It is now obvious that the rotten values introduced into Malta by Joseph Muscat and his international advisers have spread widely and deeply through the Maltese population. Every time a scandal emerges, we all shudder how this situation can be brought to an end.

The next election will be won by those who can persuade Maltese voters that honesty and fairness will return in our country. The party which sets out clear and practical plans for a thorough realignment of the country’s economic model will win.

A change is clearly needed and it looks like the Nationalist Party is offering such a change and a return to values, the rule of law, accountability, meritocracy and transparency.

Historically, each time the country had been run down to the bottom by a Labour government, in 1987, 1998 and, now, in 2026, it was and will be the Nationalists who got the hard job of returning the country to normality.

Yet, each time one fundamental error was made.

Bishop Desmond Tutu, in South Africa led a committee to pardon the apartheid criminals who robbed the country of its wealth and oppressed so many people over the years. Forgiving criminals was a mistake.

Eddie Fenech Adami committed the same mistake in 1987 and subsequent years when, after the loss of rights plus many years of corruption he forgave the ministers, party persons of trust, civil servants and police officers who were responsible for the terrible mess during those horrible years.

Only a couple of cases were brought to justice but the concept of putting the past behind us because the closeness of family ties in Maltese society leads to omertà and unwillingness to give evidence against people one knew or was related to, was too powerful for Fenech Adami.

The failure to punish wrongdoers is sending a message to those who committed crimes to carry on because they will retain their jobs and will be forgiven. In fact, the present government and sympathisers who seem to have no values at all live in a belief that there is a culture of impunity today and that, like their predecessors, they will be forgiven by an incoming Nationalist government.

All buildings illegally built must be demolished- John Vassallo

I am asking the parties looking for our vote in the next election to make it clear that all those involved in the numerous rackets will lose their jobs, will be forced to repay what they stole, to explain their newly gained wealth and, maybe, even lose some of their civil rights as a sign that such a widespread culture of impunity never returns to this country.

All buildings erected against the policies and found to be illegally built must be demolished. All pools and penthouses illegally built are also to be demolished and the landscape returned to its former state. All tables and chairs encroaching pavements without permits or beyond permits are to be taken away and fines charged retroactively for the period of the encroachment.

Without these measures being made clear ahead of the next election, the lawbreakers will believe that they are protected by the impunity bubble created by the Labour government.

Cosmetic change is not enough this time. “Once bitten twice shy,” as they say. Forgiving those criminals once again will only produce another disaster when a new brightly polished campaign of lies by some new Labour Party leader suddenly hits the headlines.

It has been a characteristic of Maltese politics. Labour cheats and uses moral or physical violence, taking national wealth into their pockets. Nationalists come to power full of good intentions. They clean up the mess and after a decade or so begin to tire, to be tempted to line their own pockets and lose national trust through tiredness and lack of renewal.

Let us hope that, this time, we can avoid repeating old mistakes. But we still require some unequivocal and clear plans and not just promises of improvement in quality of life, rule of law or diplomacy.

We need to have quarterly plans from election victory day and onwards for five years or more. 

John Vassallo is a former ambassador to the EU.