A system whereby people living abroad receive subsidies to fly back to Malta to vote “is archaic and wasteful of public funds” but should remain until a better solution is found, outgoing Labour Party MEP Alfred Sant said.  

His parliamentary colleagues in Brussels acknowledge flying hundreds of voters at taxpayers’ expense is not the best solution to ensure democratic participation in the age of technology, but they believe the system should not be stopped for the time being.

Among them is veteran Nationalist Party MEP David Casa. He said alternatives to physical voting in Malta could be possible, “but these need to be carefully studied to make sure the necessary safeguards are in place so that trust in the system is not jeopardised”.  

“Supporting citizens to participate in elections is important. Right now, voting is only possible physically in Malta, so subsidised flights should definitely continue to be offered,” he said. 

For several years, the government has subsidised flights to people living abroad to encourage them to physically cast their vote in Malta on polling day. Citizens of the vast majority of EU states living overseas may vote through their embassies or country representations, but Malta remains one of just four countries where voters have no choice but to show up at the ballot boxes in their home country.

The subject of pre-election flights has not come up in the context of the new national airline- KM Malta Airlines

During the last MEP elections in 2019, taxpayers forked out €815,000 to fly 525 voters and 270 of their dependents to Malta. Each eligible voter could fly back to Malta via an Air Malta flight at a subsidised price of €90. The same offer was available during the last general election in March 2022.  

In 2013, the Labour Party had promised to facilitate voting for Maltese living abroad. In 2018, then Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said the government was “considering” other ways to vote. But the status quo remained.

Political analysts say the issue runs deeper than a simple willingness to introduce amendments to the electoral law that would allow for alternative voting methods, with deep distrust between the political parties effectively leading to an effective stalemate.

With less than six months until Malta joins other EU states to vote in the European elections, is the government willing to change the system?

The Finance Ministry has not responded to questions about the matter, while KM Malta Airlines said the subject of pre-election flights has not come up in the context of the new national airline.

“The airline has not as yet been approached to provide pre-election flights,” a spokesperson for the company said.  

'System clumsy, expensive and open to abuse': Sant

Alfred Sant, a former prime minister, said he always thought the system in place to repatriate voters living abroad is clumsy, expensive and possibly open to abuse and manipulation.

“However, it rightly emphasises that Maltese living abroad should be able to share in the country’s democratic political processes. It would be odd if it were removed now for the upcoming EP elections,” Sant told Times of Malta.

Future elections should be serviced with an electronic system that can be operated from embassies and conforms to the voting procedure’s secrecy parameters.  

He said past objections revolved around concerns over vote secrecy but since political polarisation in the 21st century has weakened, such doubts can be overcome.  

“Other countries have solved this problem – admittedly, they are much bigger than ours – and we could look at how they did it rather than try to reinvent the wheel,” Sant said.   

Asked whether the Maltese government should continue subsidising flights during the election and if the state should allow expats to vote abroad, a spokesperson for European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said the state must employ a flexible but safe method of voting.

“The state must facilitate the most flexible and safe methods for all eligible voters to exercise their right to vote. This will ensure that we have free and fair elections, a trusted electoral system and a healthy democracy.”

Other countries have solved this problem – admittedly, they are much bigger than ours – and we could look at how they did it rather than try to reinvent the wheel- Alfred Sant

Asked the same questions, PL MEP Josianne Cutajar said given that currently there are no other means for eligible people living abroad to vote, other than coming to vote physically in Malta, she believes the Maltese government should continue subsidising flights to assist those who would like to vote. 

Her Labour colleague Cyrus Engerer said the state must ensure that all those eligible to vote have access to submit their ballot. 

Engerer said he had proposed changes and supported those that give the widest access to eligible voters, including postal voting, electronic voting and voting in embassies, adding that people with disabilities who find it difficult to vote should be given all the assistance they need. 

Labour Party MEP Alex Agius Saliba said: “It is only fair that subsidies continue.”

Malta is one of four EU states that do not allow citizens to vote from abroad; the others are Czechia, Slovakia, and Ireland.  

Voting by post and in embassies are the most common ways other European citizens can vote when abroad.  

Three countries, Belgium, France, and the Netherlands, allow proxy voting.  

Estonia is the only country to allow its citizens to vote online.