Imagine this: a quiet street in the heart of Valletta, the sun casting long shadows as the day winds down. A suited figure emerges from the Parliament building, briefcase in hand, and slips into a waiting car. Who’s in that car? And more importantly, who’s in their briefcase? This is the question that’s been on many Maltese minds, thanks to the Daphne Foundation’s recent push for political funding transparency.

The Daphne Foundation, named after the late journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia who was assassinated for her investigative work, is now at the forefront of a campaign demanding greater transparency in political financing. They’re proposing a reform that would require political parties to disclose all donations over €500, a significant step up from the current €1,000 threshold.

“We’re not asking for the moon,” says Matthew Caruana Galizia, Daphne’s son and a spokesperson for the foundation. “We’re asking for what’s standard practice in most European democracies. We want to know who’s influencing our political scene.”

Malta’s political funding scene is indeed murky. While parties are required to declare their donations, the current thresholds and lack of detail make it difficult to paint a clear picture. The foundation argues that the €1,000 threshold is too high, allowing large donations to slip under the radar.

Take, for instance, the 2017 election. The Labour Party declared donations totaling €1.7 million, while the Nationalist Party declared €1.1 million. But these figures don’t tell the whole story. They don’t reveal the identities of the donors, nor the amounts of individual donations. They don’t explain why, for example, a certain company or individual might be contributing such large sums.

Transparency in political funding matters because it’s about accountability. It’s about ensuring that our elected officials are representing us, not their donors. It’s about preventing corruption and maintaining the integrity of our democracy.

“It’s about trust,” says Caruana Galizia. “If we don’t know who’s funding our politicians, how can we trust that they’re acting in our best interests?”

The Daphne Foundation is calling on the public to support their campaign. They’re urging Maltese citizens to sign their petition and to engage with their political representatives about this issue. They’re also encouraging other civil society organizations to join the fight.

“This isn’t a partisan issue,” says Caruana Galizia. “It’s about good governance and transparency. It’s about Malta’s future.”

So, back to our suited figure in Valletta. Who’s in their briefcase? We might not know yet, but with the Daphne Foundation’s campaign gaining momentum, we could be one step closer to finding out.