As we continue asking the right questions and delving into the mechanics of what got us to this point, there is a growing realisation that the institutional system has failed us. And institutions form an integral part of any governance system.

The institutional system looks at the factors enabling problem-solving or opportunity-creating practices and can be best described as the design, care and maintenance of these institutions that control or enable interactions between actors to take place. From a governance perspective, they need to be continually evaluated and adapted to changing circumstances.

Institutions should be dynamic with institutional settings being designed, created, reviewed, maintained, reformed and changed. Therefore, the second order of governance needs to be conceptualised as balancing needs and capacities.

There are a number of actors that make up the institutional set-up and include market or private sector actors and civil society.

Over the past few months, we have seen the important role that civil society has played not only in upholding governance values but even more so in asking the right questions.

In analysing second-order governance, a lot of the institutional setting is found in what can be referred to as the political society and is perhaps the most critical link in the governance chain. It is the arena where citizens are represented and their views are aggregated and packaged into specific policy demands and proposals. It is where much of the political agenda is set and where most of the formal institutions are found. Political society is not a single institution but rather a series of them. And it is here that our focus should be in building a new Malta, a new Republic.

The actors involved are different and this article is only aimed at introducing them, more in-depth thoughts on each will follow.

The core institution behind political society is the electoral system. An electoral system is designed to do three main jobs. First and most fundamentally, it translates votes cast into legislative seats. Second, it acts as the conduit through which the people can hold their elected representatives accountable.

Third, it defines incentives for those competing for power to give voice to all of society.

This is the right time for us to start building the foundations of a new republic

Although a discussion might be started or questions posed on the electoral system Malta uses, I do believe that the true actors that need to change are the political parties. It is time that we truly question the way political parties are organised and their influence in society, business and government. For change to truly happen, a proper discussion on the future of political parties in Malta is warranted.

Secondly, democratic societies need the arena for the airing of societal differences provided by representative assemblies with vital ties to the populace. They need institutions that are capable of writing good laws in both the political sense of getting agreement from participants and in the technical sense of achieving the intended purposes.

Even in this case, thought needs to be given on parliament’s role in the new Republic we envisage. A debate needs to look at the size and composition of parliament, the resources it is given to fulfil its role, the role of elected parliamentarians; full-time versus part-time and the commensurate pay package as well as the other parliamentary committees and roles an effective legislature needs to truly act as a check and balance on the executive branch.

Thirdly, Malta requires a judicial system that holds the law above everything and everyone. Good consistent jurisprudence based on law, as well as predictable and time-efficient resolution procedures are necessary for that sense of predictability, transparency and accountability which are the cornerstones of good governance.

Here again, appointments to the bench, resources devoted to it and also operational matters in order to reduce the lead time are all fundamental elements on a reform which is needed.

The executive is another actor charged with directing the nation’s affairs, supervising how policy is carried out, mobilising support for its goals and providing crisis leadership. It is here that Malta needs to fundamentally rethink the way the executive functions.

There currently is too much power vested in the prime minister which definitely needs to be diluted as expressed in all international governance reviews on the island.

The link between political parties and the executive also needs to be assessed, including the appointment of positions of trust. And also, once and for all, let us address the elephant in the room and discuss ministerial pay packages which reflects the responsibility and work involved in such a role.

Finally, the civil service is another element in the machinery of governance which needs to be evaluated in this discussion. This includes the number of public sector employees, the public servant career and training and even more importantly public procurement.

Governance is multi-faceted. The questions we are asking as a country and that we demand the new prime minister tackle are all related to good governance and especially to the institutional elements or order of good governance. We have a tall order in front of us but this is the right time for us to start building the foundations of a new republic.  

JP Fabri is an economist and a visiting assistant lecturer at the University of Malta.