Eurobarometer surveys tend to show satisfaction with “the way democracy works” in the EU’s 27 member states. A year from the next European Parliament (EP) elections, the latest survey, however, has evidenced some significant shifts in how the Maltese electorate feels about the health of our democracy. Just under half of those surveyed in Malta are not happy with the way it is working.

Perhaps the most significant finding is that only 36 per cent of local respondents feel that things in the country are going in the right direction, a substantial 29 percentage point drop when compared to the responses of the previous survey. A significant 42 per cent believe the country is going in the wrong direction.

The survey was conducted a few days after the courts annulled the highly controversial hospitals deal with Steward. This could partially account for the deterioration in the public’s sentiment on the state of our democracy, reflecting the old saying about the difficulty of fooling all of the people all the time.

The quality of democracy is hard to measure. A range of indices classify countries by regime type or provide numerical ratings of institutional quality.

V-Dem, an independent research institute, and Freedom House, a US NGO best known for political advocacy surrounding issues of democracy, political freedom and human rights, rely on subjective judgements by expert coders.

Eurobarometer surveys are based on public opinion exercises among a sample of voters in the 27 member states.

While there may be differences in individual survey responses and expert assessments, the Eurobarometer’s latest findings provide a worrying indication of how the nation’s pulse is beating. The general perception that democracy in the country has been steadily deteriorating in recent years must be addressed more seriously. Instead, the government acts like the emperor with no clothes.

Some social scientists argue that Eurobarometer survey respondents who are aligned politically with the governing party in a country are more likely to feel that democracy is working well.

The shrinkage in the proportion of the electorate that feels satisfied with how democracy works in Malta – to 49 per cent – should serve a warning for the government: that it can no longer rely on the extraordinary level of electoral support that it has enjoyed in recent years.

Electoral participation is a sign of a vibrant democracy. According to the survey, Malta also witnessed a “very large” drop in the percentage of those who agreed that their voice counts, of 27 percentage points to 54 per cent.

Still, 71 per cent of those interviewed said that voting in national elections is highly important to them. While local surveys seem to indicate that voter absenteeism in the next EP elections will rise, it remains to be seen how voter dissatisfaction will be manifested.

Interestingly, most Maltese seem to have more faith in the EU institutions than in the local political system. Malta and Cyprus registered the highest percentage for those who said the EU impacts their daily life, with both countries standing at 87 per cent.

Maltese respondents want the EP to address public health, action against climate change, consumer rights and migration. Undoubtedly, the EU has been instrumental in promoting the changes needed to address the local institutional weaknesses undermining the country’s democratic credentials, with still some way to go.

The survey is a check-up of the country’s electoral pulse, which has weakened significantly. The treatment? A government that stops pretending our democracy is healthy and starts to listen to the warning signs of the growing malaise.