Today Malta celebrates its 50th years as a Republic. The Maltese Constitution was changed by the Labour government with a two-thirds majority backing from parliament from a constitutional monarchy into a Republic. Malta was already a liberal democracy by the, but it made this step as part of its decolonisation process in its pursuit of sovereignty. Being a Republic primarily meant that Malta was its own state without any patron or owner looking above it.
The constitutional change into a Republic formally marked the country’s process to build a sovereign state that could sustain itself without depending on any foreign power. This was a grueling task for a small society with no natural resources that had dependent on a forieng patron for centuries. The economic development that took place during that time, mainly the industrialisation of the islands into an export-lead economy had brought not only economic prosperity but also economic and social security that paved the way for the planning and the investment of other new economic sectors.
Energy was always a struggle, especially due to economic constraints, but previously with a fossil-fuel power plant and close relationships with Arab states, Malta could withstand international oil crises and was spared the economic malaise of 1970s as a result. Cheap oil enabled the rapid industrialisation of the economy, enabling further our sovereignty.
Over the years, Malta has made significant progress in developing its economy but is now facing serious challenges and risks due to complacency, arrogance, and poor governance, which could place its sovereignty at critical risk. Malta is putting its fate into EU interconnectors and a misguided campaign to build solar panels on fields and wind-turbines off the coast: a policy, which during a time of war in Europe, cost the country its fastest deficit and debt increases with the distribution of subsidies. Our politicians haven’t learnt anything in the past few years, and as other EU states scramble for new solutions, we are left with the same old policy of arrogance and complacency by a bad government.
Malta’s economy has developed to a point where it can choose and implement various strategic options. Malta can look forward and exploit its potential by a responsible government, run by intelligent and selfless people. Despite being a sovereign republic, on the most fundamental matters of sovereignty, we still don’t think like one. We are being forced to increase our reliance on collapsing foreign systems, without strategically and sustainably exploring our own long-term solutions.
Website Editor
Historian and Publisher
Leave a Reply