Labour voters want their MEPs to “stand up for Malta”, while PN voters believe that they should act on corruption, the latest Times of Malta poll reveals, suggesting that supporters of the two parties view the roles of their European representatives in a different light.
When asked to name the main issue that would shape their vote, people who say they will voter for the Labour Party come June listed “stand up for Malta/clear Malta’s name” as their top concern, with 15% of preferences.
18% of PN voters, on the other hand, listed corruption as the issue that concerns them most, far ahead of any other issues.
However, neither of these two issues lie at the top of the pile for the broader electorate, with immigration pipping both to the post amongst all voters. This echoes the outcome of a Eurobarometer survey published last week, which found that immigration was the top concern for Maltese voters.
Other issues that are likely to drive people to vote include the environment (8% of all voters) and war concerns (6%).
Labour voters appear to be particularly alarmed by the war, placing it second amongst the list of issues driving them to vote. PN voters, on the other hand, showed little concern over this topic.
Several other frequently discussed topics, including overpopulation, traffic, and consumer rights barely featured across both sets of voters.
PN voters want MEPs’s to encourage EU scrutiny of government, PL voters disagree
The two groups also differ in what they see as the primary role of an MEP.
Almost four out of every ten PL voters say that they want their representatives to make sure that EU legislation has a positive impact on Malta, with a further quarter saying that they should promote Malta’s interests.
On the other hand, a third of PN voters say that the main task of an MEP is to encourage the EU’s scrutiny of the Maltese government, ranking it just ahead of making sure legislation impacts Malta positively.
Most voters across the broader electorate say that MEPs are there to improve the impact of legislation on Malta, with a third of all voters arguing for this. This is the top priority for voters of all ages, with the exception of those over the age of 65, where encouraging scrutiny of Malta’s government pips it to the post.
Again, supporters of the two parties disagree on the issue – while over half PN voters in this age group say that this is the main task of an MEP, the issue does not feature at all for elderly Labour voters.
The poll, carried out by market research firm Esprimi in early April, asked 600 respondents for their views on the upcoming MEP elections.