Civil society organisation Repubblika on Tuesday strongly criticised Prime Minister Robert Abela following his declaration that businesses operating with illegal structures will still be eligible for public compensation for storm-related damages.

Repubblika said the Prime Minister's remarks undermine the most basic principles of good governance and the rule of law. By suggesting that compliance with the law can be treated as a separate matter from people's livelihoods, the Prime Minister is effectively placing political convenience above legality, the organisation warned.

While acknowledging that protecting family livelihoods is important, Repubblika stressed that laws exist precisely to ensure that livelihoods are protected in a fair, safe, and sustainable manner. Businesses that operate illegally-whether by building without permits, breaching planning regulations, or evading regulatory controls-gain an unfair advantage over those that respect the rules.

According to Repubblika, a government that tolerates illegal operations has already failed. A government that goes further and uses taxpayers' money to subsidise such operations deepens that failure.

The organisation also rejected the logic that illegality can be excused on social grounds, noting that the state does not offer benefits to criminals simply because they support families, nor does it compensate people who cannot obtain insurance because they acted unlawfully. Applying a different standard to illegal businesses, Repubblika said, is unjustifiable.

Repubblika warned that this policy would punish law-abiding businesses twice: first by forcing them to bear the costs of compliance, and second by requiring them to contribute through their taxes to bail out competitors who ignored the law.

The group further accused the Prime Minister of promoting clientelism, arguing that public funds are being used to secure political loyalty ahead of an election. Such practices, Repubblika said, corrode public trust and weaken democratic institutions.

Repubblika insisted that emergency aid should be reserved for genuinely needy, law-abiding operators, and that any public assistance must be conditional on full compliance with the law.

While the storm caused physical damage, the organisation concluded, the Prime Minister's words risk inflicting lasting damage on the rule of law, justice, and public confidence in the country's institutions.