Four editorials in print today, reflecting most of the topics that have characterized debate on the islands for the past few days, including the country’s business environment, irregular migration and the appointment of a new police commissioner.
The Times of Malta describes Malta’s handling of irregular migration in the central Mediterranean over the last few weeks has been neither dignified nor successful, with Government resorting to what probably constituted to an illegal, yet expensive operation. The Editor insists that diplomacy, not hollow gestures of confrontation, are the better way forward, but also calls on EU countries to show the true meaning of solidarity. The long-standing issue of building a workable Common European Asylum System must go back on the EU’s agenda before another summer of tragedies kicks in.
The Independent dwells into the recent Government commitment to hand vouchers for the public to spend in restaurants and retail outlets, describing it as a habit of Labour Government to send cheques to families in a populist manner. In this context, it however welcomes the move, saying that this can help support the hard-hit restaurant industry but argues that their expiration date should have at least reached the Christmas festivities. It also holds PM Abela to his word that the financial assistance being provided now will not be subjected to increased taxation at a later stage.
GWU daily L-Orizzont takes the Nationalist Party to task for what it describes as a “bad decision” in a historic moment, referring to the Opposition’s refusal to participate in the grilling of the appointee for the post of Police Commissioner. The Editor notes that the new selection process was open and transparent, and with Parliamentary scrutiny improved Malta’s governance system.
In-Nazzjon highlights again what it considers as missing from Government’s economic regeneration plan. While it acknowledges the presence of a number of initiatives that support businesses which have been hard-hit during the pandemic, the Editor argues that Government is devoid of a plan for the future of the country. It notes that 10,000 jobs have been lost during this crisis, and yet so far there has been no tangible initiatives that seek the reaction of new job opportunities in the future.
