Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1536175
10 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 8 JUNE 2025 ANALYSIS Manoel Island: How Abela and Grech In the space of a week, and under mounting public pressure to turn Manoel Island into a national park, both political leaders have adopted a more forceful stance towards MIDI. But is the change simply a question of emphasis? James Debono tries to answer this question IN the face of a backlash from within their own parties and the general public, both political leaders have changed their tone on the Manoel Island concession. The reason for this is that the non-par- tisan outcry to turn Manoel Island into a national park resonates with public sen- timent. Building nearly 400 apartments in one of the last major open spaces in a densely populated area jars with this sen- timent. In Abela's case, it was not merely a change in emphasis and tone. While his earlier statements made no mention of a legal analysis of the contract to assess whether MIDI is in breach of its obliga- tions. On Tuesday Abela firmly commit- ted to such an analysis in terms of plan- ning, timelines, and permits "to see if there are any breaches of the concession." For the first time, Abela did not rule out rescinding the contract. This is precisely what the promoters of the petition have been demanding for the past few years. It even aligns Abela with the stance taken by Arnold Cassola in 2017, when he rebuked Marlene Farrugia for suggesting compensation to MIDI in- stead of investigating a possible breach of contract. And whereas Abela had previously de- fended the positive aspects of the MIDI project, emphasising the open spaces it includes, on Tuesday he portrayed it as a negative legacy of the Fenech Adami administration, omitting the fact that the agreement was unanimously approved by Parliament in 1999 and negotiated under both PN and PL administrations. On Wednesday, he went further, describ- ing the concession contract as daylight robbery intended to appease individuals close to the PN. No compensation for speculators Still, Abela has remained consistent on one point: excluding any compensation, which he insists could cost taxpayers "hundreds of millions." While maintaining that all options re- main open, including legal action against MIDI, he has ruled out "compensating the speculators with hundreds of millions of euros," arguing that "they have already taken enough from that concession." Yet even here, a shift in tone is evident. Abela initially praised the MIDI project as a potentially "national project" featur- ing open spaces. Now, he frames it as an exercise in land speculation. Some may suspect that Abela is merely responding to public sentiment, knowing full well that the legal analysis may not re- veal any breaches warranting termination of the contract, leaving financial compen- sation as the only means to reclaim Ma- noel Island for the public. Nevertheless, his argument against compensation can- not be dismissed lightly, given its implica- tions for government spending and other social priorities. This also raises the question: why does the Prime Minister not quantify the com- pensation that would be owed to MIDI if the contract were terminated, even if do- ing so would imply considering an option he adamantly opposes? By excluding compensation, Abela has made it clear that rescinding the contract remains the only viable route to reclaim- ing Manoel Island, something that de- pends on finding a breach. This places the onus on those carrying out the legal anal- ysis, a process that Abela says will involve Edward Zammit Lewis, a PL backbench- er critical of the concession, and party president Alex Sciberras, who signed the petition. While their involvement lends political weight to the process, it also raises the question of whether a respected public body, such as the National Audit Office, would be more suitable for such an analysis. Abela's quandary Surely this does not resolve Abela's quandary. He evidently felt compelled to acknowledge public sentiment, evoking memories of past U-turns, such as the Jean Paul Sofia inquiry and his reversal on the Marsaskala yacht marina, which he abandoned before the 2022 election after resurrecting it during the pandemic. As with the Sofia inquiry, Abela has shifted from a rigid legalistic stance re- jecting a popular demand to one that seeks to accommodate it. But this time, Abela faces two major constraints: the contract itself, which cannot be ignored on the basis of po- litical expediency, and his party's ties to big business, including entities connected to MIDI and its potential development partners. That is why he now stresses the need for "caution against impulsive actions," add- ing that he "will not try to spin this issue as one that is already decided—because it's not." Abela knows that his comments have raised the expectations of those calling for Manoel Island to be reclaimed. At the same time, he is wary of antagonising the developers' lobby, which holds sway through financial donations. The dilemma for Abela is that a deci- sion must eventually be made: either al- low the development to proceed in the face of public disappointment, or stop it through legal means, which could un- settle a powerful lobby. In this sense, the ship has sailed—with the captain unsure of its destination. One possibility is that Abela initiated the legal review fully aware that it would lead nowhere. However, the politically astute Prime Minister understands that in doing so, he has heightened expecta- tions among those who signed the peti- tion. He may ultimately say that he tried his best but failed, but that could carry political risks, especially with an election approaching. Grech's own goal While Abela has shifted position by en- dorsing a legal analysis of the contract, opposition leader Bernard Grech has backed himself into a rhetorical corner, despite taking a more consistent stance. Some may suspect that Abela is merely responding to public sentiment, knowing full well that the legal analysis may not reveal any breaches warranting termination of the contract