Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1544245
mt SURVEY 11 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 5 APRIL 2026 ANALYSIS €6.2 billion underground metro plan floated before the 2022 election. Trans- port Minister Chris Bonett confirmed that geological and feasibility studies are underway for a more cost-effective €2.8 billion model. The transport issue, a voting priority for one-tenth of the electorate, is likely to feature in the campaign, with the Op- position recently promising its own de- tailed proposal in the coming days. Yet, questions raised by Finance Minister Clyde Caruana on the financial sustain- ability of this massive undertaking in the absence of a shift from car use, remain pertinent. Whether a clear answer will be given before an election is called, re- mains unclear. URBAN GREENING PROJECTS Several flagship urban greening pro- jects mentioned in the 2022 manifesto remain in the planning or early con- struction phases, often due to complex redesigns. Plans to pedestrianise San Ġwann's Vjal ir-Rihan remain pending. Initial designs included an underpass to divert traffic, but this is under review due to cost and disruption concerns. Current proposals focus on rerouting surface traffic and creating a green public space, though no final decision or timeline has been set. The €11 million Bormla public garden project is now in the procurement stage following the site's reclamation from the American University of Malta. Plans to roof over the main thorough- fare leading into the Santa Venera Tun- nels and turn the space above into a gar- den remain unresolved years after they were first promised. Initially announced in 2017 and pro- jected to cost around €35 million, the project has yet to begin construction. Project Green says works cannot start until the nearby Msida Creek project is completed. In 2022 the PL had also pledged to turn Floriana's main road into a garden by moving traffic underground. However, the tunnel was later deemed technical- ly unfeasible. Current plans focus on surface-level regeneration, restoring historic arches and partial pedestrian- isation. With regards to another elec- toral commitment to transform the San Luċjan site in Birżebbuġa into a recre- ational one, planning permits for tank dismantling were finally issued, and the local plan is being changed to pave the way for 'Is-Siċċa' project—set to include both recreational space while also serv- ing as a hub for research and innovation. The Msida Creek regeneration, with a flyover and 8,000sq.m of new green space, is currently under construction, although a pre-electoral opening would be unlikely if an election is called in the next days. Beyond its 2022 commitments, the government has also embarked on a public consultation on new public parks in Manoel Island, White Rocks and Fort Campbell. This came in the wake of Ab- ela's decision to reclaim Manoel Island from the MIDI consortium and to stop plans to commercialise the White Rocks site. CONSTITUTIONAL APPOINTMENTS The appointments of a new Auditor General and Chief Justice remain unre- solved due to the two-thirds parliamen- tary majority requirement, creating a political impasse. To avoid a leadership vacuum, parliament approved constitu- tional amendments in March 2026 al- lowing the current incumbents to stay: Auditor General Charles Deguara con- tinues his second term, and Chief Justice Mark Chetcuti remains in office past the mandatory retirement age of 68. The government has proposed an an- ti-deadlock mechanism giving the pres- ident the final say if parliament fails to agree, though this still requires a two- thirds majority. If an election is called, the next government will need to either secure consensus on new appointments or on the anti-deadlock mechanism. MENTAL HEALTH HOSPITAL Originally pledged in the PL's 2022 manifesto as a state-of-the-art facili- ty to replace the ageing Mount Carmel Hospital, the project was eventually integrated into an €80 million tender in 2024 that would see Mater Dei Hos- pital's emergency department expand with an overlying acute mental health facility. This plan stalled in August 2025 when the government moved to cancel the call since the sole bidder, Bonnici Group consortium, submitted a €136 million proposal—nearly double the amount earmarked for the project. De- spite an active legal appeal by the bidder, in March 2026 the government opted for a negotiated procedure, ostensibly to bypass further delays. EUTHANASIA AND LIVING WILL The 2022 manifesto commitment to hold a "mature discussion" on volun- tary euthanasia has transitioned into a formal consultative phase. Following a 2025 White Paper that garnered over 15,000 submissions, the government is currently analysing feedback. Conversely, the living will reform is significantly further ahead. A draft law has been tabled in parliament, designed to allow individuals to legally refuse specific medical treatments via a notar- ial act. This move aims to provide legal clarity for patients and doctors alike, and is less controversial than euthanasia it- self while underlining the government's reformist drive. AFFORDABLE HOUSING The 2022 manifesto set an ambitious social agenda, supported by a mul- ti-billion-euro commitment to social measures. Central to the housing strat- egy was the continued delivery of 1,700 social units (originally pledged in 2017) and the expansion of a middle-income model offering properties at 30% below market rates. By early 2024, approximately 442 units from the social housing project were completed and allocated. A significant separate project consisting of 267 units in Ħal Farruġ (Luqa) remains in the pipeline, with completion targets shifted to 2026 following a financing reassess- ment. Separately, a distinct affordable hous- ing scheme managed by the Foundation for Affordable Housing—a govern- ment-Church joint venture—plans to offer at least 260 units at roughly 30% below market price. This specific scheme has faced a legal challenge from the Malta Development Association (MDA), which requested an EU state aid probe regarding fair com- petition. Despite these hurdles, the gov- ernment maintains a target to deliver a total of 750 affordable units by late 2026. MOTORSPORT In the 2022 manifesto, the PL prom- ised an international-standard motor- sport complex in Ħal Far including facil- ities for drag racing, karting, and circuit racing, without using ODZ land. So far works have progressed on upgrading the quarter-mile drag strip with the first layers of specialised post-tensioned con- crete poured in late 2025. However, planning permits still have to be issued for the promised race track meeting international standards re- quired to host Formula 3 races. transportation will be a campaign theme expire when an election is called An election now means that parents will have only experienced the benefit of the first tranche of a generous tax cut spread over three years