Defining what is normal in a democracy could take up volumes of narrative to identify best practice in public life. But some easily identified characteristics distinguish a true democracy from a caricature of the real thing. 

Malta’s reputation as a country that fails various tests of democratic values did not surface suddenly a few months ago when the sleaze that existed in the corridors of power in Castille were revealed. The reputational damage will likewise not be resolved in the next few months simply because there is an initial, even if a most welcome, commitment to winning back the respect of people through good governance.

The prime minister has prematurely declared that the country has returned to normality. Admittedly, there have been some very welcome signals coming from Robert Abela. The Commissioner of Police has resigned. 

Not coincidentally his resignation was followed by shocking revelations on an organised racket of fraud by a section of the police force over the past several years. The immediate action taken by the Acting Police Commissioner is indeed commendable. 

But there is still a long road ahead of the government to establish its democratic credentials with the local and international community. 

Democracy is not just about guaranteeing free elections once every five years. It is about ensuring that citizens’ interests always come first when public officials make decisions. 

For instance, the way that taxpayers’ money has been spent in the last few years on the new power station and the privatisation of the management of three public hospitals raises serious doubts about how well citizens’ interests have been safeguarded. 

The prime minister will do well to speed up the investigations into these two significant projects to determine whether anyone abused the trust that people put in those who govern them. 

Those in a position of trust who abused their power should be brought to justice and not left to reinvent themselves in some new role, in an effort to prevent too many skeletons from falling out of the cupboard.

Democracy is also about having checks and balances in place in the governance of the country. Malta’s version of democracy has for many years had too few of these checks and balances. 

The government can still pull many levers in the appointment of judges and public officials to gain political mileage rather than to safeguard the interests of all citizens. When the country has a system through which members of the judiciary are appointed independently of the government’s wishes, and public officials are chosen on merit rather than on political criteria, then we can rejoice that we are progressing on the road to normality.  

Democracy thrives when after an election there are no winners and losers, but everyone feels that the newly elected team will work in the interest of all. It was indeed a false dawn when in the run-up to the 2013 election the PL adopted the slogan that ‘Malta belongs to all of us’. In the last few years, we have seen cronyism, nepotism, and political patronage permeate all levels of public governance. 

The prime minister has sent some clear signals that his administration will be different from the previous one. 

But people will only believe his words when they see evidence that it has become normal to put the interests of the people first.