Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1541179
FAMILIES may have been front and centre in Budget 2026, but when Adrian Delia looks at the country's priorities, he insists the government is missing the bigger picture. Malta is overcrowded, stuck in gridlock and losing control of its public finances, he tells me, insist- ing that taxpayers are all the while still waiting to understand where €900 million in hospital funds have gone. The former Nationalist Party leader and Opposition MP has be- come a central figure in the courts over the Vitals/Steward hospitals deal, having led the case that re- sulted in the historical annulment of the concession. Today, he ac- cuses the government of present- ing the latest arbitration ruling as a victory, despite the decision not overturning any findings of fraud or collusion by the Maltese courts. The Nationalist Party has insist- ed that only a PN in government can recover the money 'wasted' on the deal, but Delia suggests the Labour government might have jeopardised this. He argues that instead of cele- brating, the government should be held accountable for failing to recover funds that "belong to the Maltese people", while still refus- ing to publish details of how the money was spent. Delia says Budget 2026 offers no answers to the long-term impacts of an economic model he describes as dependent on cheap labour and an ever-growing population. The result, he argues, is a deteriorating quality of life. On traffic, he warns that the country risks gridlock if the pop- ulation keeps on growing and a good traffic management system isn't implemented. Delia insists the government must take responsibility for fix- ing traffic by accelerating plans for a mass transit system. And he stretches out a hand to the admin- istration—on this issue, he says, cross-party agreement is possible. He links the country's economic and infrastructural pressures to a tourism strategy he finds contra- dictory. The government speaks of raising quality, he notes, while accommodating five million tour- ists a year. 4 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 9 NOVEMBER 2025 INTERVIEW Adrian Delia: 'If we spend another €700 million on roads, we'll end up in gridlock' Nationalist Party finance spokesperson Adrian Delia warns that Malta's priorities are misaligned, with overcrowding, traffic gridlock, and uncontrolled public spending threatening quality of life. He sits down with Nicole Meilak to outline a Nationalist vision for an economy focused on high-value investment, stronger infrastructure, and responsible governance