To build a future for young people, we must give young people the space to speak
“Do not be afraid to challenge us, ask us difficult questions and tell us when you disagree with us. Politics needs young people not to applaud politicians, but to challenge them.”
Leader of the Opposition Alex Borg addresses the National Youth Parliament and urges young people to challenge politicians and take an active role in the decisions shaping the future of Malta and Gozo
If we truly want to build a country in which our young people want to live and build their future, we must ensure that they have the space to speak and that they themselves are involved in shaping the policies of today.
This was the central message delivered by Leader of the Opposition and Partit Nazzjonalista Leader Alex Borg when he addressed the 2026 National Youth Parliament, organised by the National Youth Council, where he praised participants for putting forward concrete proposals on some of the greatest challenges facing our country.
“Today I am here as Leader of the Opposition, but also as a young person like you. Like you, I understand and experience the challenges facing our generation. I entered politics to serve and so that, together, we can change what needs to be changed. I say together because I truly believe in it. I believe that without young people, politics cannot be consistent or complete,” Alex Borg told participants in the National Youth Parliament.
He said that young people had clearly demonstrated that they are fully aware of the realities around them, discussing issues including population growth, traffic, development, the environment, energy, mental health, housing and Malta’s role in the world.
The PN Leader particularly welcomed the proposal that new development should not be approved where a locality’s infrastructure cannot sustain it. This is a principle that the Partit Nazzjonalista has long advocated through its proposal for every locality to have a study assessing how much additional development and population growth it can accommodate.
“Development should adapt to the community, not force the community to suffer in order to accommodate unplanned development,” Alex Borg said. He also referred to proposals concerning the cumulative impact of development, a greater role for local councils, more open spaces, better public transport and effective cycling networks.
Alex Borg said young people are sending a clear message that Malta cannot continue growing without a plan. A serious country plans before it grows, assessing the capacity of its infrastructure, services, hospitals, roads and environment.
The PN Leader praised the initiative taken by young people to discuss Malta’s neutrality and what it means in today’s world. He said neutrality cannot continue to be treated simply as a slogan from the past, but must be interpreted in the light of present-day realities, including economic pressures, risks to critical infrastructure and cybersecurity threats.
He also welcomed proposals on strategic reserves of food, water, medicines and other essential supplies, stressing that a small island nation cannot wait for a crisis to discover just how vulnerable it is.
Alex Borg said it is wrong to describe young people simply as the leaders of tomorrow, because they must be given the opportunity to make their voices heard today. He said he wants to see more young people around the table when policy is being drawn up, so that they are genuinely part of the decision-making process.
The younger generation has every right to demand a country where merit prevails over who you know; where owning a home is not reduced to a dream; where the environment is genuinely protected; and where nobody feels they must leave Malta in order to find a future.
“Do not be afraid to challenge us, ask us difficult questions and tell us when you disagree with us. Politics needs young people not to applaud politicians, but to challenge them,” Alex Borg concluded.
During today’s National Youth Parliament session in the House of Representatives, Nationalist MPs Beppe Fenech Adami and Joe Giglio also took part in the discussion on a resolution presented by young people on neutrality; Mark Anthony Sammut and Julian Borg participated in the debate on a resolution concerning the balance between population growth, infrastructure and the environment; while Shadow Minister for Youth Eve Borg Bonello also addressed the session.
Also present were Opposition Assistant Whip Annabelle Cilia and a number of other Members of Parliament.
12.09.2026
