Malta Chamber Calls for Parliamentary Reform to Strengthen Democracy and Public Trust
The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry has called for significant parliamentary reform, proposing major changes to Malta’s electoral system, parliamentary structure, and MP remuneration.
During the launch of two reports by David Spiteri Gingell, Chamber President Chris Vassallo Cesareo stressed that accountability and transparency are essential to a thriving democracy.
The reports, titled A Modern Framework for Members of Parliament for 2025 and Beyond and A New Approach to Malta’s Elections, propose a series of reforms aimed at improving governance and restoring public trust in Parliament.
At the heart of these recommendations is a reduction in the number of MPs from 79 to 45, a shift to five electoral districts instead of the current 13, and a 5% national vote threshold for a party to enter Parliament.
The proposed framework also seeks to replace the current gender quota mechanism with a system that ensures gender representation at the top of the ballot. Other changes include the removal of co-option, limiting cabinet ministers from outside Parliament, and introducing full-time MPs with revised salaries.
Kevin Mizzi, Head of Policy at the Chamber, explained that these reforms need to be part of a broader restructuring to address both institutional weaknesses and cultural challenges that lead to unethical behaviour and disengagement from politics.
The MP remuneration system proposed in the second report suggests that MPs’ base salary should be €42,582, pegged to a Director General salary at government Scale 3.
Ministers, the Prime Minister, and Opposition Leader would receive additional allowances based on private sector CEO salaries, bringing the Prime Minister’s total salary to €113,901
The proposal also includes non-taxable grants for constituency offices, research assistants for MPs, and a dedicated House Parliamentary Research Service.
To ensure fair conditions, the Chamber is proposing a commission appointed by the President of the Republic to review parliamentary salaries and conditions at the start of each legislature.
Other proposals include pension reforms, clearer rules on post-parliament employment (including a “revolving door” policy for former MPs), and greater public transparency on financial compensation for politicians.
These reports build on previous Chamber documents, including A Manifesto for Good Governance (2020) and A Strong Transparency, Accountability, and Ethical Governance Framework for Members of Parliament (2022).
The Chamber emphasised that any changes to MP salaries must be matched by broader governance reforms to maintain public trust.