Letters to the editor – May 9, 2026

Pigs’ trough

Carmel Sciberras of Naxxar writes:

Roderick Galdes. File photo: Times of Malta

When the Labour Party executive decided to ban former minister Roderick Galdes from being a candidate in the coming election, his first reaction might have been: “Why only me? Surely, there are others who have gorged themselves from the pigs’ trough. This is blatant discrimination.”

Citizenship purchase scheme

Albert Cilia-Vincenti of Attard writes:

The report about regulator Carmel de Gabriele criticising the EU’s court for “failing to acknowledge and appreciate Malta’s incomparable process of due diligence” when vetting third country applicants for purchase of Maltese citizenship (April 19) is interesting, if not amusing.

It would seem the regulator is claiming the EU court has not “acknowledged and appreciated Malta’s incomparable due diligence process” when vetting applicants under our previous citizenship-by-investment scheme. 

To the average reader, like myself, it almost sounds like the regulator is suggesting a maladministration of justice at the EU court.

These wealthy third-country nationals (TCNs) were, of course, not buying free entry to Malta; they were buying free entry to all the other EU countries (and paying only us).

The regulator apparently also claimed these wealthy TCNs were actually “contributing to the country’s development to balance off and compensate for their inadvertent inability to having been born in Malta”.

These statements seem to clash with European democratic values. 

We recently had worrying reports of children of TCN workers born and/or educated here whom we are expecting to be integrated into our culture but who have been refused Maltese citizenship at age 18. 

Does this mean money, but not birth, upbringing or public service, could earn you citizenship of our islands?

The report goes on about the billions this citizenship purchase scheme earned the country, how many local institutions were helped financially and how many hundreds of millions are still left for other good use (hopefully, the National Audit Office has checked all this).

May I suggest another worthy cause needing funding? Public service (including the police force) and private company pensioners who were entitled to a second (service) pension have had varying considerable amounts of their NI two-thirds pension stolen for decades and they need compensation by a state that claims democratic European values rather than a piracy and slavery culture under our administration’s surface polished veneer.

Stressful noise

Doris Borg of Mosta writes:

I have just read the article about the complaints by people living in the vicinity of Ta’ Qali because of the excessive noise caused by music at parties held there. Even I, living in the centre of Mosta, have often had my sleep ruined by this noise.

Last Sunday night, I was woken up at 2.45am and could not sleep until the music stopped at 4am! Imagine those people who live nearer to Ta’ Qali. They have been complaining for a long time but the situation has not changed. 

I have written in Times of Malta about this problem. All our complaints have fallen on deaf ears.

Imagine having to go to work or to school after having hardly slept. Do we wonder there is so much stress and anxiety in this island if excessive noise to which we are being exposed is getting worse? Is this not one of the reasons of mental health problems suffered by an increasing number of people?

It is useless offering psychiatric help to people if the situation remains the same. We ought to get rid of the spider and not remove the cobweb only.