Last week we heard the Budget, yesterday the PN Leader asked the questions people are asking, today the Prime Minister gave no answers

Last week we heard the Government’s Budget. Yesterday, the Leader of the Partit Nazzjonalista Alex Borg asked the questions that people, workers and businesses across Malta and Gozo are asking. Today, in his speech in Parliament, Robert Abela had the opportunity to answer those questions and set a clear direction for the country. He failed to do so.

Robert Abela’s speech confirmed what his remarks outside Parliament after the Budget had already shown. His Government divides people when it should be bringing them together. This is the politics of us and them. His speech pitted businesses against workers, as though one could only succeed at the other’s expense. That way of thinking serves neither our economy nor our society.

The Partit Nazzjonalista believes that workers and businesses are partners in the same economy. They depend on each other, and our country needs both to thrive. Without strong businesses, there can be no good jobs. Without fair pay and working conditions, there can be no strong economy. Malta needs an economy that creates wealth and ensures everyone shares in it.

Yet for all the grand gestures and fine words, the Prime Minister failed to address the problems people face every day.

He made no mention of families struggling with the cost of living. He gave no clear indication of what he intends to do about traffic that robs people of hours of their lives. He did not explain how he would address the challenges of a population growing at a pace that puts ever greater pressure on our infrastructure and services. He offered no concrete answers on competitiveness or the support businesses need. Nor did he offer any on the quality of education or our children’s future.

It is hardly surprising that the social partners raised questions and voiced their concerns after the Budget. Their questions reflect the concerns of employers, workers and families across Malta and Gozo. Robert Abela chose to ignore them when he should have listened and responded.

In his initial remarks, Alex Borg reiterated that he had expected Robert Abela to set a clear direction for the country. Malta cannot keep going from one Budget to the next without a long-term vision or solutions to the challenges people face in their daily lives.

Alex Borg called for unity across Maltese society. Our country cannot keep pitting employers against employees or one sector against another. Cooperation, respect and opportunity for everyone should shape Malta’s future.

The Partit Nazzjonalista wants economic growth that amounts to more than an increase in numbers. It wants a country where growth improves people’s quality of life instead of putting them under greater pressure. People deserve a Government that listens, understands and acts. A Government that boasts about its achievements while ignoring people’s concerns falls short of that standard.

Malta needs direction, not division. It needs solutions, not empty speeches. Above all, it needs leadership that works for everyone.

03.11.2026