Only 32% believe ethnicity enriches local culture in Malta

Only 32% of the Maltese believe that people of different ethnic origin enrich the national culture, the lowest percentage among the EU’s member states. According to a Eurobarometer study entitled “Discrimination in the EU”, the majority of citizens in all but four member states said that people of different ethnic origin enrich the national culture. The majority of Swedish (86%) and Finnish (81%) citizens said people of different ethnic origin enrich the national culture but this feeling was not evident in Malta (32%) or Cyprus (39%). The study shows that public opinion in the former EU15 and the new member states is strongly divided when it comes to an increase in the number of MPs of a different ethnic origin in their respective parliaments.
A large segment of the EU population believes that women, disabled people and older people are under-represented in the workplace. Interestingly, Malta ranked first in the EU with 79% saying that wearing religious symbols in the workplace is acceptable. The response from other countries varies, with just 36% of French citizens and 29% of Lithuanians saying religious symbols were acceptable. Discrimination is widespread according to a large proportion of Europeans, the study reveals. There is a clear sense of consensus in all the member states that more money should be spent on improving accessibility. The study was carried out on behalf of the European Commission DG Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities in the 25 member States of the European Union and in the two acceding countries between 7 June and 12 July 2006.