Malta keeps sinking, deeper and deeper into a dark hole we ourselves dug.
Muscat's reign over the country still casts a shadow, preventing the government from moving forward. The hospitals scandal has again reared its head, yet another deal that had involved Malta's most controversial MP Konrad Mizzi. He is one of the people who is responsible for Malta’s tattered reputation.
Prime Minister Robert Abela is to carry part of the blame for the current political upheaval involving the PL however, given that he continues to protect Joseph Muscat, instead of showing him the door out of the party like he should.
The deal involving VGH is evidence that the people were betrayed. If the government betrayed the people, then how are the people expected to trust the other deals concocted under Muscat’s regime? An investigation should be called into each and every one.
The Steward Healthcare agreement must also be put under the microscope given that it followed on after VGH.
Then there is the Opposition. Where to start.
Delia is stubbornly refusing to leave despite the writing being on the wall. With him at the helm, the PN might as well raise their hands up in surrender. He is a weak leader who doesn’t realise that his time is up. The questions surrounding him, his financial situation and the allegations regarding Yorgen Fenech... there is no coming back from it politically. Him staying on damages democracy in the country. He hides behind the tesserati. Delia himself was not elected to Parliament like his colleagues who stand against him and he cannot bring into the PN's fold many PN supporters who view him with disgust. It is time to go.
Besides all of this, the inquiry into the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia has shown just how weak Malta's institutions are. Where people should have been brought in to be questioned by the police for example, they were not. The reputation of the Force was trampled upon thanks to weak and questionable leadership over the past years. Hopefully things will start to change... but will it be too late? Further investigations should be launched into those responsible for its perceived weakness.
The Moneyval test and the possibility of Malta being grey-listed looms. Day by day the country moves closer to judgement. Should it go unfavourably for Malta, what then? How bad will Malta be impacted economically? Malta's reputation politically is already in tatters. Internationally the island is already viewed with distrust. Who will be held responsible?
The situation cannot seem further away from normal than it currently does. Malta seems to be, at least for the time being, recovering from Covid-19. But make no mistake, the country is spiralling deeper and deeper into a political crisis of our own doing. Such instability will have negative effects on the country in the form of businesses choosing not to invest, and other economic impacts.
The reputation of the country will continue to be tarnished if we do not pull our socks up, with the end game seeing international consequences follow, perhaps in the form of dissuading businesses from moving to the island or distrust shown towards those that do choose to set up shop here
One thing is linked to another. It’s time for Malta's politicians to get their act together and for once do the right thing. Man up and remove from the party those who caused the country so much damage to its reputation, and under whose rule so much controversy was allowed to run rife. Launch immediate and thorough investigations into the many questionable contracts, and cancel those found to be done without the public good in mind.
And those who need to resign in order to help regain trust in the political class, whose reputations are tarnished beyond repair, go now for the greater good and stop being selfish.