Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1547021
WEDNESDAY • 7 OCTOBER 2026 | maltatoday THE ALL-NEW B10 STARTING FROM €20,900* (*2025 GOVERNMENT GRANTS AND SCRAPPAGE SCHEME INCLUDED. TERMS AND CONDITIONS APPLY). CONTINUES FROM PAGE 1 The MaltaToday survey, which included other ques- tions that will be published on Sunday, was carried out be- tween Tuesday 22 September and Friday 2 October 2026. The survey has a margin of er- ror of ±3.4 percentage points. The findings point to a sub- stantial level of disengagement, with 24.9% saying they had not followed the case, while a further 7.8% said they did not know what to make of the ver- dict and 10.5% declined to an- swer. The refusal rate is notable, suggesting that a tenth of re- spondents may have been re- luctant to express a view on a case that remains highly sen- sitive and polarising, although the survey does not establish the reasons for this reluctance. 72% of those who answered did not expect Fenech acquittal Among respondents, who gave one of the two substan- tive answers to the question (56.9%), 71.7% said they had not expected Fenech to be ac- quitted, while 28.3% said they had expected the verdict. In other words, among those who expressed a definite view, more than seven in 10 did not see the acquittal coming, com- pared with fewer than three in 10 who said they had expect- ed it. These figures provide a clearer picture of expectations among respondents who were willing to express a view on the verdict. Majority of PL voters do not express an opinion A majority of PL voters did not give a definite opinion on whether they expected the not- guilty verdict. Of those who voted for the PL in the last gen- eral election, 31% said they had not followed the case, 9.7% did not know and 10.9% refused to answer. Only 13.7% said they had expected the verdict, while 34.7% said they had not. Among PN voters, 19.5% said they had expected the not- guilty verdict, compared with 50.9% who said they had not expected it. Only 5.3% said they did not know, while 9% refused to answer. A further 15.4% said they had not followed the case. Once those who had not fol- lowed the case, did not know or refused to answer are excluded, the difference between the two main parties largely disappears. Among PL voters who gave one of the two definitive answers, 71.7% said they had not ex- pected the acquittal, compared with 28.3% who had expected it. Among PN voters who gave a definite answer, 72.2% said they had not expected the ver- dict, compared with 27.8% who had expected it. Among those who did not vote in the last election, 13.2% expected the acquittal, while 28.7% did not. The largest group in this category, 34.3%, said they had not followed the case. Another 9.8% did not know and 13.9% declined to answer. Small-party voters recorded a similar pattern to PN voters, with 19.6% saying they had ex- pected the verdict and 59.2% saying they had not. Only 12.2% said they had not followed the case, while 2.6% did not know and 6.3% refused to answer. The figures also show a marked difference in engage- ment with the trial. PN voters were more likely to have fol- lowed the case and to give a definite response than PL vot- ers or those who did not vote. Among PN voters, 29.6% ei- ther had not followed the case, did not know or refused to an- swer. The corresponding figure among PL voters was 51.7%, meaning that more than half of those who had voted Labour in the last election did not pro- vide a definite answer. Among those who did not vote, the fig- ure was even higher, at 58%. This difference in engage- ment helps explain why the raw figures show a wider gap between PN and PL voters. PN voters were considerably more likely to have followed the case and provide a definite response. Women less keen on trial There was little difference be- tween men and women in ex- pectations of the verdict. 16.7% of men said they had expected the acquittal, com- pared with 15.4% of women. However, women were sub- More than half of PN voters and 35% of What Malta thinks on the Yorgen Fenech verdict In the Yorgen Fenech case, were you expecting the not-guilty verdict? You were expecting it You were not expecting it I wasn't following Don't know No reply 16.1 40.8 24.9 7.8 10.5 Age Gender Region Past vote (2026) 60 55 50 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 16-35 36-50 51-65 65+ You were expecting it You were expecting it I wasn't following Don't know No reply Overall In the Yorgen Fenech case, were you expecting the not-guilty verdict? Overall results