Letters to the editor – June 17, 2026

Wanted: polite politics

Mark Said of Msida, writes:

In case our politicians missed out on a news item some time ago, referring to a Swedish research study report by the Karolinska Institute, I wish to remind them that rudeness and vulgarity in politics undermine the public’s trust in them and increase the risk of voter abstention.

Based on recent public perceptions, there is a strong demand for politeness in Maltese politics.

The tone of exchanges in political debates could worry some. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

Incivility in politics is a major problem and the situation is getting worse, which could, ultimately, pose a threat to democracy.

Many are concerned about the tone of exchanges in political debates, during plenary parliamentary sessions, on TV programmes, on the radio and on social media. They no longer follow political debates because of the overly aggressive tone, though a more courteous tone would make them more inclined to follow debates.

Ever since the Labour Party started gaining massive electoral victories in 2013, politics has been marked by crass name-calling and disrespectful conduct. 

To a certain extent, politicians from the opposite camp often fell into temptation by responding in like.

When politicians lose their civility, it is often a result of a strategic shift toward performative, adversarial politics designed to gain media attention and energise supporters through outrage rather than substance. 

This decline in polite discourse, characterised by name-calling and aggression, often serves to dominate opponents and can be a calculated, though polarising, effort to ‘win’ in an environment that rewards conflict over compromise.

Maltese politicians from across all camps need to start debating politics in a courteous tone, without mockery or insults.

What have we become?

John Attard Montalto of Sliema writes:

I have just returned from mass at Nazarene Church in Sliema. The mass is celebrated in Maltese but on Sunday morning it is celebrated in English and attended by both Maltese and visitors. 

When the priest told us to show our fraternal values by shaking hands, the bench in front of me was occupied by a Maltese couple and an Asian Catholic on one side and a coloured person on the other. Both extended their hands to shake those of the Maltese. This latter couple did not reciprocate. 

I asked myself what have we become?