Analyzing the essential drive behind the manifestos of our political parties per-electoral projects (2022>2030)

Commentary by Dr. Hermann Farrugia MD

Today is the tenth day of the ongoing electoral campaign. In this campaign trail, one cannot but observe that both the PL and PN are agreeing in presenting a cacophony of electoral proposals which are uncosted. There are far too many uncosted proposals and prerogatives. It’s absolutely rational and even reasonable that both parties clarify how in the end they will be financing all these proposals. I hope that these are not going to be financed by the middle class through an extra tax burden. Quite a substantial cohort of these costly promises cannot be financed without the introduction of an extra tax burden on the Maltese taxpayer. Moreover, I don’t think that all these measures can be financially implemented merely through one single parliamentary legislature.

Therefore, these are all partisan Dreamworks, attempting to entice a still vastly gullible and immature electorate. Moreover, these measures are all meant to woefully capture the support of first-time voters. All this is being endeavoured through a seemingly endless stream of pocket money-like gifts, specially designed to target personal benefits. Even the chronology of purely vote-buying promises including that of ephemeral grants and other melodious lists of freebies to our youth are meant to have the same effect.

In some cases, the gifts have already started. I am informed that one particular Labour candidate is giving out laptops as an electoral gift to his young constituents and another candidate, in the same district, is personally phoning individuals in his constituency, who have applied for social housing telling them that a government apartment has already been assigned to them! And the media made a whole big fuss when Rosianne Cutajar distributed oranges, sweets, and toothpaste to her constituents!