Civil society organisation Repubblika has reacted to recent reporting on political party fundraising and financing, warning that it once again highlights what it described as the persistent lack of clarity surrounding private funding of Maltese political parties.

In a statement, Repubblika said the absence of transparency and effective regulation of party financing remains one of the weakest links in Malta's democratic system and one of the most likely sources of political corruption.

The organisation noted that despite repeated warnings from civil society, international bodies, and lessons drawn from a series of corruption scandals, the political establishment has consistently refused to address the issue through stronger rules governing party financing and, crucially, through independent enforcement. According to Republika, this reluctance suggests that political parties are comfortable with the current arrangements.

Repubblika also pointed to public declarations by individuals who have openly claimed to have organised donations worth tens of thousands of euros for political parties, saying such statements raise serious questions for the public. Under the current framework, political parties can seek and receive large private donations without being required to disclose their sources, while simultaneously presenting themselves as fit to govern and to take decisions affecting all citizens-not only their donors.

"This situation is fundamentally undemocratic," the organisation said.

Repubblika stressed that political parties are not private clubs, but essential democratic institutions that wield significant influence over public policy, public appointments, and the allocation of public resources. Allowing them to operate behind what it described as a wall of financial secrecy undermines public trust and creates fertile ground for conflicts of interest, undue influence, and corruption.

The organisation reiterated its call for urgent reform, proposing a series of measures including the introduction of adequate public funding for political parties subject to strict transparency and accountability rules; a ban on private donations from individuals or entities that are employed by, contracted with, or reasonably expected to have dealings with government or public authorities; and the extension of transparency and accountability obligations to entities owned or controlled by political parties.

Repubblika also called for the establishment of strong and independent structures to oversee party finances and to ensure effective enforcement of the rules.

The organisation concluded that unless political parties are held to the same standards of transparency and integrity that they demand from others, Malta's democratic system will remain vulnerable. The continued failure to address this issue, it said, is not accidental but a political choice with serious consequences for the rule of law and public trust.