The latest findings of a Eurobarometer survey should serve as an eye-opener to the government. The study identified two diametrically opposite trends among the 506 Maltese respondents: 85 per cent described the islands’ economic performance as good, a 12 percentage point increase over the same period last year, and 51 per cent expressed trust in the government, down five percentage points over the previous year.
The two figures demonstrate that a good economic performance does not necessarily come from good governance but from good economic policy. It may be argued that economic policy is part of governance, and in a way it is, but it is not the only purpose of government and there are many economic factors outside the government’s control.
The survey went further: 60 per cent of respondents, up one percentage point on 2014, said they do not to trust any of the political parties. Good governance or, better, the lack of it, taints all politicians, irrespective of which party is in government.
Prime Minister Joseph Muscat’s tasteless New Year’s message had economic success as its main theme. No one denies the high economic development and it is to Dr Muscat’s credit that his government caused no hiccups upon coming into office but continued to build upon what it had found. Yet, he also admits some people are not sharing in the economic benefits of high growth.
On the domestic front, Dr Muscat promised, among other initiatives, to “strengthen the fight against corruption” and reforms in the processing of visas and residential permits and at the Land Department. All these measures are a reaction to the endless sequence of scandals and controversies that characterised his government throughout 2015. On its part, the Nationalist Party in Opposition published an extensive good governance document that proposes some radical changes to the way the country is governed, through increased accountability and transparency, more stringent regulations for MPs and the strengthening of public institutions. Some of the proposals involve constitutional changes.
As government points at its economic success, the Nationalists’ focus is on proper governance and ‘honesty in politics’. But can they both be right?
When the going is good, people’s attention moves away from economic figures. They begin to focus instead on their quality of life, their rights, the style of governance, the role of public institutions and the environment in its many senses.
So far, the environment is proving to be this government’s Achilles’ heel, particularly in the wake of the development of green land in Marsascala as an international educational institution of an unknown sort. The handling of Mepa’s demerger and the fallout with Marlene Farrugia also damaged the party.
Labour was successful in other areas, especially in civil rights issues concerning the gay community. But such achievements were overshadowed by reports on public sector appointments to positions of trust, secrecy in government contracts and the terrible failures at the Land Department, among other controversies.
The PN is promising to come up with a clean, alternative government, offering transparency and accountability. The idea did not sound like much of a vote puller, at first, but as the government grows older and the economy stronger, public expectations are rising as to what constitutes good governance.
The feel-good factor generated by strong economic growth may not be good enough for an electorate that was promised so much more.