When will Malta experience its own Bastille moment?
When reform is no longer enough, our political system must change, writes Albert Buttigieg. What it needs is a fundamental rethinking – and rewriting – of the entire system of government.
The storming of the Bastille in 1789 marked a historic turning point when people recognised that the established system had become disconnected from society and that reforming it was no longer viable.
When will Malta have its own Bastille moment?
Unquestionably, this must not be understood in any way as a call for violence, aggression or the storming of Castille. Rather, it is a call for a peaceful democratic awakening: a call to step beyond our comfort zones and stand up to be counted.
The people who recently took to the streets, visibly angry and frustrated, were not simply marching in solidarity with Daphne Caruana Galizia or demanding justice for her; their anger also reflected a much deeper frustration with what Malta has become. They were expressing dissatisfaction with the country’s political and institutional system.
A growing number of citizens are recognising that Malta does not need another political patch, slogan, glossy package of electoral promises or even simply a change of administration. What it needs is a fundamental rethinking – and rewriting – of the entire system of government.
In one of my previous articles, entitled ‘Do we need a Second Republic?’ (January 5, 2024), I argued that we must question ourselves as to “whether Malta needs a Second Republic: a renewed constitutional, institutional and political settlement designed for the Malta of today and tomorrow.”
Given the current distressing state of affairs, I stand by that statement.
A Second Republic would require a new European mindset and the courage to undertake an assertive, comprehensive review of the workings of parliament and government, institutions, local councils, party financing, the electoral system, citizen participation and accountability, while also addressing education, urban planning, inclusion, integration, minority rights, traffic, tourism, law enforcement and quality of life.
The need for such a rethink is evident across the policy landscape, from the issues that affect people in their daily lives to matters of national importance.
Take waste management, for example. Sadly, it is still largely treated as a problem of collection, supplemented by sporadic enforcement. Some time ago, I proposed the barcoding of household waste, coupled with structured enforcement – not simply as a technological solution but as a means of encouraging behavioural change, strengthening accountability and fostering a greater sense of responsibility.
The objective was to rethink the system as a whole and help establish a new culture rather than just patching the shortcomings of the existing one.
Parliament, to take another example, is still debating its size, whether to remove the steel barriers outside the building, whether MPs should be full-time and even whether to introduce basic facilities such as childcare. If our highest institution struggles to modernise itself, it is difficult to see how it can lead to the modernisation of the country.
Our institutions, on the other hand, must be genuinely independent and trusted, rather than merely autonomous on paper, while local councils should have more powers and responsibilities and adequate resources instead of having to seek central government approval for simple matters.
Environmental policy reveals another major weakness.
Malta cannot continue to sacrifice its limited open spaces, heritage and natural environment, yet, political parties often hesitate to challenge powerful interests, particularly those of developers and hunting lobbies, for fear of losing votes.
In seeking to avoid alienating voters, however, we risk losing something far more valuable: our environment, our natural heritage and the credibility of Malta’s environmental commitments.
These are just a few examples but they all point to a wider problem: we keep trying to improve a system that may need to be fundamentally rethought, redesigned and rebooted.
A Second Republic should not be the project of any one party or confined to a single electoral cycle. It should be a national undertaking and the president is uniquely placed to initiate and facilitate such a process.
She can draw on her constitutional position, independence and moral authority to bring political leaders, constitutional officeholders, civil society, experts, local councils and citizens together for a serious national conversation about the future of Malta’s constitutional and institutional framework.
Rewriting the system requires consultation, expertise and meaningful public participation. The answers given may not always be popular and the result may not immediately benefit any one party, which is precisely why such reform requires political courage.
A Second Republic provides the framework for peaceful democratic renewal, in which we recognise that outdated political habits, excessive centralisation, tribalism and fear of genuine reform cannot and must not continue to define our future.
Perhaps it is time for Malta to begin the journey towards a Second Republic and, perhaps, that democratic awakening could become our peaceful Bastille moment.
(This article was published on Times of Malta – 1 October, 2026)