Democratic backsliding has become a global trend; in Malta, dissatisfaction with the democratic process is also growing. Young people are increasingly disengaged from political life: voting less, rejecting party membership, and telling researchers that their country’s leaders are not working in their interests.
Times of Malta last week revealed that political parties are struggling to find candidates for local council elections.
One senior Labour source said: “We are struggling. A significant number are saying they are not interested in contesting the election. Everyone seems focused on working in their field, with very little energy or inspiration.”
A PN source argued: “We feel there is widespread political fatigue. People need a vision to aspire to and a leader to inspire them, and so far, none of the two leaders do that.”
So why is youth satisfaction with democracy declining in absolute terms and relative to how older generations felt at the same stages in life?
Do you blame people for switching off when they are treated to a litany of political scandals?
Interest in local council elections is declining for a number of valid reasons. Local councils have been stripped of a substantial part of the work they used to do, like road maintenance and garbage collection. They have been reduced to public relations offices for government departments and agencies. Political participation should be about people casting their votes, engaging with their representatives, and participating in local government.
Trust in the system is among the core requirements for meaningful political participation. When the basic conditions for political participation are absent, youths are likely to give up. Or they may find alternative ways to stay engaged, influence policy, and make their voices heard.
Today, a great deal of youth ‘participation’ takes place on social media. Other young people get involved in institutions they encounter in everyday life, like universities, private enterprises, and philanthropic NGOs.
Understanding how young and not-so-young people view and practise political participation is critical to any democratic renewal effort. People today are better educated and more connected than ever. But if existing democratic processes continue to fail them, people may reject core values or democratic governance such as consensus, dialogue, accountability and inclusion.
The more socially committed young people are speaking out about corruption, the destruction of the environment, gender, racism, socioeconomic inequality and liberties, even if they are not always doing this through the voting system.
There is no blueprint to ensure that youth political participation contributes to strengthening, sustaining, and expanding the performance of democratic governance. Rather than resort to gimmicks and populist policies, political leaders must work in different dimensions, promoting civic engagement, empowering young people to engage effectively in decision-making processes, teaching them how to hold decision-makers accountable, and fostering cross-generational collaboration.
The increasing lack of trust in the democratic process illustrates an ongoing decoupling between what policymakers do and what voters are concerned about. And do you blame people for switching off when they are treated to a litany of political scandals? The extent of political fatigue is worrying as it shows that many voters feel completely detached from the policies of the two main parties.
Unfortunately, in 2023, there is still no third party that is seen as a potential contender to represent the many who feel disenfranchised.
When people feel excluded from essential government decisions that affect their lives and future, they can more easily shift towards authoritarianism and populist politicians. And this path should be avoided at all costs.