Port Council in hard-hitting report after Vittoriosa fails cultural capital bid

The Port Regional Council has blamed serious institutional failure marked by secrecy, lack of collaboration, and administrative shortcomings for Vittoriosa's failure to become the 2031 European Capital of Culture.

An independent European Capital of Culture 2031 selection panel on Tuesday last week announced that Victoria, Gozo, had been shortlisted to hold the title in 2031, while a bid from Vittoriosa failed to make it through. The application was submitted by Cottonera Foundation, in the name of Vittoriosa and the Port Regional Council.

The Port Council said late on Monday that together with Vittoriosa (Birgu) Council, it had submitted a detailed report regarding the management of the application process for Vittoriosa’s candidacy.

"What was meant to be a process of national pride and broad cultural participation has instead become a case of serious institutional failure, marked by secrecy, lack of collaboration, and administrative shortcomings," it lamented.

"Cottonera Foundation failed to inform or involve the Port Region and the Birgu Local Council in the preparation of the bid, despite these being the official entities responsible for it.

"Repeated requests for transparency were ignored, and information about the project, the experts involved, and the use of public funds was deliberately withheld," the regional council said. 

It added that the executive analysis of the pre-bid showed that, while the cultural vision was inspiring and artistically strong, the document was extremely weak in governance, methodology, and participation. It lacked an organigram, a clear financial plan, a monitoring framework, and mechanisms for accountability. The application was amateurish, inconsistent in writing, and lacking data or a clear strategic framework.

The pre-bid also failed to include essential elements such as:

• a regional vision integrated with existing Port Region strategies;
• social and economic impact studies;
• genuine community and local council involvement;
• a legacy plan beyond 2031.

As a result, the application lacked European credibility and did not advance to the shortlist stage of the ECoC 2031 selection process.

Questions over public funds

The regional council said the report also showed that the Cottonera Foundation received over €350,000 in public funds from the Port Region, the Birgu Local Council, and the Local Government Division to prepare the application. However, no transparent financial reporting was provided regarding how these funds were spent, who was paid, or for what work.

"The absence of monitoring, auditing, or financial oversight raises serious concerns about how these public funds were managed in order to achieve the best results," it said. 

Damage to institutional credibility

What had occurred, the regional council said, went beyond an administrative mistake: it represented a serious blow to the credibility and reputation of the Port Region, the Birgu Local Council, and the communities of the port area.

"A project that was intended to strengthen trust in cultural and democratic processes has instead undermined public confidence and diminished the value of culture as a driver of cohesion and transparency."

Call for accountability and action

The Port Region said it was calling for:

• The immediate publication of all documentation and reports related to the process;
• A full explanation of the selection of experts and the use of funds;
• The establishment of a new transparent monitoring mechanism for projects of this nature;
• The recovery of all public funds forked out by the Port Regional Council and Birgu Local Council since the work submitted was not up to required professional level.

The Port Region said it would continue to safeguard the interests of its communities and ensure that future processes were conducted with accountability, seriousness, and respect for good governance.