The development of Manoel Island was destined not to happen. It was first touted for development by Labour Prime Minister Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici, who wanted to give the island which had been abandoned since the British Forces left in 1979, to Prince Vittorio Emanuele of Savoy. A later Nationalist Government led by Eddie Fenech Adami issued a call for expressions of interest in the early 1990s to convert it into upmarket residences which were at the time envisioned to be necessary, and the MIDI consortium was selected from among various bidders. After protracted negotiations lasting six years, Manoel Island, together with Tigne Point, was granted to MIDI by virtue of a deed of emphyteusis for 99 years, in 2000. The deed imposed onerous obligations on MIDI, which cumulatively would reach, once completed, some €350m.

The consortium first developed Tigne Point and later planned to tackle Manoel Island. However, this has long been opposed by various NGOs, who lodged various appeals over the years and recently collected 29,000 signatures for a petition to Parliament to renegotiate the deed.

The Prime Minister reacted by saying that rescission was impossible. But just a few days later, sensing that public opinion was stacked against him, he had a Damascene moment and told the petitioners that their cause was his cause. He stole their victory and made it his own. As the Hindi saying goes, success has many fathers, whereas failure is an orphan. Not content that MIDI agreed to be part of a solution, Prime Minister Robert Abela went so far as to threaten rescission and government went on to file a judicial letter to this effect. Not only would he rescind Manoel Island but Tigne Point too, ostensibly because MIDI had run out of time.

MIDI has steadfastly refuted this claim, by way of a counter-protest, and in their recent Annual General Meeting, gave a detailed explanation to their shareholders why the company is entitled to a contract extension of at least 10 years (midimalta.com - AGM 2025 presentation). In the meantime, negotiations are now underway between the government and the company, and it appears that these are moving ahead smoothly.

The petitioners' dream for the island not to be developed seems to be coming true. But it remains contingent on a deal being reached whereby MIDI will surrender its contractual rights in exchange for compensation, which they declared would not include foregone profit. It remains to be seen whether agreement can be reached. We urge both parties to be reasonable so that this dream indeed becomes a reality and doesn't get mired in years of legal wrangling in Court.

But it mustn't stop there. It is generally acknowledged that MIDI has done a commendable job in restoring Fort Manoel, Malta's most beautiful fortress, but the government will still need to restore the Lazzaretto quarantine hospital. And it needs to convert the island into a public park, with swimming zones ideally extending to the most unsightly Yacht Yard (which wasn't part of the concession to MIDI). It needs to retain and actuate plans for an underground car park and a new bridge and address traffic congestion which this much-desired nature park will undoubtedly create.

A look at the Ta' Xbiex Council of Europe Gardens just across the bay, doesn't augur too well, as it is far from idyllic, particularly at night. Moreover one would hope we aren't regaled with the usual pastiche of swings, paving, kiosks, cafes, statues, monuments, and so on. Let's have a nature park suited to our times, where families can picnic, walk, swim, wander and enjoy a pollution-free experience between the suffocating conurbations of Valletta, Gzira and Sliema.

We should have never reached this stage. But here we are. We now need a rapid resolution of the impasse and an inspired conversion into what the petitioners and all Maltese want and deserve. This opportunity must not be lost.