What’s happening with Air Malta is a prime example of how clientelism is king in Maltese politics. It is a direct consequence of a parliament totally dominated by two parties, ADPD – The Green Party Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo said on Saturday morning.

They have consistently joined forces to resist electoral reform because they know that a pluralist parliament will mean an end to their nepotistic and clientelist politics, he said at a press conference in front of the Parliament building. 

Cacopardo said it is evident that the Labour Party uses politics as a game in which empty promises may be made in order to buy votes.

It is now well known that the Labour Party in government had been preparing for the distinct possibility of winding up Air Malta, even though just a few months ago on the eve of the March 2022 election its employees were guaranteed  that the company will continue to operate and that any excess labour would be transferred to the public sector subject to the same salary and conditions.

Indeed, in the Labour Party’s electoral programme we read that a process has commenced to ensure that Air Malta will remain in operation and serve its strategic objectives in line with EU regulations (p. 222). It is evident this was all a charade and a load of empty promises.

This is a result of political clientelism that has been practiced without any restraint since the setting up of Air Malta. Successive strategic plans failed because there had not been the political will for Air Malta to operate without political interference. Millions of Euros in ‘aid’ have been squandered which effectively financed the clientelism that has led to Air Malta’s downfall.

The current state in which Air Malta finds itself in is clear testimony of the political clientelism that has ruled our country. It is both the current Labour government and the Nationalist Party which are at fault too because the latter had the opportunity to fix the situation but instead opted to milk this ‘cow’ too, Cacopardo said.

We have now become used to governments and politicians paying lip service to the principles of good governance, but then unashamedly practicing clientelism and vote buying.

Cacopardo concluded that “political clientelism is a direct consequence of a parliament totally dominated by two parties. They have consistently joined forces to resist electoral reform because they know that a pluralist parliament will mean an end to their nepotistic and clientelist politics.”