Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1546781
DEMOCRACY is in danger when political power and economic power become so in- tertwined that wealth and connections buy privileged access to the state. At that point, democracy risks sliding into kleptocracy. The question raised by the Yorgen Fenech trial is whether Malta has already reached that stage. The trial laid bare the proximity between Malta's political, business and institution- al worlds. But the issue is larger than one businessman, one government or one po- litical party. In a minuscule country where politicians, businessmen and public officials inevitably know each other, where does le- gitimate access end and undue influence begin? For Andrè Callus, the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia brought the prob- lem into sharp focus. "Daphne Caruana Galizia's assassination brought to the fore the devastating conse- quences of the extreme proximity between big business and political power," Callus says. But he stresses this proximity did not be- gin with her assassination. It "had existed for a very long time and had been legiti- mised in political discourse and practice". What the assassination did, he argues, was make the consequences of that proximity impossible to ignore, while also revealing "just how extensive it had become". The Fenech case provided another win- dow into this relationship. Callus says the most striking element to emerge from the chats between Fenech and people in positions of power was "the unlimited access he had to politicians and public officials, who were willing to serve him rather than the common good". And, he adds, this is only what emerged from the investigation into Caruana Gali- zia's assassination. "God knows how many similar chats exist with other wealthy indi- viduals," he says. For Callus, this points to a system in which a class of people can amass immense pow- er, while their interests and voices matter "thousands of times more than those of or- dinary citizens". He describes the resulting system as "deeply anti-democratic, and also criminal", allowing those with wealth and influence to act with impunity. The problem, however, cannot simply be reduced to the conduct of a few individuals. "Addressing this is necessary, but it is not easy, because this is not simply a matter of the bad behaviour of a few individuals," Callus says. "It is embedded in our political, social and economic system." Small enough to know everyone There is a peculiar contradiction at the heart of Malta's size. Smallness can make government more ac- cessible. A business owner can reach a min- ister. An NGO can secure a meeting with a decision-maker. Citizens can approach MPs directly. But Malta's small size even makes it more vulnerable to state capture by a few very rich magnates. Aaron Farrugia, a former planning and transport minister who dealt directly with business, investors, NGOs and other stake- holders, argues that this accessibility is an advantage rather than a problem. "Malta's success lies precisely in its size," he says. "Being small makes us agile, and the ease with which investors, entrepreneurs and ordinary citizens can reach their gov- ernment is a genuine competitive advan- tage over larger states." Maltese governments of every colour, Farrugia argues, have understood and practiced this since independence. He also rejects the idea that access to government should be viewed as inherently suspicious simply because it involves business. "Businesspeople generate economic activ- ity and create jobs," he says, while pointing out that they do so while navigating layers of bureaucracy. CONTINUES NEXT PAGE > 15 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 27 SEPTEMBER 2026 FEATURE The emperor is naked: Politicians and tycoons at the same trough The Yorgen Fenech trial has laid bare the proximity between Malta's political, business and institutional worlds. James Debono talks to economist Marisa Xuereb, Moviment Graffitti activist Andrè Callus and former minister Aaron Farrugia about where legitimate access ends and privileged influence begins JAMES DEBONO jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt