The entire Rosianne Cutajar saga, sadly, has confirmed what we all suspected and deep down in our hearts knew for a very long time. In the past few weeks in fact, the curtain has been opened ever so slightly, and we have been given the tiniest of glimpses into the dirty underbelly of the worst kind of politics our young democracy has to offer.

How can I, as a young politician, blame young people for losing faith and interest in politics? How can I ever blame young people who seek greener pastures abroad as soon as they have the opportunity? I fear our political system has turned toxic and in the past days we have seen how and why.

I will not enter into the details of matters of private lives. Those are for consenting adults to deal with and are not minimally my concern. The problem is the intimate relationship that was exposed between a senior member of Government and one of the country’s most powerful business persons.

Let’s not be naïve and pretend that Rosianne Cutajar was the only politician to get too close to the blinding allure of money and luxury. We know that many politicians fall for this easy trap, as we see the power balance completely shifting and turning upside down. Rosianne Cutajar was perhaps naïve to get caught, when in reality she yielded little significant power. I shudder to think what the real powerful politicians chat about with people of the likes of Yorgen Fenech.

Our politicians do us a disservice and a disservice to the offices they hold when they flirt and cosy up so closely with business, exposing who is really in power in our country.

It opens up an entire Pandora’s box about a myriad issues that seem to be impossible to solve in our country, as our politicians appear to be powerless in the face of escalating matters.

Starting with the most obvious, but perhaps the most imminent issue of our generation – Over-construction. Our country has been in a deadlock for a few decades now, and no politician has ever been able to get the bull by the horns. I have written extensively about how we cannot continue to build in every direction in our tiny country, and I have not been alone.

Reputable and respectable entities and individuals have made solid arguments on this subject, but there is always some loophole or caveat that results in us getting the wholesale destruction of our village cores, developments on the foreshore, and the list goes on.

Same as for our traffic situation. It keeps getting worse every day, but no politician has ever been able to do anything about it. Sure, we have spent hundreds of millions on building (we do love to build) very expensive roads and links which we are quickly outgrowing. Perhaps the solution is even simpler? Perhaps instead of widening our roads we should reduce the number of vehicles on the roads? But will there ever be a politician who will be able to do the right thing? Whose super-interests would be in the balance here?

And the list continues. Issues where the interests of the public are only addresses if it results in someone making a handsome investment, or at least wouldn’t impinge on the interests of someone in a very fancy villa – and this is absolutely the opposite of what politicians are elected to do.

Politicians come and go, but money is the real power, someone cynical may claim. That is exactly why politicians need to make their short stays in power effective, and in the interest of the people. Anything outside this simple remit, works counter to the calling of a politician

I wish the readers of the Malta Independent on Sunday a most blessed Easter.