Born in Victoria, Gozo, in 1952, President Spiteri Debono is a notary and will become the first female Gozitan appointed President. Her political career includes stints in the Labour Party’s National Executive. Myriam had unsuccessful attempts as a candidate in the general elections. However, in 1996 she was appointed as the first woman speaker of the House. Faced with a...
Politics
Role of the Maltese President – what’s the point of it?
In copy-pasting the the role of the British Monarch, we lost the main point of the role of the Maltese President- a spunt opinion piece This April, a respectable and most likely elderly politician will be selected to become Malta’s next head of state. It’s happened every five years since 1974, when our country became a republic. This person will...
What is the new process of electing Malta’s next President?
The selection of Malta’s President has historically been a parliamentary decision, requiring only a simple majority to support the nomination put forward by the Prime Minister. Put simply, the party in government could choose whoever it deemed appropriate with little input required from the opposition. However, significant changes were introduced in 2020, altering the procedure. According to Article 48 (1)...
Qassisin miżżewġa. L-Arċisqof Scicluna jargumenta favur. Nispjegaw għaliex għandu punt.
F’intervista mat-Times of Malta, l-Arċisqof Scicluna qal, “għaliex għandi nitlef qassis tajjeb li jixtieq ikollu familja?” Fl-2017, il-Papa nnifsu kien diġà ta ħjiel dwar il-possibilità li l-irġiel miżżewġa jitħallew isiru saċerdoti. Imma qassisin miżżewga hi idea tajba? Aqra l-artiklu bl-Ingliż Qassisin miżżewġa – mhux xi ħaġa ġdida Għalkemm bidla drammatika, il-possibiltà ta’ qassisin miżżewġin tkun ritorn għat-tradizzjoni Kristjana tal-bidu: fil-verità,...
Cabinet Reshuffle Strategic Manoeuvre Ahead of MEP Elections
In a surprising move, Prime Minister Robert Abela announced a significant cabinet reshuffle just before the upcoming EU MEP elections. This decision, which is unconventional in timing, appears to be a calculated response to the areas in which the public showed its discontent. The major changes were seen in the creation of new roles and staff changes over issues such...
Malta’s EU Influence at Stake: MEPs to Vote on EU Veto Power
MEP vote on EU Veto power could significantly reshape Malta’s influence in the European Union’s policymaking. In a democratic Maltese-European country, who should have a greater say in policies affecting the Maltese? The Maltese parliament or the European Union? Most would agree that familiar and reachable Maltese politicians should have a greater role than obscure and distant EU ones. That...
Malta Budget 2024 Analysis – Government addresses inflation concerns but sidelines infrastructural pressures
The Malta Budget 2024 appears to be a constructed response to the prevailing economic climate, balancing caution with social awareness. It demonstrates an awareness of the immediate needs of the population, particularly in terms of living costs and education, while also laying down a foundation for longer-term economic stability and growth. However, the lack of robust measures to address declining...
How to spot a bad survey?
At its core, a survey is a method used to collect data from a subset of a population to draw conclusions or make inferences about the entire population. They’re often used in research, market studies, political polling, and many other fields to gauge opinions, behaviors, or characteristics. But how to distinguish between a good or a bad survey? The Pillar...
The Labour South & Nationalist North explained
Eddie Fenech Adami’s ‘Tal-Barrani’ meeting (1986) is emblematic of Malta’s division along what appears to be a Labour south and a Nationalist north. Understanding how the voters from the North and South became tied to the two parties, and their migration patterns across the island, is key to understanding these local political allegiances.
Clyde Marx? Was the budget as socialist as he described?
The 2023 budget strengthens the welfare state with 60% of the measures listed in the speech could be considered “socialist”. However, this form of social protection will have challenges in the future such as ageing population which will require a rethink of the system. In the post-Muscat era, the Labour Party is actively trying to re-associate itself with its socialist...
A reasonable budget amidst a global energy crisis
Amid the economic turmoil and geopolitical tensions across Europe, Finance Minister Caruana unveiled the government’s budget for 2023. Broadly speaking, the budget is similar to recent ones presented by the Labour government. A common narrative of new taxes and an increase in a number of benefits to curb the effects of looming crises, as well as robust one-off measures to...
How Gorbachev & Bush ended the cold war in the Malta Summit.
This article is part of an ongoing collaborative series by Spunt.mt and Lovin Malta. The 1945 Yalta conference marked the beginning of the Cold War, a 40+ year period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union, and their respective allies. Winds of change were sweeping through Soviet states by 1989, culminating in the fall of the...