Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1542275
KURT SANSONE ksansone@mediatoday.com.mt 2 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 28 DECEMBER 2025 LOOKING BACK 2025 LOOKING BACK 2025: YEAR DEFINING what 2025 repre- sented in one word or a phrase proved harder than expected. Don't get us wrong; when the MaltaToday newsroom sat to- gether to look back at the past 12 months we were not short of sig- nificant events that helped shape the year. But there was no single characteristic that could capture the entirety of the year in just a word. It was a year of change in several aspects. But not just. Key events were sandwiched between con- troversies that were intense and relatively short-lived. Indeed, many issues that cropped up in 2025 remain incomplete and very likely to resurface in the new year unless they remain in suspended animation. Undoubtedly, Donald Trump's second term as US president created a whirlwind of chaotic global change and anxiety. The im- position of tariffs, their withdrawal and re-imposi- tion was a game of high stakes as was Trump's ambiva- lence on European se- curity and defence. The unpredictability of Trump's character, climaxing into an in- ternational policy document that urges American interven- tion in European politics to sup- port parties on the extreme and hard right, forced the EU to take a long, hard, inward look. Amid calls for greater defence and se- curity autonomy, the EU remains in two minds how to deal with the US as it contends with inter- nal opposition from the likes of Hungary and Slovakia. Israel's relentless and ruthless actions in Gaza, where hunger was weaponised caused inter- national indignation and pro- tests until a shaky ceasefire deal on Trump's watch was agreed. With the first phase of the deal completed, the subsequent, more complex phases on how and who will run Gaza remain a work in progress as Palestinians in the en- clave still reel from the destruc- tion that surrounds them. Malta's love for Trump These international events left their mark in Malta—from for- mal recognition of the Palestinian state to uncomfortable engage- ment in the EU over increased defence spending and r e c o m m e n d i n g Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, the internation- al became national. A Labour Party e n a m o u r e d with neutrality and imbued with a n t i - A m e r i c a n i s m found itself in the uncomfort- able position of having its dep- uty leader, Ian Borg, personally nominating Trump for the peace prize. On the global stage, Malta remains guarded, giving a vibe that it does not want to end up in Trump's black book. In the midst of this global hur- ricane, the Catholic Church also got a new leader. The cardinals gathered in conclave at the Vat- ican elected Chicago-born Au- gustinian friar, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost as pope. Taking on the name Pope Leo XIV, Pre- vost is the first American to be- come pontiff. Considered a cen- trist, his election provided 'quiet continuation' with his predeces- sor's progressive agenda without flaying the nerves of conserva- tives. Nonetheless, it remains to be seen what impact Pope Leo XIV's papacy will have on the Catholic Church. The Alex effect On the domestic front, change was also the operative word for the Nationalist Party. After Ber- nard Grech's surprise decision to step down—a MaltaToday sur- vey showing the PN reaching its lowest ebb less than a year after achieving relative success at the European Parliament election seems to have been the tipping point—par- ty members elect- ed the young Gozitan Alex Borg to lead the party. The PN's l e a d e r s h i p election was os- tensibly the big- gest political event of 2025. And although initially there was a sense of déjà vu, given the PN's propensity to change leaders every so often in the past 12 years, Borg's election created a positive vibe. His youthfulness and affability provided a spark of enthusiasm that had long been missing in the party. But given that Borg only clocked his first 100 days in of- fice on 15 December, the proof of the pudding will come in the new year as the party prepares itself for the general election. Environmental roulette But these signifi- cant changes were accompanied by other events that created intense debate that last- ed for a few weeks only to be taken over by new develop- ments. At the forefront of these events were planning and en- vironmental concerns, namely the Manoel Island saga and the proposed planning reform. In both instances, public pressure and civil society activism forced change or pushed the govern- ment to hit the brakes. A petition started by Moviment Graffitti and Flimkien għal Amb- jent Aħjar to have Manoel Island returned to the public as a na- tional park gathered thousands of signatures. There was initial reluctance at official level with Prime Minister Robert Abela and Opposition leader Bernard Grech both citing the existence of contractual obligations with the private company MIDI plc as a stumbling block. MIDI has an operative lease to develop luxury apartments on Manoel Island. But as key individual MPs from both sides of the House joined the growing public call, government capitulated and Abela turned his guns on the developers. Govern- ment is now committed to tak- ing back Manoel Island and is engaged in discussions with the developers. It was a victory for Gżira residents first and foremost but one that has yet to be legally concluded in the new year. Barely had the sweet taste of Manoel Island victory been sa- voured when the controversial planning reform was unmasked. Outlined in two bills that were tabled in parliament on a Fri- day afternoon just days before parliament's summer recess, the reform went much further than stopping construction works from starting pending the appeals process. The proposals were immediate- ly shot down by environmental- ists and community campaigners, who argued that they strip away protections and allow developers Alex Borg commemorating his first 100 days as leader of the Nationalist Party with a mass rally outside party headquarters in December (Photo: PN) Prime Minister Robert Abela addressing the UN General Assembly in September when Malta formally recognised the Palestinian State (Photo: DOI)