It hasn’t been a good fortnight for Prime Minister Robert Abela. In actual fact it hasn’t been a good fortnight for any of us, as we witnessed our country descend into chaos and despair. After all that talk of L-Aqwa fl-Ewropa, Blockchain island, Internet of Things, and AI, the country was taken back to the time of Ħaġar Qim, with large areas suffering continued power cuts, for long hours. Images of empty supermarket shelves, closed businesses, desperate mothers, and a general sense of frustration brought about a shocking realisation for many, that we have taken a couple wrong turns along the way.

The abnormally prolongated heat wave, brought temperatures north of 40 degrees for many days. This only accentuated the desperate situation families were facing, making it even harder for all.

It is evident to all, that the Labour administration’s plan for Malta has failed spectacularly. Probably we are even being generous by saying there was a plan in the first place, save for a get-rich-quick scheme by a very few.

We have been saying this for many years now, and finally it is sinking in. The government’s strategy to grow the economy by increasing the population of the country, and keeping labour cheap by importing third country nationals is now reaching its operatic tragic culmination. We are seeing it in the electrical grid which is unable to withstand the heightened demand. And this is where we need to start asking some very poignant questions.

Was this a wise plan at all? Can we continue to increase our population on our tiny island in order to keep labour prices low? Can we continue to build higher and wider on any piece of land available? Can we continue to overload our electricity grid? Do we have some surprises waiting for us when it comes to water distribution and the drainage system?

Malta needs to aspire for better management. Malta needs to aspire for higher standards across the board, because evidently, we have hit rock bottom in the past few days.

A technical failure can happen in any circumstance, but presumably, with the right management in place and the right strategies adopted, it is fixed in a reasonable amount of time, and normality is restored.

This couldn’t be further to what happened this week. It was absolute chaos, with the public being warned that the extended power-cuts were going to persist even if the weather was expected to alleviate. It is this level of hopelessness and uncertainty that is really making it unbearable. 

The situation even reached the most vulnerable at Mater Dei and Mount Carmel Hospitals with reports of long hours without electricity since the generators failed to kick in.

Would you imagine this happening in Germany in 2023? Would you imagine a European city deprived of the most basic commodity for a week at the peak of the summer season? I cannot imagine what tourists who spent good money to visit us this week, are thinking. I just cannot imagine what they will say to their friends and loved ones about us, on their return home.

Robert Abela first managed to unite an entire country against him with the Jean Paul Sofia Public inquiry faux pas, only to make a spectacular U-turn. Now his government was caught completely unprepared for this heightened crisis.

The amateurish way with which this government is managing the country is unbelievable, and very sad to witness. Malta deserves better we all deserve better.