President Myriam Spiteri Debono highlighted the need to prevent Malta from turning into a society of "have and have not's" in her speech on Republic Day.
"We have come a long way. The first Article of our Constitution, hammers that 'Malta is a Democratic Republic founded on work'. We no longer witness the phenomenon of citizens knocking at the doors of politicians in search of work or exiling themselves because no work opportunities exist for them in our country. Work, labour, is the backbone of dignity for humankind; however, we must be ever-vigilant to maintain equilibrium in our society so that new social classes do not materialise, and above all, we don't have a society of have and have not. As we reflect on what we have lived through, and on what we aspire to build together as a nation, united in a spirit of inclusion and progress, we must look ahead with maturity of mind, and hearts inspired by the values that make our country unique: dedication, solidarity, mutual respect, and resilience and wisdom in confronting challenges"
It is an important message which must be taken to heart, one that shows aspirations for the country to grow in solidarity, and for people not to be left behind.
Unfortunately however, there are people who are struggling to keep up, there are have and have not's. The property market is a grand example of this, where young Maltese couples find it very difficult to buy a home of their own. Being able to afford to buy a home is becoming increasingly difficult.
Malta's economy has grown to the point where unemployment is, thankfully, very low, but there is the at risk of poverty situation. According to a National Statistics Office report published in April this year: "Based on the income year 2023, the number of at-risk-of-poverty persons living in Malta was estimated at 92,690." This is a large number of people.
The government provides support in different forms, such as through benefits, but also through schemes like the First-Time Buyers scheme, and also through offering social housing and affordable housing. Although one could argue that there is a need for more strategies to help pull people out of needing such state support in the first place.
As the economy grew, so did the need for more foreign workers to move to the country and work. But there have been cases where these workers were exploited, and the government has taken, and must continue to take more action to prevent exploitation from taking place and to ensure fairness and equality.
The population rise over recent years has had impacts, such as on the country's infrastructure. The President in her speech also addressed this point, highlighting the need for the impacts to be tackled and the importance of keeping far-right rhetoric at bay.
"When we place the individual at the centre of the aspirations that guide our actions, we build a society that, by its very nature, serves as a deterrent against the emergence of extreme socio-political movements within our country. This is why it is essential that we understand clearly the economic realities of our nation; how the employment and career aspirations of the Maltese people have evolved; and the need for inclusion and integration within our society of those who are making Malta their home-those, whose children, will eventually be Maltese. Analysis and response to the ongoing social changes within our environment are of utmost importance; the challenges are various, particularly those concerning infrastructure and services, deficiencies that are surfacing, partly due to the rising population. We must persist in our efforts to address these issues. If citizens experience a sense of security in their daily lives, trust in the political and democratic processes increases, thereby reducing the risk of extreme right rhetoric, spreading in our midst as is happening other countries," President Spiteri Debono said.
People moving to Malta for work are in the country employed in jobs which needed employees. The fact that the country's infrastructure has been impacted for instance, that the housing market prices rose so much, is the fault of poor preparation and planning for those numbers by those who lead the country, not the fault of the workers themselves. If Malta needs X amount of workers, that is the amount of workers it needs. The President is absolutely right in saying that the issues created need to be addressed, and that far right rhetoric must be kept at bay.
The focus should be reforming or shifting the country's economy to focus on less labour intensive sectors in the future, and on upskilling workers while implementing proper forward planning to cater for what the country will need in the future. It should also be on coming up with solutions to tackle the infrastructural issues themselves for instance. Far-right rhetoric has no place in local discourse.