Where voters' priorities lie

The culture of elections is constantly changing. Political parties’ marketing machines regularly conduct social research to determine the electorate’s priorities. They then run campaigns to appeal to the broadest possible section of the voters. A few weeks before the 2022 election, the concerns and aspirations of the electorate are becoming more evident.

A survey conducted by market research firm Esprimi for Times of Malta produced some expected results and quite a few surprising ones.

As many still struggle to return to normality after more than two years of COVID-induced health risks and restrictions on social behaviour, it is not surprising that the health system is still perceived to be the most crucial challenge facing the country.

In more normal times, one would expect economic issues that directly impact most people’s lives to rank in the top three or four priorities. The fast-accelerating growth in inflation is not surprisingly considered a daunting challenge for more than a quarter of the electorate, according to the survey.

So far, both main political parties have glossed over this issue. The Labour Party has promised that, if elected, it would continue to absorb the...