The two-party system in Malta does not work, and more voices are needed in the Maltese Parliament as well as in the European Parliament, ADPD secretary general Ralph Cassar said.

“I hope that people are noticing that we, Malta, are an exception in the whole of the European Union,” Cassar, who will be one of three ADPD-The Green Party candidates at next June’s EP election, said in an interview with The Malta Independent on Sunday. The other two are party leader Sandra Gauci and activist Mina Tolu.

He believes that more and more people are seeing the need of a different approach to politics which his party is offering. “I think that there are increasingly more people receiving and supporting our party’s message.”

He said that the party’s push is for a “truly social and ecological Europe,” adding that the two matters are tied together.

Recent instances within the European Parliament have allowed us to see which groups are voting in favour of the environment and which groups are preventing environmental progress, “and when I refer to the environment I am talking about the people’s quality of life.” He said that Malta is a strange case in this regard as the current Labour Government “talks one way here and then talks differently at a European level, it’s a disaster”.

Cassar remarked that the PN “maybe makes the right noise” as it conveys the message of a party in favour of the environment, but it then contradicts itself on a European level as the European People’s Party (EPP) which it forms part of “is making a big pushback against environmental progress along with the extreme right”.

The General Secretary was asked what the ADPD would do to address the waste and energy management situation in Malta. He said that if the government knows that it is pushing forward an economic system which is “essentially based on the abuse of people in the form of cheap labour,” and that an increase in energy consumption is naturally expected as a result, he cannot understand how that same government would not have the capability of bringing in experts able to determine the amount of energy needed as well as the distribution system improvements required.

“I think it’s obvious that there has been a major lack of foresight from the government,” he said. “I think the solution is obvious.” There first needs to be increased efficiency in the usage of energy as it is not sustainable to stick to the mentality that energy is infinite and can be used as much as we want. He said that even in the case of renewable energy the government is still “far behind” and that there is a need for further investment.

He continued that the second aspect is that the distribution system needs to be strengthened. “We’re adding on to our dependency on imported energy … We need to produce clean energy here in Malta.” He said that Malta’s dependency on importing “everything” from abroad is negative and that there is a need to develop the niche skills and know-how to create jobs in Malta which will begin combatting this issue.

He said that if energy is produced in Malta, then there is no reason to be exposed to the vagaries of the market, meaning that you are able to plan long-term due to knowing the spending required on maintenance and distribution. He said that Malta’s current situation, with around 11.5% of electricity being produced from renewable sources, is indicative of a failure from the government to work towards sustainability goals and that keeping the status quo is a likely outcome. “The government’s vision is very weak.”

The ADPD recently has been speaking about the issue of underutilised or empty properties in Malta, so Cassar was asked for his views as to why housing development is still ongoing en masse if so many properties remain unused.

“It seems as if the property sector does not move in line with supply and demand,” he said. Most of the empty properties are apartments and make up around six times the number of properties in Sliema, which he commented is an “enormous amount” for a country the size of Malta.

He said that properties continue being built despite this reality because there are no punishments for speculators who build a lot and leave their properties empty. “There is no penalty for these empty properties which continue being built and put a burden on the country’s infrastructure, electricity, sewage, roads, sidewalks, etc.” He continued that if one has the money, they are able to do this and face no repercussions as there is no tax on empty buildings. He said studies have shown that a tax on empty buildings in certain places reduces the volume of empty properties by around 13%, and that if this tax were to be implemented in Malta he believes it could reduce the amount by even more than that.

“An empty building is a major waste of resources and puts a burden on the local community.” He said that these empty properties continuously cause problems for the community and local council. He added that those who do own empty properties would have further reason to begin renting out if such a tax were introduced.

Much discussion has been ongoing regarding what has been described as the Government’s quantity-focused economy. The Malta Independent on Sunday asked Cassar if the housing and development issue could be considered a symptom of this economic model. He was also asked what the ADPD’s economic model would be.

He replied that as a small island in the middle of the sea, Malta’s economy has oftentimes been depicted as “a hub for this, a hub for everything”. He said that Malta’s economy needs to be diversified and cannot depend so heavily on a couple of sectors, particularly focusing on the tourism industry.

Cassar said that the ADPD’s mantra is that there are limits to everything. He continued that the country must go beyond the mentality of constant growth. “The economy’s grown four times,” he said, “have the wages also grown by four times?” The ADPD General Secretary said that their aim is for a flourishing economy, “not just growth at the cost of everything, at the cost of low wages.”

He recalled an MHRA and Deloitte report which he said detailed how based on the beds available there would need to be 4.7 million tourists to attain 80% occupancy. “We are currently at 2.7 million,” he said. He explained how he had seen a recent statistic being “boasted” by the Minister of Tourism. “I don’t know how or why.”

He explained that Malta had more than 300,000 tourists in the month of July, meaning that in addition to the 500,000 population present in Malta, “we approached nearly a million people on the Maltese islands”. Cassar said that there needs to be a limit to everything, including tourism despite its economic benefit. “What are the consequences and the impacts after? There are limits which we need to understand and adhere to.”

He focused on the bed tax and how in Malta it is €0.50 per day capped at €5 whilst in other areas you would find that it is €1 or €2 per day. He suggested that it should be at least €1 per day and uncapped. “We boast about the numbers of the tourism industry, but then we at least need mitigation measures and for the money generated through the bed tax to go to local councils rather than the Malta Tourism Authority.”

Cassar was asked what should be done regarding Malta’s current cost of living and for his thoughts regarding a recent National Living Income study commissioned by the General Workers’ Union.

“The minimum wage is definitely too low,” he began, “it absolutely needs to be raised.” He said that a family of two adults and two children needs around €14,000 a year to live decently according to Caritas. He said that the minimum wage within Malta is right around €10,000 yearly which is why migrant workers are in demand, as employers are looking to pay out the minimum wage. “It’s not acceptable for someone to make money off the back of those who are vulnerable,” he said. Cassar added that he thinks the Cost of Living Adjustment should be given every six months. “We are currently receiving it on a year’s delay and changing this would allow for people to deal with expenses more immediately.”

The topic of the conversation shifted to the benefits scandal. The Malta Independent on Sunday asked Cassar if the ongoing situation is indicative of an underlying issue within the government if the allegations of the involvement of certain officials prove true.

He replied by recalling a situation from early 2021 during which the Dutch Government resigned en masse as the result of a child benefits scandal while in Malta the reaction is “Oh, well.” He said that this is a systemic issue and that in Malta there is a mentality that politics is transactional. “Give me something and I’ll vote for you,” he explained. “This doesn’t mean give me cleaner air, renewable energy, better schools, better public transport, etc.” He said that in the context of Malta it means that I will vote for you if you give me something personally, even if it is illegal. He described it as nepotism and corruption, “it is ingrained in our politics”.

He said that the political situation is one of scandal after scandal. He added that the courts need to send a clear message that participating in corruption should be met with consequences “including jail time if necessary”.

The newsroom asked the ADPD General Secretary if Malta’s political climate makes it difficult for a third party to be recognised and truly be considered competitive, and how the broadcasting situation plays a role in this regard.

“The broadcasting situation is really outrageous,” he said, “ONE and NET are campaigning machines.” He described the situation as being very unfair and referred to discussions within the European Parliament regarding how State-owned media should not be controlled directly by the State and should be more transparent. He said that in Malta we not only have the State station but that the alternatives are “two partisan political stations used to raise money for campaigning and obviously spouting their own propaganda”. He said that in this regard Malta is “a thousand times worse off” than other European Union countries because of the state of our broadcasting situation.

Cassar said that the two party system does not change things. He explained that the ADPD are currently part of an ongoing constitutional case regarding the electoral law and proportionality because the constitution speaks about proportionality for everyone whilst in practice “this proportionality only counts for the PL and PN”. He also said that the ADPD is contesting the gender corrective mechanism. He remarked that despite the fact it is referred to as a quota, in reality “it is just a way to give 6 MPs to the PL and the PN”. He said this has resulted in an inflated Parliament.

“If you listen to the PL and PN rhetoric, they speak one way when they are in government and another when they are the opposition.” He said that the two parties continue to resemble each other and that the people are continually noticing this. “It is important that people vote,” he urged, “choosing not to vote means you are not sending a message and you are simply putting their minds at ease by telling them that they will not be affected.” He concluded by referring to the ADPD’s “track record of consistency and seriousness” and said that people need to vote differently in upcoming elections.