Unfortunately, this small country of ours is being dragged down a path of destruction by the group that came to power, claiming to protect and modernise the country. All hopes of the people for the present government are continually dashed, and a very precarious environment is being created in the country.

With such themes as 'good governance' and 'vision of prosperity', this Labour administration somehow managed to win over a good part of a disgruntled or undecided electorate and, through them, took over the reins of government, only, with time, to commit betrayals. This journey should be stopped now if we do not want to cross the Rubicon.

The people are disappointed in many aspects of the way in which the country is being governed. Many are concerned about the current situation in the country, as to where the country is heading and who would make the decisions and govern the country in conformity with their expectations.

The people did not vote for the government to merely initiate development projects and sell state assets. The government should take decisions not from the side of the rich, powerful or foreign interests but from the side of the people, failing which, the country will be gradually destroyed by this corrupt system of government instead of a righteous, principled and transparent government.

In a world of fake news, deep-fakes, manipulated feeds of information and divisive social-media agendas, it's easy to believe that our time is the most challenging in our nation's history. Indeed, one is tempted to ask: What, in fact, has ensured that Malta has not, so far, collapsed in on itself?

For one thing, civil society has been pivotal in fighting for the rights of citizens, especially the marginalised, and forcing the government, often through the courts, to acknowledge its responsibility, its duty of care, and its obligations under the constitution. The judiciary, too, has been crucial in steadfastly upholding the rule of law and ensuring that the hard-won Constitution has remained the lodestar of our society. Moreover, without a free media highlighting some of the worst excesses of public- and private-sector malfeasance, the Malta story would be very different too.

The Labour-led government is stuck in an invidious position in that it has made big promises to an increasingly frustrated electorate and, unless it can conjure up growth quickly, it will not have the financial resources to make good on its pledges to voters. Service delivery at the local government level is failing, and the national government has borrowed almost to the hilt.

Corruption has not disappeared. Fundamentally, corruption impairs the ability of the government to do its job. It undermines the ability to raise needed revenue, and it also distorts spending decisions - in the sense that the government might be inclined to favour projects that generate kickbacks over projects that generate economic and social value. This is bad for growth and economic opportunity. It is bad for equity and fairness, as the poor lose out most from diminished social spending and investments in sustainable development. And it is bad for economic stability, as the toxic combination of a low revenue take and wasteful spending lets deficits run too easily out of control.

More generally, broad-based corruption can weaken the foundations of a healthy economy by degrading social norms and undermining civic virtues. When the wealthy do not pay their taxes, the entire tax system loses legitimacy. When cheating is rewarded and elites are seen to play by different rules, trust will give way to cynicism, and social cohesion will fragment. In the worst case, this can lead to civil strife and conflict.

All of this is especially debilitating for youth. When corruption is deeply embedded, far too many young people find that they have no prospects, no sense of purpose, and no ability to participate, to make their mark, to flourish or to contribute to society. They lose the motivation to pursue an education, knowing that getting ahead depends more on connections than ability. They become disillusioned, disengaged and disenchanted. They lose hope. At a visceral level, corruption can be soul-destroying.

Income and wealth inequalities today appear to be higher than they have ever been at any time in Maltese history, even though the material wealth of the poor has risen.

The working classes, from factory workers to middle-class professionals, meanwhile, have seen their status corrode, with a growing number unable to find suitable work or forced to labour under rapidly deteriorating conditions.

It is a testament to the genius of the proponents of new technologies that the worsening economic reality and prospects of ordinary people have triggered far more xenophobia than technophobia, with people blaming migrants and foreign workers rather than machines and computer programmes for the disappearance of our national identity and societal protections.

There has been a massive failure in foresight and a bigger failure to exploit our economic bounty for the good of all. It is high time that our society overcame this dread and that we collectively strive to enjoy our unprecedented material abundance through the pursuit of happiness for the many rather than the pursuit of unfathomable wealth for the few.

Malta has become a land of crises. But within the crisis in which the country finds itself today lies an enormous opportunity for renewal, growth and optimism, provided that right-minded people and leaders are ready to steer it forward.

Mark Said is a lawyer