If accountability is the foundation of democracy, then we are watching the rot spread right through its core. Recent reports published by the Office of the Commissioner for Standards in Public Life have once again exposed the glaring gap between institutional mechanisms and political accountability.

Three cases involving the Prime Minister, a minister and a Nationalist MP were highlighted by the commissioner. Not because the misconduct was severe, but because the politicians involved refused to do something as basic as apologise.

Let that sink in: it was not the nature of the misconduct, but the obstinate refusal to say "I'm sorry" that pushed the Commissioner to refer the cases to Parliament's Standing Committee for Standards in Public Life.

One case involved Education Minister Clifton Grima, who issued a government-funded video on social media that functioned more like personal publicity than public information.

Another involved a similar video produced by the Office of the Prime Minister, featuring not only Prime Minister Robert Abela but also an ensemble cast of ministers and parliamentary secretaries - again, paid for by taxpayers through sponsored posts.

(Let us remember that this is the second time that Abela refused to apologise upon the request of the Standards Commissioner. Last year, Abela had also been found to have breached ethics for a promotional video that was used on social media. That time, the commissioner had felt that a written apology would have been enough for the matter to be closed. But the PM had then also refused to say sorry, as he did this time.)

A third case found that Nationalist MP Alex Borg did not keep with the facts about the Fort Chambray concession in Gozo. The Commissioner clarified that while MPs are not technically obliged to tell the truth (a damning caveat in itself), Borg's comments breached ethical standards due to their specific context.

None of these incidents were, in the Commissioner's words, "grave". But all warranted a simple apology. And yet, none was forthcoming.

This is more than political stubbornness, more so in the case of the Prime Minister who, in this regard, is a repeat offender. In the justice system, the punishment meted out to a repeat offender is usually higher because no lesson had been learnt from the first offence. In this case, the PM misbehaved twice, refused to apologise twice, and yet he's off the hook, again. Simply because the institution of the Standards Commissioner's office cannot take the matter any further.

What Abela, Grima and Borg did was a deliberate refusal to acknowledge wrongdoing, a brazen disregard for the authority of an institution specifically set up to monitor ethical behaviour. And it raises a burning question: what is the purpose of having standards, codes of conduct, and regulatory bodies if politicians feel empowered to flout them without consequence? What is the point of having a Standards Office which does not have the power to inflict any punishment?

The commissioner's reports highlight a disturbing structural flaw. Institutions like the Standards Commissioner exist to preserve public trust, not only by investigating breaches but by fostering a culture of ethical responsibility. When politicians won't acknowledge findings or offer even symbolic accountability, they weaken the very institutions meant to keep them in check. And when political culture rewards defiance over humility, we all lose.

The issue is not just the abuse of public funds to polish individual images or the reckless handling of facts - it's the erosion of democratic norms. It is the idea that politicians are beyond reproach, that apologies are beneath them, and that ethical breaches are a matter of optics rather than integrity. This behaviour doesn't merely undermine institutions - it mocks them.

What message does this send to the public? That institutions are powerless. That politicians can ignore findings with impunity. That public money can be misused for self-promotion as long as one is shameless enough to never admit fault. That politicians can mislead without facing any consequences.

Even more troubling is the implication for younger generations. In a society already disillusioned with politics, the refusal of politicians to exhibit basic ethical decency only deepens cynicism. If the price of being held accountable is as low as saying "I was wrong", and even that is too high for our elected officials, then perhaps the real crisis is not political misconduct - but political cowardice.

Institutions are only as strong as the public's faith in them and the respect they command from those they are meant to regulate. If apologies are too much to ask, then the standards system is not just being ignored - it is being hollowed out from within.

We do not expect perfection from politicians. But we do need honesty from them. And humility. And being man (and woman) enough to admit when they've crossed a line.

Until that happens, all the codes, committees, and commissioners in the world won't save us from a system where ethics are optional and accountability is a game of appearances.