Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1542275
3 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 28 DECEMBER 2025 LOOKING BACK 2025 YEAR OF UNFINISHED BUSINESS free reign. Public pressure even- tually forced the government to open a public consultation process and talks between an inter-ministerial committee and campaigners are ongoing. None- theless, Abela has refused to withdraw the bills despite prom- ising no developments unless a broad consensus is reached. The reforms remain on parliament's agenda going into the new year, unclear what direction the gov- ernment will eventually take. Magisterial inquiries Another short-lived intense debate occurred at the start of 2025 when the gov- ernment pushed through with l i g h t e n i n g speeds reforms to change the way magisteri- al inquiries are conducted. The government introduced propos- als that were widely welcomed, such as giving victims of crime and accidents greater access to inquiry findings and developments. However, it also made the controversial decision to eliminate the possibility of or- dinary individuals, who suspect wrongdoing, to directly petition a magistrate to hold an inquiry. The government received flak for its hardball approach, which was a direct reaction to the nu- merous inquiries that were re- quested by former PN MP Jason Azzopardi against ministers and public officials. The reforms in- troduced stricter conditions that make it practically impossible for ordinary people to request mag- isterial inquiries. The inquiry reforms were ap- proved in April, despite the re- sistance put up by the Opposi- tion and protests organised by civil society. A request for an inquiry now has to be made as part of a police report and it will be up to the police to determine whether to ask for an inquiry af- ter investigating the request. The Opposition pledged to reverse the inquiry reforms if elected to government. But as the magisterial in- quiries controversy fizzled out, govern- ment opened a public consulta- tion process on voluntary as- sisted euthana- sia. The largely dignified public debate focussed people's attention on suffering, death, pallia- tive care and the right to choose when to die if given a terminal diagnosis. The euthanasia debate was, however, left in abeyance with the next phase possibly com- ing in 2026 with the presentation of a draft law unless the govern- ment deems it too controversial a topic to pick a year before the election. Labour flashpoints These spurts of national contro- versy were accompanied by flash- points within the Labour Party. The past 12 months saw the re- turn and the booting out once again of Neville Gafa, who oper- ates a vitriolic blog that combines his undying loyalty to Joseph Muscat and the PL with homo- phobic rants, pro-Putin propa- ganda and unabashed conserva- tism that stands in sharp contrast with all that Labour stood for in the past 12 years. Robert Abela had booted Gafa out from the Office of the Prime Minister in 2020, shortly after be- coming Labour leader and prime minister. Gafa was then consid- ered a liability. But roll forward to August 2025 and the man was given a paid job as customer care officer in the OPM. The love affair only lasted until October when Gafa's solo cam- paign to remove flowers and can- dles placed in memory of slain journalist Daphne Caruana Gali- zia at the foot of the Great Siege Monument in Valletta, turned into an international embarrass- ment. Gafa removed the wreaths placed by ambassadors from Ire- land, Germany and the Nether- lands, prompting red faces at the foreign ministry and the OPM. Gafa eventually resigned his OPM job. But Gafa was not the on- ly flashback of the Mus- cat era, who emerged from the wood- work. Former OPM chief of staff Keith Schem- bri went on Ricky Caruana's podcast to vent and aggrandise his importance to the PL and the government. In carefully curated comments, Schembri's rare appearance on a platform where his observa- tions went largely unchallenged, proved embarrassing for Abela. Muscat's former righthand man made it a point to stress that he is "helping the government", a statement that cast the spotlight on Abela and whether his choices to open his hands again to these people were judicious. Road deaths caused us to take a hard look at our collective behav- iour on the roads, while the lack of babies prompted us to see fer- tility from an economic lens. Gangs and football On the criminal justice side, the dangerous Maksar Gang was put away for life over involvement in the murders of Daphne Carua- na Galizia and Carmel Chircop. The football world gave us joy as Hamrun Spartans became the first-ever Maltese club to pro- gress to thge group stage of the UEFA Conference League and the national men's team clocked up five points in its World Cup Qualifier Group. The year that is com- ing to a close has been eventful even if uninspiring. There are days when the sun shines bright as it peeps from behind the clouds, while rain bathes the land in what can be described as a 'sunshower'. This crazy weather leaves us un- certain of how to describe these days. That is how we believe 2025 panned out. It gave us controversy, change, joy, suffering and turmoil; yet one thing is certain, many issues remain in abeyance. And that is why we have baptised 2025 as the Year of Unfinished Business. The Maksar Gang, (from left to right) Robert Agius, Jamie Vella, George Degiorgio and Adrian Agius, were put away for life after a jury found them guilty of involvement in the killing of Daphne Caruana Galizia and lawyer Carmel Chircop (Photos: James Bianchi/MaltaToday) Two well-attended protests against government's proposed planning reforms forced the prime minister to pull the brakes on the parliamentary process but the controversial bills remained tabled in the House as consultation continues (Photo: Jade Bezzina/MaltaToday)