Malta is passing through sad and troubling times. Sad because, within only a few years, it has seen, and is still seeing, social and political values nose dive to an extent undreamt of before, except during the Mintoff administrations. Troubling because most, not all, of the forces pushing the slide in values originate from the government itself.
It has been years since the political situation has been this tense, this divisive. Contrary to times past, when the division was strictly between the two rival political parties, this time it is between the government and, in the absence of a strong Opposition, an ever-growing segment of civil society that is coming out into the open to protest the excesses of the State.
It is a delicate situation, made worse by a government that, confident it enjoys the backing of a huge majority – as shown in two successive general elections – is riding roughshod over the sentiments of people who are seeing long-held values being made meaningless in face of an increasingly intolerant administration.
Regulatory bodies are being seen as mere tools in the hands of the government, often dancing to the tune as set from Castille. When any of these make a decision against the government, this is invariably given as proof that all is well and that the rule of law is paramount and healthy, when the situation on the ground presents a different picture.
The rot started when Joseph Muscat opted to keep in office his chief of staff and a Cabinet minister despite the fact they were caught having an offshore company without the blessing of the island’s inland revenue. That decision challenged every conceivable notion of ethical administrative behaviour but the Prime Minister did not seem all that interested in upholding values. Neither he nor his government – including Cabinet members who continuously speak of good governance and the rule of law – appeared to mind the negative messages the decision meant in a democratic society.
They must have argued that most people did not care about such matters either and time has, most sadly, proved them right. Even now that so much time has passed since that fateful decision to retain Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri in their places, the government is still transmitting the same message – that values have little or no meaning next to making money.
This explains the flouting of rules and regulations, the granting of land on outside development zones, the government’s reluctance to come clean over key development deals by releasing unredacted contracts, the shenanigans over the non-publication of the entire report of the Egrant inquiry, the failure by the police to investigate erring politicians, the engagement of an army of people in positions of trust and so many other troubling actions.
The bad example this government has given since its election to power in 2013 is reflected in the aggressive, and often inflammatory, language many are using on social media today. Since Daphne Caruana Galizia’s murder, the situation has become worse, with people often indulging in attacking critics personally.
On the surface, Malta may have all the trappings of a healthy democracy but everyday life shows a government-dominated environment stifled by political antagonism and a might-is-right attitude.
It is time for the government to take a step back.
This is a Times of Malta print editorial