Malta’s Political Crossroads: Engaged or Entitled?
Voting Lines Snaking Around St. George’s Square
Malta, 2022. The sun beats down on St. George’s Square in Valletta, voters queuing up since dawn. They’re not waiting for the latest iPhone or a Black Friday sale. They’re here to cast their vote, to have their say in who leads their country. But as the lines grow longer, the question on everyone’s mind isn’t just ‘Who should we vote for?’, but ‘Who should we even listen to?’
Entitled Voters or Engaged Citizens?
Malta’s political scene is a boiling pot of opinions, and everyone seems to think they’re the chef. Social media platforms are flooded with posts, each one more passionate than the last. But is this engagement, or entitlement? Are we a nation of engaged citizens, or entitled voters who think we deserve a say, but don’t want to do the work that comes with it?
Dr. Joseph Aquilina, political scientist and lecturer at the University of Malta, thinks it’s a mix. “We’re seeing a rise in political awareness and engagement, especially among the younger generations. But we’re also seeing a lot of noise, a lot of people shouting without really listening.”
Shackled Leaders or Reluctant Reformers?
Our leaders, on the other hand, seem shackled. Shackled by tradition, by fear of losing votes, by the constant noise of social media. They’re reluctant reformers, Dr. Aquilina says, “They want to make changes, but they’re afraid. Afraid of the backlash, afraid of losing power.”
Take the recent debate over the divorce law reform. The government wanted to push it through, but faced so much backlash, they had to back down. The leader, shackled by the noise, couldn’t push through a reform that was widely supported by the majority.
A Breaking Point or a Turning Point?
So, where does this leave us? At a breaking point, or a turning point? Dr. Aquilina thinks it’s the latter. “We’re at a point where we can’t keep going the way we are. We need to have tough conversations, we need to listen, we need to compromise.”
And what about the voters snaking around St. George’s Square? They’re not just entitled, they’re engaged. They’re not just shouting, they’re listening. They’re ready for change, ready to have their say, ready to do the work. They’re ready for a turning point.
But it’s up to us, the voters, the leaders, the engaged citizens, to make that turning point happen. It’s up to us to listen, to compromise, to work together. It’s up to us to lead, not just vote.
