I understand the strategy being undertaken by the PN or part of it, to confront the government wth accusations of corruption, abuse of power and similar scandals. That should work to attract votes, as well as (on the assumption that the Opposition really believes the claims it makes) to try and change the situation in order to resolve the arising “scandals” – all in the national interest.

But then, I fail to follow how these accusations get blown up in the most blatant manner across international fora... within the the EU or elsewhere... to get greater coverage. It is a scandalous tactic which only serves to pin to the country as a whole, the claims which whether justified or not, the Opposition is proclaiming. I can identify no reputable politician in Europe who works on the same basis.

Which is why the argument made by the PN MEP Casa was so hideous: they “lack backbone”, he claimed, those who keep back from the infantile efforts which together with his colleagues, he has been deploying to make Malta look bad. My reaction to such stupidities is usually to ignore. Marlene Mizzi MEP went one better. In an open reply that all MEPs received, she assessed what having a backbone means... to stress the point that Casa’s own backbone seems to be made of chicken wire. Agreed.

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Capital public

Clearly, the outturn in public finance for the year 2017 is excellent. While the country as a whole experienced robust and unprecedented economic growth, the government budget went beyond balance: financial inflows largely exceeded outflows. It is a result which would provoke the envy of other countries.

Even so,  I still believe we need to remain objective and critical regarding ongoing developments. What personally worries me is the shape of public capital expenditures, meaning the infrastructural investments that the government launches. Future developments will build on such investment.

In the year 2014, capital expenditure reached the figure of 435.2 million euros. Subsequently, respectively in the years 2015, 2016 and 2017, it was as follows (millions of euros): 581.5; 310.3; 350.2.

Public capital expenditures are being excessively conditioned by how and when funds from EU sources for which the government has applied reach fruition. There are years when such expenditures peak, others when they collapse. At present, we seem to be recovering from the substantial drop in capital expenditure that happened between 2015 and 2016.

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Consumer protection

We are still far off from having a serious administrative structure to deal with the problems that consumers face, one that provides them with remedies when their complaints are justified. Volunteers who work in this sector as well as government officials are in the main committed to the work they have assumed and do their best.

Still, the tools required to ensure that the situation is regulated better are missing – either because they are badly placed or because they lack bite in what they can do. The same happens in other issues where the citizens of Malta and Gozo are being shortchanged, like in the “savage” construction that is going on wherever, in traffic management and in environmental protection.

Unfortunately in this way, instead of establishing a culture of reform and compensation, we give rise to a culture of resignation and inertia.