 22% say they have not benefited, the Eurobarometer showed.
As for reasons why, 50% of Maltese respondents pointed to the contribution the EU makes to Malta’s economic growth, among other reasons.
Another question the Eurobarometer asked was on citizens’ interest in EU affairs and engagement, which has steadily increased following electoral periods, with 41% of Maltese being particularly interested in the activities of Maltese MEPs in the EU Parliament, while 35% at EU level are interested in the activities of their country’s MEPs.
41% of Maltese respondents are also interested in what the European Parliament wants the EU long-term financial budget for the coming seven years to be spent on – fitting into the geopolitical context and the drive for more security and defence spending.
40% at EU level are also interested in what the European Parliament wants the EU budget to be spent on. 36% of Maltese respondents said they want to receive more information on what the EU has concretely done or changed in their city, region and country, while 41% at EU level prioritised this aspect.
As far as what type of media is mostly used to access news, 55% of Maltese respondents said they receive news from social media platforms, with 36% saying this at EU level, the majority being youths.
Following closely, 50% of Maltese respondents said they access news via online press and news platforms, with 41% at EU level, the Eurobarometer showed. 47% access their news on TV in Malta, while 72% EU-wide still follow the news on television.
