8 9 Survey maltatoday, Sunday, 2 MAY 2010 Survey maltatoday, Sunday, 2 MAY 2010 Joseph Muscat: trusted, but an unknown quantity Just under half the country says it is ready to trust Labour’s Survey highlights: young leader with the reins 35% think Muscat has clear policies mt survey 36% feel convinced by Muscat when listening to him of government. But only 35% 17% want him to be more moderate 11% want him to be more confrontational know what his policies are: 49% think that Muscat has enough experience to become Prime Minister 47% ready to trust Muscat with country’s government MaltaToday’s survey paints the 18% of Nationalist voters in 2008 election ready to trust Muscat with country’s government picture of Joseph Muscat as the Maltese have got to know him. Is Joseph Muscat offering concrete policies for when he is elected in government? (%) enced while 23% are not sure. james debono But the survey also shows PN voters PL voters All that a significant number of Yes 15.3 71.2 34.8 Just under half of MaltaTo- respondents do not find Mus- No 59.7 6.8 29.5 day’s survey respondents – 47% cat convincing in his speeches: Don’t know 25 22 35.7 – say they are willing to trust something his predecessor Al- (Respondents were asked to state how they voted in 2008 general elections) Opposition leader Joseph Mus- fred Sant excelled at during cat with the next government, parliamentary sessions, but not but then only 35% think he has at mass-meeting oratory which “clear policies”. Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi In a first of a series of surveys has retained the upper hand in. Should Joseph Muscat to be more or less moderate in his on voters’ perception of party Asked whether they feel con- opposition to the government? (%) leaders, this is the first to show vinced when listening to Mus- how three years before Malta’s cat, only 36% replied yes while PN voters PL voters All next general election, nearly 25% replied no. A significant More moderate 34 8.2 16.9 half the Maltese electorate is number of respondents (22%) Less moderate 13.9 8.2 11 already seeing Muscat as prime replied that they are “not always Good as he is now 18.1 69.9 41.4 minister-in-waiting. convinced” by Muscat. Don’t know 34 13.7 30.7 But a sizeable 28% are still not Significantly, among Labour sure. And another 25% said they voters 25% do not feel entirely would not trust the country’s convinced when listening to government in his hands. their leader. On the other hand Muscat still enjoys consider- 21% of PN voters feel that Mus- able support for a party leader cat is convincing in his speech- From Eurosceptic to Europhile who is clearly shown to have a es. This could be an indication Old Aloysian Born to a lack of clear, alternative poli- that in his bid to reach out to Burmarrad family ‘half- cies. Nationalist voters, Muscat risks In fact, the Labour leader does coming across as artificial and Labour, half-Nationalist’, When you listen to Joseph Muscat does he convince you? (%) not have clear policies, accord- contrived to part of his elector- Muscat is educated at St ing to 32% of respondents who ate. Aloysius, the Jesuit-led PN voters PL voters All said they are willing to trust The survey also shows that college that produced Yes 20.8 68.5 35.9 him with power. Even among while 17% would like Muscat to a sizeable chunk of the No 52.8 12.3 24.8 Labour voters, a staggering 22% become “more moderate” in his Maltese political class, Not always 23.6 13 21.7 are unsure whether he has clear opposition to the government, including Eddie Fenech Don’t know 1.4 4.8 13.1 policies, and 7% think that he only 11% would like Muscat to Adami. Never heard him 1.4 1.4 4.5 lacks any. become more confrontational. This seems to be the gen- Significantly, while only 8.2% No to EU After university, Muscat becomes an investment advisor and eral perception of Muscat in of Labour voters would like him Labour’s education secretary, helping to create its online presence with the minds of MaltaToday’s re- to be more confrontational, maltastar.com. Staunchly eurosceptic, in 2002 political office seems a Does Joseph Muscat have enough experience to become Prime spondents: Muscat is certainly the figure rises to 14% among long way ahead: “To stand for the general elections you must be either Minister? (%) different to Alfred Sant and his respondents who voted PN in a robber, a missionary or just plain crazy.” Bless… approval rating shows it. But 2008. PN voters PL voters All his new agenda, his umbrella of This could be an indication A man changed As MEP, progressives and moderates, or that a segment of National- Yes 19.4 84.9 48.6 Muscat enters a new No 68.1 5.1 28.6 even his ‘political earthquake’, ist voters are so disillusioned world of politics. He is has not provided people with with the current government Don’t know 12.5 10 22.8 rapidly changed into a clear policies. In some instanc- that they would like Muscat to es, they even jar with what vot- take a more aggressive stand in prospective Labour leader, ers traditionally expect from a keeping the administration on and returns with a self- social democratic party – his its toes. styled progressive agenda immigration plan is uncomfort- Yet this category of angry vot- bagged from Brussels’ euro- able to liberals; his MPs display ers are outnumbered by 34% of socialists. “We cannot be Would you trust the government of the country in Joseph uncomfortably conservative and Nationalist voters who say Mus- European on paper only… Muscat’s hands? (%) parochial traits; and he is not as cat must be more moderate. We must be European also confrontational as some inside The survey also shows that in our actions.” PN voters PL voters All his party expect him to be. 70% of Labour voters are satis- Yes 18.1 91.8 46.9 Significantly, 18% of respond- fied with Muscat’s style present Party leader Muscat No 68.1 2.7 25.2 ents who said they voted Nation- style of opposition. promises a ‘political Don’t Know 13.8 5.5 27.9 alist in the 2008 general election earthquake’ whose tremors are now willing to trust Muscat Methodology do not provoke any earth- in power. This suggests that in The survey was held between shattering changes, except the past two years Muscat has Monday 12 March and Thurs- for the centralisation of How did you vote in the succeeded in making deep in- day 16 March. 441 people power within Labour HQ. 2008 election? (%) roads inside the PN’s electorate, were chosen from the printed Still, he rides on popular a sure sign of likeability among and on-line versions of the discontent with the non-Labour voters. PN 24.8 directory. 300 accepted to be Nationalist government and The survey also shows that interviewed. The results were PL 25.2 soon becomes the political despite his young age of 36, 49% weighed to reflect the sex and AD 0.7 think that he has enough experi- age balance of the population. adversary that the PN never Did not vote 12.9 ence to become Prime Minister. The survey has a margin of er- had with Alfred Sant. No reply 36.4 Only 29% think he is inexperi- ror of +/- 5.7%