Momentum has accused Public Broadcasting Services (PBS) of excluding smaller political parties from televised discussions on Budget 2027, calling on the Broadcasting Authority to intervene and ensure that political debates on the national broadcaster reflect a wider range of views.
In a statement, the party said it had formally written to PBS and the Broadcasting Authority to protest its exclusion from television debates concerning the Budget, arguing that public broadcasting should provide a platform for political voices beyond the Labour Party and the Nationalist Party.
Momentum said state and mainstream media continued to silence alternative political voices in favour of the two major parties, pointing to the TVM programme Popolin, broadcast on 28 October, as an example.
The party said the programme featured three Members of Parliament from the government and three from the Opposition, while the studio audience was filled with candidates from both the Labour Party and the Nationalist Party.
It argued that a Momentum representative could have been included either on the panel or among the audience to provide an alternative perspective on the country's economy.
In its letter, Momentum said the composition of the programme did not adequately reflect the diversity of political opinions within Maltese society.
The party also highlighted several other television programmes which featured discussions on the Budget in the days before and after its presentation, including Vi jew Va, Wara l-Ħdax ma' Ricky, Xtra and Bla Rispetti; Il-Fatti.
Momentum said it had not been invited to participate in any televised debate on Budget 2027.
The party maintained that public broadcasting had a responsibility to ensure political pluralism and provide opportunities for different perspectives to be heard, particularly when discussing matters of national importance.
Momentum general secretary Mark Camilleri Gambin, who signed the letter, criticised what he described as the continued exclusion of smaller political parties from national discussions.
"Public broadcasting is funded by the taxes of all Maltese citizens, yet it continues to operate as a closed shop for the two major parties. Good governance and transparency demand that national discussions, especially those concerning our economy and the budget, reflect the true diversity of our society," Camilleri Gambin said.
"By locking out third-party voices, the state broadcaster is failing in its democratic duty to provide a balanced and inclusive debate."
In its letter to the authorities, Momentum said it believed a representative of the party could have been invited to join the audience of Popolin, while another could have participated in the panel instead of one of the six representatives from the two major parties.
The party said political programmes on public broadcasting should reflect political pluralism as much as possible and provide a voice to different perspectives in the interest of a more inclusive and balanced democratic debate.
Momentum urged the Broadcasting Authority to consider its concerns and find a solution that would allow the party to participate in future political discussions, particularly those concerning important national issues such as the Budget.
The party also expressed hope that the matter could be addressed through constructive dialogue.
Momentum concluded that building a better Malta required opening political discussions to all legitimate political forces rather than limiting them to the two major parties.