Beyond the optics

Melvic Zammit is a Communications strategist

In Malta, politics has never been a quiet background hum. It’s woven into everyday conversations, into każini, workplaces, WhatsApp groups, and Sunday lunches. It’s emotional, tribal, and rooted in loyalty. That kind of political culture isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It shows people care. But in recent years, that same energy has been repackaged and amplified, turned into a performance, not progress.

Social media was meant to bridge the gap between elected officials and the public. It promised transparency, accessibility, and direct communication. But somewhere along the way, politics began to play by the platform’s rules. Visibility became its own goal.

Scroll through your feed. It’s obvious. Some politicians aren’t there to explain or engage. They’re there to be seen. It’s less about leadership and more about staying in the feed. As citizens, we need to be more vigilant. Just because something looks active online doesn’t mean it’s making a real difference offline.

The pressure to stay constantly visible has pushed many politicians to condense policies into slogans, oversimplify debate, and prioritise attention over understanding. Serious everyday issues, like housing affordability, traffic congestion, overpopulation, and Malta’s low fertility rate, are often packaged for the algorithm instead of being addressed through meaningful discussion. In this environment, criticism spreads faster than facts, and thoughtful policy risks being overlooked in a crowded media space.

It’s no surprise, then, that so many voters have been hesitant to commit. Political surveys have consistently shown a sizeable segment of the electorate saying they either don’t know who to vote for or wouldn’t vote at all if an election were held tomorrow. While that number has softened slightly in recent months, it remains strong. And it reflects something deeper than simple indecision. It reflects growing public disengagement.

People aren’t just waiting for new faces. They’re waiting for a different approach. More accountability. Less theatre. More action.

To be clear, social media has a place in politics. It can still help make politics more transparent, more direct, and more responsive to the public. But it’s no replacement for the slower, harder work that rarely goes viral like meeting people, drafting policy, answering difficult questions, and delivering results.

After budget day, many are left reflecting on what they heard, and, just as importantly, what they didn’t.

The responsibility doesn’t rest on the government alone. The Opposition, too, has a duty to offer more than criticism. It must present serious, well-researched alternatives, not populist slogans, but credible proposals that stand up to scrutiny and reflect the complexity of the issues at hand.

Leadership doesn’t begin or end with a social media post. It’s measured in how decisions are made, and who they’re made for… when the cameras aren’t rolling.