It has been a year since the general election of 2017. It was an election which was called a year early, and therefore right now the Forza Nazzjonali campaign should have been coming to a close. Scandals threw the government into election mode, days after the Forza Nazzjonali coalition had been signed.

Despite only having a few days together before election mode, it was the campaign itself which forged a vision of good governance, environmentalism and social justice for the coalition. Those hard weeks together made history, defying tribalism for the first time since Paul Boffa’s Malta Workers’ Party was in a coalition with George Borg Olivier’s Nationalist Party.

Since the general election, the Democratic Party has perservered, carrying the Forza Nazzjonali banner with the intention of providing a home for Maltese of every background, without fear or favour. The PD believes that nobody should be rewarded or punished based on what they vote for. A vote is a mandate for a vision and a manifesto. As a bargaining chip, it loses its power to improve the country.

One reason why tribalism is so fierce in Malta is actually because people are punished for their political beliefs. Why would people trust the Opposition, if they fear that a change of government will make them lose their access to resources? The answer must be to treat everybody fairly in every sense, and that is the basis of the rule of law.

One year on from the election, Malta may be doing well economically, but it is not sustainable, and people are not treated fairly or equally. We are trading away our quality of life in exchange for short-term monetary gain. Our environment and heritage are being especially affected. Those in the civil service who do not support the government are punished. Our infrastructure is being invested in without any regard for long-term solutions for traffic, such as better public transport or encouraging people to move to alternative modes of transportation.

The issue is not that Malta is doing badly, it is that it could be doing so much better. We can still, as a small country, be European leaders in many areas, by leading by example in terms of our environmental goals and our role in the world as diplomats, peace-brokers and innovators. To get there we need to treat each other with respect, support one another’s success and ensure that money goes where it is needed and where it is well and truly earned, transparently.

So long as there is distrust, sown by corruption, clientelism and favouritism, then we cannot truly work together and put talent right where it is needed. We will always be trying to keep one another out of power, at any cost. And the cost is high. Instead, let us find common ground where possible, put an end to tribalism and corruption, and truly create the best possible country for everyone, and not just for ourselves.