Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1536175
11 ANALYSIS maltatoday | SUNDAY • 8 JUNE 2025 Grech wavered under pressure Grech rightly notes that he was the first to call for a legal review to inves- tigate potential breaches. However, in his initial statement, he focused on respecting contractual obligations and described the idea of turning Manoel Is- land into a national park as "a beautiful dream," an unfortunate choice of words that implied the idea was unrealistic. This gave the impression that his main concern was to avoid upsetting power- ful interests, whose financial support his party also seeks. By adopting an overly cautious stance, Grech failed to set the political agenda. Although he continued to press for a legal review, it was only on Wednesday, after Abela changed tack, that Grech clearly stated that politicians should do everything possible to turn Manoel Is- land into a national park by identifying any breaches in the contract. This marks a shift from merely re- specting the concession terms to ac- tively seeking a legal basis for restoring public ownership. Had Grech taken this line earlier, he might have been seen as the agenda-set- ter. Although his party's clearer stance now adds pressure on the prime minis- ter, Grech has once again trailed behind civil society, and even members of his own party, rather than leading them. While the same can be said of Abela, who only responded after being pressed by his party's president and MPs, expec- tations are different for a Prime Minis- ter. Abela, constrained by office and per- ceived as close to developers, faces dif- ferent scrutiny compared to an opposi- tion that portrays itself as the people's champion. Ironically, both leaders have, in the space of a week, tried to present them- selves as tribunes of the people. The question is: how long will this mo- ment last? Robert Abela 11 MAY: "Taking Manoel Island back from a consortium of devel- opers would cost the country hun- dreds of millions… the moment the state expropriates, you need to offer compensation… Maybe the developer would like it because he will get millions without having to do the development. But would I be using the people's money responsi- bly?" 26 MAY: "The last thing that is ever mentioned when it comes to Manoel Island is that 60 per cent is open space for the public." 1 JUNE: "If the government with- draws the concession agreement, it will be only a momentary populist act…The truth is that 60% of the project is dedicated to green, open public spaces and a further 20% is dedicated to historic sites which the developers are obliged to restore at an estimated cost of €150 million… This won't be a quick buck devel- opment, but a template of how we should attract quality tourism. The solution is not to scrap the project, but it's not to prioritise develop- ment over everything else, either. Why don't we make this project a national one?" Abela also pointed out that the project has attracted 5,000 local bondholders. "These 5,000 people are concerned, and it is my job to hear everyone out and ensure the project is the best for all." 3 JUNE: "I have asked for an anal- ysis from a legal perspective, as well as in terms of planning, timelines and permits, to see if there are any breaches of the concession." Ab- ela hinted at possible legal action against MIDI in case of a breach, saying he "is not excluding any way forward…There is no final decision about the matter yet, we need to see what emerges from the analysis of the concession and act according- ly… The only solution I am exclud- ing is that the government compen- sates the speculators with hundreds of millions of Euros. They have al- ready taken enough from that con- cession…The contract betrays the interests of the Maltese people and favours the speculators." Bernard Grech 29 MAY: "Without a doubt, we need to take note of the petition and surely we won't ignore anyone irrespective of the numbers…But we believe in the rule of law… the government has an obligation to re- spect the country's commitments… in the name of Maltese citizens, the government is in a position to examine and see what responsibil- ities the government has based on what it promised years ago…having a national park would be a beautiful dream but we cannot ignore obli- gations…on the basis of this infor- mation (following an analysis of the contract), which could be the sub- ject of legal procedures if there is no agreement, one can enter into ne- gotiations to consider the options… Still if there is a contract it should be honoured by everyone.. I insist that the government should look at the contract and be transparent about this." 2 JUNE: "I reiterate that the idea that Manoel Island should become a national park is a beautiful idea but till now a contract exists which establishes the obligations of both sides. Therefore, I insist that the government should be transparent and check whether conditions have been breached. We will keep insist- ing on this." 4 JUNE: "The public interest in the case of Manoel Island demands that, since we are still in time and no construction has started, we must do everything possible to transform the site into a national park… While we acknowledge that a concession exists, the Government has both a responsibility and a duty, in the name of the Maltese people, to en- sure that the terms of the contract are respected, and to verify wheth- er any of the conditions have been breached." Timeline of key statements Had Grech taken this line earlier, he might have been seen as the agenda- setter. Although his party's clearer stance now adds pressure on the prime minister, Grech has once again trailed behind civil society, and even members of his own party, rather than leading them