Wealth Soars but Gap Widens A new Central Bank study reveals that household wealth in Malta has nearly doubled over the past 13 years, with median net wealth rising from €194,000 in 2010 to over €376,000 in 2023. Recent years alone saw a surge of more than €100,000. Yet the benefits are far from evenly spread: the richest 10 per cent hold 71 times more than the poorest 10 per cent. While the top 20 per cent have seen their median wealth nearly double to over €1.1 million, the bottom 20 per cent gained just €3,000 over the same period, highlighting persistent inequality despite overall growth.
Church Backs Living Wills Legislation Archbishop Charles Scicluna has voiced the Church’s support for Malta’s proposed Advance Medical Directives law, commonly called Living Wills. Speaking on RTK103, he stressed that the legislation offers clarity to patients while explicitly excluding euthanasia or life-ending interventions. The Archbishop highlighted the importance of voluntary decisions made while fully competent, drawing on Saint Pope John Paul II as a model of dying with dignity. The law allows adults to refuse medical treatment in advance in cases of unlikely recovery, ensuring palliative care continues without disproportionate or futile therapy.
NBM Shareholders Take Fight to ECHR Shareholders forced to give up National Bank of Malta shares in 1973 are appealing to the European Court of Human Rights over compensation. Last year, the Maltese Constitutional Court awarded roughly €71.8 million, far short of the €1.4 billion claimed. The shareholders argue that the court’s method, which valued compensation based solely on the state’s remaining 25% stake in Bank of Valletta, is flawed and inconsistent with protections against unlawful deprivation. They maintain the original nationalisation constituted a direct, unlawful deprivation, setting the stage for a landmark human rights challenge.
