Prime Minister Joseph Muscat’s tweet this afternoon stating the government welcomes a report by the Venice Commission and will implement its recommendations accordingly might sound inconspicuous at first glance.

However, it is nothing less than a public declaration of his willingness to reduce his own powers and empower MPs with higher salaries at the risk of public outrage, a landmark statement as Malta gears up for talks on constitutional reform.

The Venice Commission, a Council of Europe advisory panel composed of experts in constitutional law, said nothing about Malta that hasn’t been said before.

The Prime Minister’s executive power overshadows that of all other branches of the state, the Attorney General has a schizophrenic role as both public prosecutor and government adviser and the selection of the judiciary and the police commissioner should be far more open.

Since Malta’s MP are only part-time and the worst-paid in all of Europe, they have little time or financial incentive to focus on their parliamentary duties. Meanwhile, Muscat’s compensation strategy of appointing his backbenchers to government jobs is hindering the ability of these MPs to scrutinise the government.

Muscat’s intervention is crucial as his pledge for constitutional reforms starts gathering steam, with a steering committee recently appointed to represent the interests of the two major political parties.

What do you make of Joseph Muscat’s statement?

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Tim Diacono

Tim is interested in the rapid evolution of human society and is passionate about justice, human rights and cutting-edge political debates. You can follow him on Instagram or Twitter/X at @timdiacono or reach out to him at [email protected]