Around the world, young people are making their voices heard. And in some cases bringing governments down. Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Madagascar and Bulgaria have all seen Gen Z protests that ultimately forced out, mostly, corrupt leaders. In other countries those in power had to use brutal force to suppress young people's demonstrations against their abuse of power at the expense of those young people's futures. From Togo, to Serbia, Kenya to Indonesia, Peru to Morocco young people have stood up to denounce wrongdoing, injustice and looting of national assets by their leaders. Iran's youth demonstrated huge courage and determination to voice their anger over the repression by the Islamic Republic's ayatollahs only to be brutally gunned down in their thousands. Those protests across continents were part of a global wave of youth awakening against corruption and political arrogance. Gen Z showed the world that they refuse to be silent.
Whether those manifestations of youthful bravery around the world will inspire Malta's young people is still to be seen. But what is certain is that something is changing amongst our younger generations. Thankfully there's nothing as dramatic as the horrific scenes emerging from Iran or the sea of young people chanting "thieves" at their corrupt leaders in Belgrade. But there's certainly something afoot.
Just five short years ago, Robert Abela enjoyed the support of 64.6% of all 16 to 35 years olds. That's crashed to just 36.8% in the latest survey. In 2020 Labour's support amongst those young voters was 44%. Now it's down to 34%. Abela's catastrophic loss of support and Labour's sagging approval cannot be ascribed simply to apathy or disinterest. If that were the case support from the younger generation would dissipate from all political parties. But that's not what's going on.
Those significant shifts look seismic when the support for the Opposition is considered. In 2020 only 23.1% of Malta's 16 to 35 year olds planned to vote for PN. Now that proportion has shot up to over 37%, overtaking Labour. PN support in that age group increased by 60%. Over the same period Labour lost 23% of its young voters. Labour went from a 21 point lead to a 3 point disadvantage. That's a staggering 24 point swing.
Malta's youth may be less vocal than their peers around the world - but they're still sending a message that's loud and clear. They won't be fooled by Labour's propaganda. They too, like many young people around the world are tired of the corruption, the nepotism and the arrogance of power. They cannot bear to be insulted with Robert Abela's false claims that 90% of them own their own properties when they know very well they don't. What they do know is that Roderick Galdes managed to amass a veritable property empire spanning several countries while supposedly earning only his ministerial salary. They watch in disbelief as Robert Abela praised Galdes stating that he "admired" his move. They cringe in disgust as Abela insisted that "there is no proof, only many allegations"
If there is one thing that young people cannot stand it is dishonesty. They might not be protesting in the streets but their seething anger is bubbling. It will no doubt surface when the time comes. Young people will always find a way of making their voices heard.
Even in repressive China where the merest hint of protest is met with brutal retribution, young people have found a way of standing up to the regime - by lying flat. Tangping or lying flat is a protest movement engineered by young people fed up with the Chinese Communist party's incessant drive for economic growth at the expense of its people. Their reaction to Xi Jinping's insistence that they should be part of the "struggle" is to defy him. "Lying flat is standing up horizontally - lying flat is having a backbone". The Communist party retaliated even to their passive resistance. A search for Tangping on Taobao, a Chinese e-commerce platform, yields only items displaying the Communist party slogan. China's leadership expends huge efforts in suppressing the voice of those young people because it knows that they constitute a real threat to their power.
Youngsters in other countries have had more success. In 2024 Bangladeshi students brought down the authoritarian Sheikh Hasina . In Nepal youth protesters, angry at their government's corruption, nepotism and the luxurious lives of their government elites, helped unseat the country's government. In Bulgaria the largest waves of protest in its history ended Rossen Zhelyazkov's stint in power. Madagascar's President Rajoelina was ousted after massive youth protests. What triggered all those young people across the world to act was that they were tired of all the corruption, they were angry at the millions being looted to enrich those in power and their cronies, they were fed up of watching ministers' wives, sons and daughters being put on boards of governmental bodies, being appointed to lucrative governmental posts they didn't deserve, or simply given phantom jobs and paid for nothing out of taxpayers' money.
Our young people have the luxury that they don't need to face police batons, tear gas or rubber bullets any longer, at least until now, to effect change. They only need to exercise their right at the polling booth to ensure that those who have betrayed them and their trust will pay the political price for their abuse. They cannot risk lying flat and staying at home on polling day. If they do they will let others make the choice for them.
Latest polls indicate that up to one out of every four 16-35 year olds does not intend to vote. In contrast almost all elderly voters will cast theirs (94%). When Britain's strongly pro-European young voters stayed at home, their grandparents, nostalgic for an imperial past, dragged them out of Europe against their will. The ones who'd lived their lives determined the lives of those who still had to live them.
It's time that Malta's youth determine their own future. There's only one sure easy way to achieve that.