A national ‘State of the Nation’ conference organised by the office of the president will be held for a third time on June 2, President George Vella announced on Wednesday.

Held at the Verdala palace, the conference will present the findings of research into people’s attitudes and beliefs on a diverse number of issues, including politics, religion, family life and the economy.

Researcher Vincent Marmara said work had already started to collate data gleaned from a sample size of over 1,000 people. Findings would have a margin of error of around 3 per cent, he said.

Marmara said the third edition of the research will not only build on the body of information collected but start identifying trends which may indicate how people’s perceptions and opinions on matters of national importance are changing and why.

Event co-organizer Lou Bondi said that the conference’s four panels will include participants from all walks of life, including academics, businessmen, politicians and members of voluntary organizations.

“The aim is to create a national conversation, rather than a debate,” he said.

Both Prime Minister Robert Abela and Opposition Leader Bernard Grech will be participating in the conference, he continued, but whereas in previous editions both have given a speech, this year Abela and Grech will be interviewed separately by Bondi.

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola will also be addressing the event via video conference.

President Vella welcomed the third edition of the conference and said there will always be value in carrying out scientific research about how the Maltese people define themselves, who they are becoming and how we are changing.

President George Vella launches the conference on Wednesday. Photo: Office of the President

Now with the benefit of having previous editions to compare to, Vella said as time goes by the more the information gathered will continue to have value.

“This conference fills a void on how we perceive ourselves as a nation because we can get a snapshot of how people think about important issues based on facts rather than opinions,” he said

Vella encouraged participants to be honest in the replies they give to researchers on difficult topics and not tell them what they think they want to hear, stressing that all the data collected is anonymous.

He said it was critical that the nation identify shifting trends and reflect on whether the state of certain systems, such as the economic model or attitudes towards the environment, need to be approached differently.

Those who wish to attend the conference may send an email to stattannazzjon@gov.mt