Unto the next interlude

Tippreferi bil-Malti? Aqra l-istess artiklu hawn: Għal waqfa li jmiss

In the space of just 8 years, Malta has had a total of 2 prime ministers, 2 general elections and 4 opposition leaders. For a relatively brief period, that sounds like a lot of political change to take in. Much like a theatrical production, the Maltese political arena has consisted of constantly changing actors, all of which have been reading off the same script. 

However, at a time when people are craving for stability and consistency, some fear that Maltese politics has yet to become even more tumultuous than the state which it currently finds itself in, whilst others are aspiring for a period of renewal and progress which they believe to be imminent.

As of now, the majority of the time during which Robert Abela and Bernard Grech have been leading to the two major political parties which dominate the Maltese political landscape, has mainly been characterised by the government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the opposition’s response to how its repercussions have been managed. Undoubtedly, this has proven to be the primary conduit which has characterised the relationship between the two leaders, in addition with a considerable amount of other issues.

These matters have included, but haven’t been limited to, the debate surrounding the potential de-criminalisation and legalisation of marijuana, the provision of healthcare services related to IVF in Malta, affordable housing and the situation regarding rent prices, and the means by which Malta ought to address illegal immigration, with the infamous ‘full-up’ controversy being ignited not long after Grech was elected as PN leader.

However, it must also be noted that popular attention has continued to be directed towards a series of revelations which have occurred over the past 8 years concerning the exposure of corrupt practices which have allegedly been committed by leading politicians and high-ranking government officials. Furthermore, the aftermath of the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia, and the ensuing claims which have emerged amidst the ongoing investigations into the circumstances surrounding Caruana Galizia’s murder and in relation to the individuals who were allegedly involved in the planning and execution of her assassination.

Whilst the issues being discussed have mostly remained the same, it can most certainly be said that the changes at the helms of both the Nationalist Party and the Labour Party have indicated different approaches to those of their predecessors.

The relationships between Joseph Muscat and Simon Busuttil, Muscat and Adrian Delia, and Abela and Grech are individually separate from one other, and history will judge them for how they are each different in their own unique ways. What has yet to be seen however, is what lies in store for the PN and Labour, and whether they will stick to the course which they appear to have set their minds on, or whether they will re-direct their efforts and change the ways by which they engage with the Maltese electorate, and how they how formulated their own party-based policies and views.

Ultimately, Malta must steadfastly face the challenges which it has encountered, and which have continued to resurface. Be they related to the rule of law and law and order, the state of our nation’s environment, rampant over-development, and the impact which both legal and illegal immigration has left on Malta.

Additionally, the changes which both Labour and the PN will, and already are undergoing, may very well be a reflection of the changes occurring within Maltese society as a whole, if not vice versa. This being most certainly being the case, as events never occur in a vacuum, nor do they occur in isolation either.