Editorial: Crackdown or campaign gimmick?

Just over a year ago, the public was informed that 24/7 CCTV cameras were to be installed in Paceville and that this promised to enforce some order in an area tailored for chaos.

You have to assume that things could have been worse than they actually were had these cameras not been there, although it is hard to imagine. That was the year when bad behaviour in Malta was rampant and much of it was captured and shared on social media.

This did not happen out of the blue: in 2024, there were already complaints about inappropriate attire, though only 29 people had been fined for ‘indecent dress’ between January 2024 and May 2025.

But clothing, or lack of it, was just one aspect of bad behaviour that becomes the line in the sand for residents, the point at which overtourism starts to fester and results in a popular backlash. One that weighs up tourism money against the noise, drunkenness, littering and vandalism and shouts ‘Enough!’

Now, the government intends to introduce on-the-spot fines for bad behaviour, following on in the footsteps of various other countries and cities, from Singapore to Italy. And the fines there apply to other issues that have plagued Malta, especially Valletta, like climbing monuments and swimming in fountains.

The government also said that foreign nationals without Maltese residency would have the right to appear before a commissioner for justice in a tribunal, although it is not yet clear how this would work in practice.

We should all support any action to clamp down on bad behaviour, but whether this legal notice will improve standards depends heavily on two things.

First, it cannot apply only to foreigners without Maltese residency. They are not the only ones to behave badly and the message should apply to all.

This form of discrimination might resonate during a general election campaign, when an anti-foreigner sentiment is being fanned by politicians. The campaign will end and the laws must apply to everyone, including Maltese citizens and Maltese residents.

The second is who is to impose these fines: in 2025, Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri had said the police should focus on their core duties and not become the “morality police”.

Camilleri is now talking about the importance of law and order and respect for Maltese culture and has decided that the police are, in fact, among the enforcers who will carry the big stick.

And all of this is meant to be done in less than three weeks.

Political party Momentum pointed out that it had recommended on-the-spot fines some time ago.

However, it too expressed concern at the fact that it is aimed at foreigners, when infringements are also carried out by Maltese on a daily basis at all hours of the day.

The issue comes back to enforcement and whether anything actually happens, a thorny issue when we know that no action is taken against kiosks that have operated illegally for over a decade, bars and night clubs that blare out music till the early hours, buildings that continue being erected without permits, cars being driven dangerously... the list is never-ending.

Election billboards can proclaim all the handouts they want, however, that will not make the slightest difference to how we perceive the system, let alone trust it. 

Many people no longer judge governments by the announcements they make, but by whether rules are applied consistently, fairly and without fear or favour once the headlines fade.

While it is good to hear yet another pledge of a clampdown on bad behaviour, it is equally telling and sad that once again the toughest rhetoric is reserved for those who have no vote.