Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1544987
mt SURVEY SUNDAY • 17 MAY 2026 | maltatoday THE ALL-NEW B10 STARTING FROM €20,900* (*2025 GOVERNMENT GRANTS AND SCRAPPAGE SCHEME INCLUDED. TERMS AND CONDITIONS APPLY). Parties and issues: We asked MALTATODAY'S first elec- tion campaign survey asked respondents which political party they trust most on key issues impacting the elector- ate. The issues are: Controlling inflation, leaving more money in your pocket, running the economy, managing popu- lation growth and managing traffic. These issues were not ran- domly chosen but were iden- tified as the five most important issues when people vote, in a survey held last March. In that survey, when respondents were asked which issue af- fects your vote most, the top five issues were: 10.1% cost of living, 9.3% spending power, 9% traf- fic, 8.2% state of economy and 8% population growth. In the May survey published today, respondents were asked to state which party they trust most on each of these issues. The result shows that La- bour enjoys a wide advantage when it comes to trust on running the economy, leaving more money in people's pock- ets and controlling inflation but is neck and neck with the PN on managing traffic and population growth. 1. MANAGING THE COST OF LIVING The electorate trust the La- bour Party more than the Na- tionalist Party on controlling inflation: 35.5% vs 26.4%. The PL enjoys a substantial lead among all age groups even if this gets slimmer among 36- to 50-year-olds. A geographic breakdown shows the PL leading comfortably in the Southeast and South Harbour regions, and ahead in the North Harbour region. The PN is trusted more to control inflation in Gozo and the Western region. The North region is split down the middle with a statistical- ly insignificant advantage to the PL. Tertiary educated vot- ers are the only educational group, which trusts the PN more on this issue. Non-voters are not keen on either party on tackling infla- tion to the extent that the vast majority (92%) could not ex- press a preference. Labour is more trusted by men (38.8%) on this issue than women (32.5%). Only 1% trust third parties with controlling inflation. 2. LEAVING MONEY IN PEOPLE'S POCKETS Despite a slate of PN pro- posals aimed at leaving more money in people's pockets, including a 30% reduction in electricity bills and sub- stantial income tax cuts, the party still lags behind Labour when respondents were asked which party they trust most to leave more money in people's pockets. The PL, whose flagship pro- posal of the campaign is a €1,000 annual super bonus paid by the state, still fends off the PN challenge by a sub- stantial margin. The PL is trusted by 43.4% of respondents with leaving more money in their pocket, while only 28.1% trust the PN with delivering on this issue. The survey shows that La- bour is more trusted across most demographics including all age groups. Significantly, even among current PN vot- ers, nearly 12% trust Labour more to deliver on spending power. Among non-voters, 18% trust the PL while only 4% trust the PN. Although Labour also leads on this issue in five of six re- gions, while a virtual tie is re- corded in the Western region. JAMES DEBONO jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt Overall 90 80 70 60 50 40 3 0 20 10 0 PL PN Others Don't know No reply Overall 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 PL PN Others Don't know No reply Population Growth Overall 70 60 50 40 30 Traffic Cost of living 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 PL PN Others Don't know No reply Overall 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 PL PN Others Don't know No reply Purchasing Power Overall 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 PL PN Others Don't know No reply Country's economy Overall 80 70 60 50 40 30 Population Growth Purchasing power 0 PL PN Others Don't know No reply Overall 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 PL PN Others Don't know No reply Purchasing Power Overall 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 PL PN Others Don't know No reply Country's economy Overall 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 PL PN Others Don't know No reply Population Growth Traffic The economy