Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1541557
THE ALL-NEW B10 STARTING FROM €20,900* (*2025 GOVERNMENT GRANTS AND SCRAPPAGE SCHEME INCLUDED. TERMS AND CONDITIONS APPLY). mt SURVEY SUNDAY • 23 NOVEMBER 2025 | maltatoday PUBLIC FINANCES Public finances did not feature among the top concerns in MaltaToday's Oc- tober survey. This in itself suggests that there is little disgruntlement on the gov- ernment's financial and economic poli- cies, which carry widespread approval. This issue was added to the survey list in view of the budget and has become a staple question in post-budget surveys. Labour performs best on this issue and is trusted by half of respondents, leading the PN by a staggering 29 points. In this case, the PL's score is boost- ed by the fact that a substantial 15% of current PN voters trust Labour more on this issue than the party they intend vot- ing for. This suggests that trust in Labour's management of public finances does not necessarily trigger a vote for Labour. But the PN's lack of gravitas on this is- sue could pose a big obstacle in its bid to convince current non-voters to vote for it. In fact, among this category only 1.2% trust the PN with the country's public finances. Moreover, trust in the PN's financial acumen is highest among younger vot- ers: 14% among both 16- to 35-year-olds and 36- to 50-year-olds. In contrast, trust in Labour's financial policies sur- passes the 47% mark in all age groups. The PN's vulnerability on this issue is also confirmed by the fact that only 52% of its voters trust it on this crucial issue. This suggests that the party could face problems if Labour manages to shift public debate towards its "steady pair of hands" on this issue, as the Gonzi ad- ministration did before Muscat's Labour managed to recruit Edward Scicluna as its top financial spokesperson, a role in- herited by economist Clyde Caruana. Labour is also in a more favourable po- sition because it is more trusted on the inflation issue. The quandary for the PL is its low scores on the side effects of its economic growth model on issues related to traf- fic, immigration and the environment. The ultimate question is which issues will the electorate pri- oritise when choosing which political party they want in govern- ment come election time. Respondents by gender on which party they trust most to manage public finances Respondents by age on which party they trust most to manage public finances Respondents by education on which party they trust most to manage public finances Overall respondents on which party they trust most to manage public finances The survey was carried out between Wednesday 5th November 2025 and Thursday 13th November 2025. 799 respondents opted to complete the survey. Stratified random sampling based on district, age and gender was used to replicate the Maltese demographic. The estimated margin of error is 3.5% for a confidence interval of 95% for the overall results. Demographic and sub-group breakdowns have significantly larger margins of error. 0 Male Female PN PL Others None Gender 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Male Female PN PL Others None Public Finances The survey was carried out between Wednesday 5th November 2025 and Thursday 13th November 2025. 799 respondents opted to complete the survey. Stratified random sampling based on district, age and gender was used to replicate the Maltese demographic. The estimated margin of error is 3.5% for a confidence interval of 95% for the overall results. Demographic and sub-group breakdowns have significantly larger margins of error. 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Primary Secondary Post Secondary Tertiary PN PL OtPers None Education 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Primary Secondary Post Secondary Tertiary PN PL OtPers None Public Finances The survey was carried out between Wednesday 5th November 2025 and Thursday 13th November 2025. 799 respondents opted to complete the survey. Stratified random sampling based on district, age and gender was used to replicate the Maltese demographic. The estimated margin of error is 3.5% for a confidence interval of 95% for the overall results. Demographic and sub-group breakdowns have significantly larger margins of error. Age 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 16-35 36-50 51-65 65+ PN PL Others None Environment Age 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 16-35 36-50 51-65 65+ PN PL Others None Public Finances The survey was carried out between Wednesday 5th November 2025 and Thursday 13th November 2025. 799 respondents opted to complete the survey. Stratified random sampling based on district, age and gender was used to replicate the Maltese demographic. The estimated margin of error is 3.5% for a confidence interval of 95% for the overall results. Demographic and sub-group breakdowns have significantly larger margins of error. Age 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 16-35 36-50 51-65 65+ PN PL Others None Age 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 16-35 36-50 51-65 65+ PN PL Others None Public Finances The survey was carried out between Wednesday 5th November 2025 and Thursday 13th November 2025. 799 respondents opted to complete the survey. Stratified random sampling based on district, age and gender was used to replicate the Maltese demographic. The estimated margin of error is 3.5% for a confidence interval of 95% for the overall results. Demographic and sub-group breakdowns have significantly larger margins of error. 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 PN PL Others None