Hope for the disillusioned voter

As Malta heads towards another election, the mood is one of weary resignation. Many voters feel trapped between the two dominant parties, Labour and the Nationalists, and some despair that politics will ever change.

A recent survey by MaltaToday found that more than one-fifth of the electorate does not trust either Robert Abela, the Labour prime minister, or Bernard Grech, the opposition leader. Another poll by EY suggested that 60% of Maltese youths would prefer to build their future abroad rather than on the islands.

The sense of frustration is not new. For decades, Maltese politics has been defined by tribal loyalties, reinforced by patronage networks and a duopolistic grip on power. Yet the idea that nothing can be done is misleading. Democracies, even flawed ones, retain space for disruption. Despite the dominance of the main parties, there are signs that avenues for change exist if citizens are willing to use them.

One route is through the ballot box. Malta’s smaller parties, from AD to PD and their successors, have long failed to mount a serious challenge to the duopoly. Their efforts have often seemed amateurish and their results negligible. Yet their presence matters. Building a political force outside the two-party system is painstaking work that involves sacrifice with little promise of reward. The fact that some persist is a reminder that alternatives do exist, however limited.

Change does not depend only on parties. Civic activism has occasionally achieved what parliamentary politics would not. Moviment Graffitti, a grassroots NGO, has become a thorn in the side of developers and planners, forcing authorities to reconsider controversial projects from the Marsaskala marina to the DB high-rise in St Julian’s. Its success highlights a truth often forgotten in Malta: politics is broader than Parliament, and NGOs can be effective vehicles for accountability.

Conversation is equally important. In a small country where the same faces dominate village squares and social media feeds, talking about issues that matter openly and persistently can break the suffocating consensus. In a landscape where the duopoly monopolises debate, citizens can reclaim space by insisting on discussing the overlooked. Even something as simple as writing an article, sharing a view, or raising a topic with friends can matter more than cynics imagine.

The temptation for Malta’s disenchanted youth is to leave altogether. Many will, and many should, since time abroad often brings new skills and perspectives. Yet those who stay behind need not accept stasis. Malta’s democracy may be flawed, but it is not immovable. By voting differently, organising collectively, or simply speaking up, citizens can shift the terms of debate. Politics may remain tribal, but apathy only strengthens the duopoly.

Malta is unlikely to shed its entrenched partisanship overnight. If enough people resist resignation, however, the islands may yet find that their politics is not condemned to remain unchanged. In a country where hope often feels scarce, even small acts of defiance can count.