Pjazza San Ġorġ, in Victoria has raised the hackles of the archpriest, residents and NGOs over the past weeks.

Comino is the cause of deep anger and anguish among nature lovers, NGOs and Gozitan and Maltese residents. They cannot get access to their favourite sandy beach at the Blue Lagoon or are in fear of the over development of Santa Marija Bay when the old hotel gets destroyed and replaced with private villas for the super-rich after destroying acres of irreplaceable garrigue and taking away one of the last areas that was peaceful until 20 years ago.

Sliema, Marsaxlokk and Gżira seafronts as well as Marsalforn and Xlendi and Mellieħa square have all been causing local residents much alarm and danger. Yes, danger since the encroachment of tables and chairs, awnings, metal structures and concrete bollards have taken over the pavements and street parking areas, with and sometimes without planning permissions, making pedestrians, prams and pushchairs, walking aides for the elderly and wheelchairs unable to access their lawful use of pavements.

It also encroaches entrances and exits of apartments, flooding these with the stench of cheap food, smoke from kitchen, noise from sound systems, rowdy half-naked tourists guzzling alcohol and light pollution that make it difficult for many to sleep peacefully.

I am sure that this situation is clearly out of control for a very long time and must have played a role in the loss of 30,000 votes for the Labour Party.

It is time for the government to respond to the needs of the Maltese before it becomes too late to reverse the trend of complaints that have a life of their own. If the wave is not responded to, the next election could be a disaster for the present government, leading to a change of government.

The government must change its laissez-faire policy and start to come down hard on the problem of encroachment by its favourite businessmen, restaurant and bar owners and beach club owners acting like cowboys.

Tables outside have to be kept off all pavements and restricted only to pedestrianised areas and away from trafficked streets. This can be done by eliminating the metal structures and platforms built on roads and allowing tables and chairs only on pavements that are wide enough to leave a free area outside the bar/coffee shop of at least one-metre-wide free for walkers. Bars can eliminate their outer walls allowing their clients to sit inside but without any glass or steel between them and the outside pavement.

Deckchairs on Comino and other beaches should be eliminated completely, allowing only towels and privately-owned beach chairs brought by the visitors free of charge. Beaches to be patrolled daily to ensure rules are followed.

On Comino development there is need for a national campaign aimed at stopping the Planning Authority from granting permission for this development. The only development should be an upgrade of the existing hotel, keeping to the identical footprint and height and not taking garrigue or beach front into the private domain.

The government must change its laissez-faire policy and start to come down hard on the problem of encroachment- John Vassallo

In Sweden, where I have spent over 17 years, I own property just 50 metres from one of the largest pristine sandy beaches lined by a huge pine forest that has a limited number of villas built in a particular size and footprint with extremely strict controls. Any additional room, parking place or overhang is checked by drones and visits and anyone who does not abide by the rules is obliged to eliminate the encroachment immediately. No fines to free the illegal additions or changes and, thus, legalise them are allowed.

The beach has no structures like bars, beach clubs, volleyball pitches or other human structures at all and this a beach that is over 20 kilometres long. One can walk or cycle freely along the entire beach with cycle paths and the only structures allowed are a small number of huts (relative to the limited number of villas) to serve ice cream and lunches away from the beach.

On the beach one takes one’s own beach towel or deckchair and removes them when going home. This is paradise and, with global warming, this and hundreds of similar beaches (all beaches are free and no private ownership of sea fronts is allowed) across Sweden are becoming attractive.

Sweden has a notion in basic law called the ‘Allemansraett’, which means the rights of the public to roam, camp, pluck berries, swim or just enjoy all land both public and private as long as they cause no damage or start fires or enter paddocks, private gardens or similar areas. All other spaces are free to each and every person to enjoy.

Could Malta try to introduce something like this? Of course, the hotel owners, greedy businessmen, would rise up in arms since they have been allowed free hands for so long, they believe they are entitled to usurp our environment.

I think that the next election will be all about Malteseness (language, religion, values and peaceful living) and citizens’ rights as against businessmen’s investments as well as foreign population reduction and controls to reduce stress on the infrastructure, especially health and energy.

It will be about changing the economic model, reducing tourist numbers, eliminating Airbnbs like Barcelona is doing and reducing cruise liners entering harbours. It will also be about moratorium on new buildings with only refurbishments and upgrades both technical and aesthetic of existing buildings. No new footprints anywhere for a decade or two.

Yes, it will be the citizens against the establishment – political and business.

The next two years leading to the next election will tell us whether citizen power is strong and alive in Malta.

John Vassallo is a former ambassador to the EU.