The country needs to find a sustainable economic model because, if it doesn’t, the Maltese risk becoming a minority in their own country as more foreign workers are brought in, PN leader Bernard Grech said on Sunday.

Speaking in a Net TV interview, the Nationalist Party leader lambasted the Labour government for its short-sighted economic model that had led to a ballooning of the population. 

Finance Minister Clyde Caruana this week warned that for Malta to continue its economic growth with its current model, the island’s population will have to rocket to 800,000 over the next 17 years.

“Today, in the country we already have over 100,000 foreign workers,” Grech said. 

He said that he was not against foreign workers and Malta may always need some, but the country should place a stronger focus on sustainable economic models.

Malta, he explained, has one of the lowest birth rates in Europe. If the country was to reach the population numbers mentioned by the finance minister, the Maltese would become a minority in their own country.

This created many problems for the nation, including the possibility of losing Maltese culture, the Maltese language and the environment as green areas may be taken up to accommodate the packed population. 

Malta, therefore needed to switch to a new economic model that did not require destroying the local environment and importing foreign workers.

“We need to address the country's environmental questions in a sustainable manner,” he added.

‘The PM is arrogant’

Speaking about the rising cost of living, Grech said that it was not just those with a minimum wage who were struggling to make ends meet.  

“Over a year and a half ago, we gave them solutions,” he said, listing several proposals made by the Opposition to help fight inflation.

One such solution was to create a national fund made up of millions of euros to help importers cushion their costs without raising prices and making the population pay. Another was to waive income tax on the cost of living wage adjustment. 

While Grech admitted that there were many valid reasons for inflation to rise – such as the Ukraine war and the after-effects of Covid – such explanations were not an excuse.

He compared the situation to water leaking into a house.

“When water comes into your house, you don’t simply say that it was because of the rain, and do nothing about it,” he analogised.

“When the weather settles, don’t you get someone or don't you figure out where the water is coming from so that when it does rain again, the same thing doesn’t happen?”

But Robert Abela was being arrogant and ignoring the PN's suggestions, he said.

'Abela a liability'

To make matters worse, the prime minister was being increasingly taken up by Labour Party infighting, recently made worse following allegations that Health Minister Chris Fearne’s political aide was bribed by a company linked to VGH, the hospitals concessionaire.

According to a Pakistan Today article, Carmen Ciantar received €443,000 in  payments from a Dubai bank, via a Panama company. The alleged payments from Gozo International Medicare - a company linked to the fraudulent Vitals hospital deal - took place before Ciantar was appointed as CEO of the Foundation for Medical Services by Fearne.

On Friday, Abela said that he has “full confidence” in his deputy, adding that he would not comment on the magistrate's investigation.

“Robert Abela has become a liability for Maltese and Gozitans,” Grech said.

Grech also hit out at the prime minister and his alleged control over the nation’s national broadcaster.

“The state’s TV station and news... are directly controlled by Robert Abela,” he said, claiming that the simple reason behind Abela’s hold over TVM was due to his insecurities while truth was kept from the nation.

The PN leader said that the country could no longer stand this type of control, calling on supporters to stand up for their beliefs.

In his interview Grech also congratulated Malta's athletes at the Small Nations Games, saying they had done the country proud, thanks to their dedication, discipline and also love for their country. He called for further investment in facilities, including the National Sports School set up by a PN government.