Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1545087
14 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 27 MAY 2026 OPINION ELECTION 2026 I am an economist before I am a politician. That order matters, because the choices Malta makes in the next five years will be decided not by slogans, but by whether the people in charge understand how an economy actually works. I am contesting the 1 and 8 districts; the localities I have lived in, worked in, and walked through—from Santa Venera and Ħamrun to Birkirkara, Iklin and Lija. This is the case I am making to my voters. Continuity is a strategy, not a slogan Malta did not arrive at full em- ployment, record investment and one of the strongest fiscal positions in the Eurozone by ac- cident. We got here through 10 years of deliberate sequencing, insti- tutional patience and disciplined execution. The numbers tell their own story: Unemployment of 3.1% (among the lowest in the EU), an employment rate of 83.6% (the highest in the Mediterranean), +387% real-terms growth in ICT between 2015 and 2025, and an A− sovereign credit rating re- affirmed through every global shock since 2020. That is not an accident. It is the product of deliberate, sustained choices. Ambition is not the same as credibility At some point, ambition stops looking like vision and starts looking like fantasy. The question is not whether Malta should be ambitious. The question is whether we are being honest with ourselves about how transformation actually hap- pens. For all its polished language, the Opposition manifesto prom- ises everything, everywhere, all at once. New schools every year, additional electricity intercon- nectors on top of the one under construction, a hydrogen-ready pipeline, a metro, a maritime fuel hub, sweeping renewable energy targets, with little sequencing, costing or institutional pathway. Many of the so-called "new" high-value sectors being pro- moted by the Opposition— financial services, gaming, aviation maintenance, AI inte- gration, advanced manufactur- ing, renewable energy—did not suddenly appear in Malta be- cause someone discovered them while being in opposition. They are already part of Malta's on- going transformation under the Labour government. The challenge today is no longer identifying these sectors. The challenge is implementing them responsibly, competitively and sustainably within Malta's specific economic and institu- tional realities. From growth to wellbeing Malta Vision 2050 was never an anti-development exercise. Its purpose is to guide Malta to- ward a more sustainable, resil- ient and wellbeing-oriented fu- ture, while preserving economic strength, competitiveness and social mobility. The clearest expression of that philosophy is the Wellbeing In- dex, which is measuring success not just through GDP growth but through health, environ- ment, social inclusion, work-life balance, housing security and life satisfaction. That mirrors the international shift in advanced policymaking. It is also exactly the framework reflected throughout the Labour Party manifesto. Six things I will work on if re- elected to parliament Each priority is grounded in the Labour Party manifesto, but sharpened by what I hear from you. 1. Wages that keep pace with the economy. Continued imple- mentation of the cost-of-living mechanism, plus structural in- creases that reflect real produc- tivity gains. 2. Housing young families can plan around. First-time-buy- er support, rental stability for working renters, and an honest conversation about supply in our inner-harbour localities. 3. A Wellbeing Index that means something locally. Trans- lating the national index into measurable district outcomes: Air quality, green spaces, walka- bility, access to GPs and mental health. 4. An economy that grows up, not just out. Continuing Mal- ta's shift from volume to value such as ICT, fintech, med-tech, advanced manufacturing, AI in- tegration, with training pipelines to match. 5. Stronger and more resilient communities. Stronger fund- ing for local councils, protect- ed open spaces, and traffic and parking solutions that treat res- idents, not commuters, as the priority. 6. Available, accountable, pres- ent. A regular constituency note to inform what came up at the door, what was raised in par- liament, and what changed be- cause of it. You should be able to see the work. Serious national transformation isn't loud The Labour Party manifesto is the stronger national pro- gramme not because it is louder or more radical. It is stronger be- cause it is more balanced, more credible, and more strategically coherent. It addresses families, pensions, healthcare, education, housing, mental health and digitalisation as interconnected dimensions of national wellbeing, not as isolat- ed policy silos. Economic growth is not an end in itself. It only matters if it translates into stronger families, better services, cleaner com- munities, and a higher quality of life. That is the country I am asking you to vote for. Cressida Galea Economist and Labour candidate on the 1 and 8 districts The question is not whether Malta should be ambitious. The question is whether we are being honest with ourselves about how transformation actually happens An economist's case for continuity, credibility, and care Wages must keep pace with the economy