Eurobarometer: 53% of Maltese satisfied with government’s handling of Covid pandemic

53% of Maltese respondents in the latest Eurobarometer survey said they are very satisfied or fairly satisfied with the government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

44% stated that they were not very satisfied or not satisfied at all.

In the EU as a whole, the level of satisfaction ranged from 24% in the Czech Republic to 75% in Denmark.

The average satisfaction level with the way national governments handled the pandemic was at 43%.

Satisfaction with the way the EU handled the pandemic was slightly higher in Malta at 55%, compared with 43% for the whole of the EU.

77% of respondents in Malta stated that the restriction measures taken by the public authorities in Malta to fight the coronavirus and its effects were absolutely justified or somewhat justified, a result similar to the 73% obtained for the whole of the EU.

However, 41% of respondents found these measures fairly difficult or very difficult to cope with.

23% stated that they found it very easy or fairly easy to cope with, while 36% said that they were both difficult and easy to cope with.

Respondents were asked what the European Union should now prioritise in its response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The top mentions were to ensure rapid access to safe and effective vaccines to all EU citizens, mentioned by 40% of respondents. This was followed by investing more money in the economy for a sustainable and fair recovery in all the EU Member States, mentioned by 31% of respondents.

Establishing a European strategy for facing a similar crisis in the future and investing more money to develop treatments and vaccines each received 28% of mentions. In the whole of the EU the number one priority was the same one, but the second priority was establishing a European strategy for facing a similar crisis in the future.

The trust of respondents in

Malta towards the EU is significant, with 79% of respondents stating that given the EU’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, they totally trust or tend to trust the EU to make the right decisions in the future. The corresponding figure for the whole of the EU is 59%. 90% of respondents in Malta believe that the EU should be given the means to better deal in the future with crises, such as the coronavirus pandemic. The economic consequences of the coronavirus are judged to be severe, and Malta is no exception.

The chart above provides information on the opinions of respondents on such economic consequences.

The pro-EU stance of respondents in Malta was also evident in the answers to the question about the effectiveness of the EU recovery plan of €750 billion to respond to the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

83% believe that the plan is very effective or fairly effective, compared to 55% for the whole of the EU. The respondents’ opinions about the COVID-19 vaccine were also sought.

The chart below provides information on the percentage of respondents who tend to agree or totally agree to a number of statements related to this vaccine.

In spite of misgivings about the vaccine, 57% of respondents in Malta said that if a vaccine against COVID-19 is authorised by public authorities and available to them, they would like to get vaccinated as soon as possible or have already been vaccinated.

Another 23% of respondents said that they would like to get vaccinated sometime in 2021. Among the sources of information on COVID-19 vaccines, the ones which respondents tend to trust most for giving reliable information are health professionals, doctors, nurses and pharmacists, mentioned by 74% of respondents, and the health authorities, mentioned by 66% of respondents.