Do you remember where you were this time five years ago? Can you recall at what stage of your life you were? Well in my case, my life was completely different. I had just met my significant other who I today call my wife. We had just started to get to know each other. My political involvement was also in its infancy.
Five years are a long time. But that is not only true at an individual level, it is also true on a national one. In the span of just five years, our country has undergone a remarkable transformation. Our population has exploded by tens of thousands. Not children born to Maltese parents, however, since we have the lowest birthrate in all of Europe.
The explosion in numbers is the result of thousands of people brought in to keep the labour market competitive, or so we are told. Today, for every two Maltese citizens, there is one foreign national living in our country. In several localities, foreigners now outnumber Maltese residents.
Of course, this is not, in itself, a problem. But the absence of planning around this reality certainly is. Because what we are facing today is a demographic shift that is placing unprecedented pressure on our infrastructure, services, and ultimately, our quality of life.
And that is where the real question lies. If Malta has changed so much in just five years, where will we be in another five?
This is why the decisions we take in the coming months matter more than ever! Fundamentally, at the core of this question lies a difference in vision, in how we understand growth, and more importantly, how we manage it. Let us call things by their name. Malta today is facing a problem of over-density. It is affecting how we move, how we access healthcare, how we live, and how we experience our own country. Yet, despite this being evident to anyone who lives here, we have never heard a clear admission from those in power, from the Prime Minister, that this problem was created by their wrong policy choices.
Instead, we are told that the economy is growing, that opportunities are increasing and that everything is under control. But people are not experiencing it that way, Mr Prime Minister!
They are experiencing traffic that continues to worsen, hospitals that struggle to keep up, infrastructure that is stretched beyond limits, a lack of open spaces and a sense that systems are no longer there to serve the people.
Over the past 12 years, Malta has not built a single new and innovative economic sector. The industries that sustain our economy today were created by past Nationalist administrations - the result of visionary foresight and political will. The only vision the Labour Party ever had in government relied on increasing population numbers rather than increasing value.
We believe there is a better way! We believe in an economy that creates wealth, not just activity. An economy that generates quality jobs, not just more work. An economy that builds long-term sustainability, not short-term activity.
This also means being honest about the role of foreign workers in our country. They are not the problem. To a large extent, they are the victims of a system that abuses and takes advantage of them. At the same time, our villages, towns and communities are feeling the strain of rapid, unmanaged change. The responsibility does not lie with those who came here seeking a better life. It lies with those who opened the floodgates without a clear plan.
A different approach is needed, urgently. A new economic model that prioritises sustainability and quality. A system based on proper market research, understanding the real needs of the labour market. A forward-looking, sector-specific approach to population planning, grounded in data and tailored to the country's needs.
International institutions such as Eurostat and the IMF have already warned the Government about the risks of continued population growth at the current pace. Yet one doesn't need to be a fine statistician or economics guru to understand that this rock we call home is well beyond its carrying capacity limits.
The next five years will define the kind of country we become. A country that continues on the same path, hoping for the best that the consequences will somehow resolve themselves. Or a country that recognises the challenges it faces and takes the necessary decisions to address them. The choice is very clear.
Darren Carabott is Shadow Minister for Home Affairs, Security and Reforms, and chairman of the Public Accounts Committee