Watch: ‘Give smaller parties a fairer shot at parliament’ – president

President Myriam Spiteri Debono has urged MPs to reform electoral laws to give a better and fairer chance to small parties and independent candidates to get a seat in parliament.

In an interview with Times of Malta marking the first anniversary of her appointment as head of state, Spiteri Debono said the system is stacked against the smaller parties and candidates running alone.

She stressed it was time they were given a better shot at getting elected, especially as the number of voters dissatisfied with the two main parties continues to grow.

“We need to make sure that elected MPs in parliament represent as many voters as possible,” she said.

“With consistently rising abstention rates, shouldn’t we empower voters to elect candidates who truly represent their interests, especially when they perceive limited choice between the two major parties?

“Yes, voters can already vote for them, but let’s be honest, what is the probability that they will be elected to parliament with the current system? And don’t tell me it happened in the 1960s. Times change and so does the political situation.”

With the exception of 2017, when two Partit Demokratiku MPs were elected through a coalition with the Nationalist Party, Malta’s electoral system has only elected MPs from the Labour Party and the PN since 1966.

Small parties have made some inroads over the years, but many voters are increasingly abstaining from voting, knowing that a vote for a small party is still unlikely to yield any seats in parliament because of the electoral system.

The president acknowledged that some people fear that the more political parties in parliament, the greater the chance of government instability, but she believes allowing for potential coalition governments would also necessitate greater maturity and cooperation among MPs, a challenge she believes Malta’s politicians should embrace.

“Why shouldn’t we trust people by giving them this opportunity? It’s high time we discuss it,” she emphasised.

Malta has at least four active small parties vying for parliamentary seats come the next general election – ADPD, Momentum, Partit Malta Progressiva (PMP) and Volt Malta.

Though no small party or independent candidate managed to make it to the national or the European parliaments on their own steam in recent history, independent candidates achieved notable success in last year’s local council elections.

Several were elected as councillors and a few even headed their localities as mayors.

Spiteri Debono said the PL and PN have already committed to changing electoral law in both their manifestos, and it is time they delivered on their promises.

But the president expressed scepticism about whether Malta should be considered as one district to curb clientelism.

“Even with one district, people will still seek help from the politicians closest to them and will always ask for favours,” she said.

The goal should not be to prevent people from requesting favours, but rather to distinguish between those seeking what they are rightfully entitled to and those who are not, she said

She also addressed the issue of party financing, calling for stricter regulations to “diminish ties between politics and money”.

Constitutional reform delays

Spiteri Debono, 72, was appointed president on April 4 last year, succeeding George Vella. She is a former Labour Party candidate and served as Speaker of the House during Alfred Sant’s turbulent administration between 1996 and 1998.

Reflecting on her first year in office, President Spiteri Debono acknowledged the challenges of establishing her own system within the presidential office.

“I thought I would find a system that I can move into. But I had to build the system myself as I went along,” she admitted.

“I guess all presidents had to go through the same thing.”

She also expressed some regret over the delayed progress on constitutional reform, saying she thought she would be further ahead on it by now.

People will ask for favours anyway- Myriam Spiteri Debono

Spiteri Debono admitted she has sometimes struggled to find the right political climate to move the process along, especially considering the partisan style of debate between PL and PN politicians.

“The way they argue often creates a climate of animosity. We must improve the way we discuss politics,” she said.

Asked what worries her the most about the country, she highlighted the importance of fostering national unity and civic responsibility, particularly among the younger generation.

“We need to make a conscious effort to instil love for our country in our little ones – a sense of solidarity and a willingness to contribute to the production of the common good,” she said.

‘EU must protect us’

On neutrality, she reiterated the nation’s commitment to diplomacy and its reliance on EU treaties for defence, highlighting Malta’s successful negotiation to retain neutrality during EU accession and the international respect it has garnered over the past years thanks to its stance.

“We have EU treaties, where other countries agreed to defend us while we remain militarily neutral. And it’s not just us – there’s also Austria and Ireland, and all three of us are adamant to retain our military neutrality,” she said.

“We don’t contribute weapons. We believe in diplomacy. And our stand has gained us international respect. It was one of the reasons we were entrusted with the leadership of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) last year, and why we managed to get a Russian delegation around the table at the OSCE conference in Malta last November.”

Addressing the pursuit of justice in high-profile corruption and murder cases, including the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, she said even the best justice that can be achieved will not fully repair the harm caused to victims.

“How can we bring full justice to victims whose family members were killed? When can we ever get full justice in this life? We need to strive to get justice within the realm of the law, but the harm caused to the victims can never be fully repaired. And that pains me a lot,” she said.