Interviews, daily struggles and the search for justice: The Malta Independent’s 40 most read stories

Albert Galea Sunday, 7 January 2024, 09:30 Last update: about 6 months ago

There is no such thing as an uneventful year in Malta.

While 2022 was characterised by a general election and the shattering of European peace with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, this past year saw other themes come to the fore, as the people’s daily struggles became more pronounced, and the fight for justice in various cases more widespread.

This was reflected in The Malta Independent’s 40 most read stories for 2023.

The fights the Maltese fought

In many ways, one of the encapsulating factors of 2023 was the increased realisation by many that some things are worth fighting for – and chief amongst those fights was the one for justice.

The fight led by Isabelle Bonnici for a public inquiry into her son’s death in a construction site collapse late in 2022 dominated the headlines, but her actions also inspired the families of others whose passing raised more questions than answers, or more injustices than justice.

Some of these stories feature in this list: The Malta Independent interviewed the wife of beloved doctor Mario Rizzo Naudi on his mysterious death, leading to the family being granted a copy of the magisterial inquiry into his case.

Likewise, an interview with Moira Vassallo – whose husband was killed in a traffic crash five years ago – about the injustices she faced due to the person accused of causing his death being acquitted as a result of a series of blunders by the authorities, was also widely read.

The most read story of the year filters into this theme, wherein geologist Peter Gatt wrote about his suspicion that Malta’s geological maps had been tampered with after the geological classification of the area where Miriam Pace’s house collapsed, killing her, seemed to have been changed.

Likewise, the second most read story speaks of an ongoing issue – but tells the story from the other side of the fence of public opinion, as The Malta Independent met and interviewed the people living inside Fort Bingemma.

Other interviews which brought the fights of the people making up the general public included one with Rosanna Formosa Saliba, who made an emotional public appeal to find out who her parents are.

The everyday struggles

In the absence of global pandemics, general elections, and European invasions, it was the everyday struggles of people which rose to the fore.

Stories centred around the inadequacy of the minimum wage, a spate of summer power cuts, the education sector through poor working conditions for teachers and poor examination results (perhaps there’s a correlation there?), and over-development litter this year’s list of most read stories, and they remain some of the biggest concerns for the general public going into the New Year.

These various subjects – together with others – prompted a sense of discontent which has ultimately manifested itself in political surveys, which also feature in this list with a survey showing the Nationalist Party being slightly ahead of the Labour Party in the polls – something many thought unthinkable little over a year prior – being well-read.

The political sphere

Politics in Malta remains what it is: never far from the headlines.

A number of scandals hit the newspapers this year, ranging from Rosianne Cutajar being forced to resign from the Labour Party after author Mark Camilleri published thousands of WhatsApp chats between her and Yorgen Fenech, to the landmark court decision that saw the Steward hospital concession be revoked.

There were other stories laying into the political situation though.

The Malta Independent on Sunday’s wide-reaching interview with soon-to-be-outgoing President George Vella raised the fear, which he himself shared, that the two main political parties may not come to agreement on his successor.

Likewise, a rare interview with former Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi aired criticisms at the government now seemingly getting ready to back out of its economic model – an economic model which has increasingly come under the microscope.

The gaffes of politicians – sometimes encapsulated in this newspaper’s editorial – also featured, with Julia Farrugia Portelli’s remark that people should put up with the stifling summer power cuts by reading a book and Clayton Bartolo’s boasting of a single street light being installed in St Paul’s Bay – at the same time an Appeals Court confirmed that an original judgment which had annulled the three hospitals deal and ordered their return to the public – finding themselves on the list.

Most Read Stories of 2023

1. Geologist raises suspicions Malta’s geological map has been tampered – 8 November

2. Bingemma Fort - ‘Don’t call us squatters, we’re paying rent’ – 11 June

3. In emotional video, teacher explains why she’s leaving profession – 28 September

4. Malta Survey: PN marginally ahead of PL, but more people trust Robert Abela than Bernard Grech – 24 September

5. Girl, 17, allegedly raped by five men and her male friend beaten in 8-hour ordeal, court hears – 5 July

6. Senglea Good Friday statue extensively damaged after toppling over during procession – 8 April

7. In a coma for 9 months, now in a wheelchair: Raisa Falzon speaks of her ordeal, and how she copes – 22 January

8. Another night of power cuts hits Malta – 19 July

9. Booked a flight with Air Malta? Here is what the airline is telling you to do – 10 October

10. 25% of students who sat for Maltese and Maths O-level given ‘U’ grade – 14 July

11. Mario Rizzo Naudi's grieving widow seeks answers on husband’s mysterious death – 6 August