Clyde Caruana and Ian Borg are best ranked ministers in MaltaToday survey

Riding high on a generous budget, the outspoken finance minister, Clyde Caruana, leads the overall table in MaltaToday’s first Rank the Minister survey.

Caruana is closely trailed by Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Ian Borg.

The Finance Minister, who retains a technocratic, cross-party appeal, also ranks highest among PN voters and current non-voters. Borg, recently elected Labour Party deputy leader and consequently appointed deputy prime minister, is slightly better rated among PL voters.

Caruana leads with a score of 6.21, followed closely by Ian Borg at 6.18. Veteran Social Policy Minister Michael Falzon comes in third with 6.15. Health Minister Jo Etienne Abela and Education Minister Clifton Grima received a rating of 6.1 and 6.03 respectively.

The rest of the ministers scored below six.

The survey indicates overall satisfaction with the Cabinet’s performance, as all ministers score above the five-point pass mark. Additionally, 10 out of 16 ministers score above the pass mark among non-voters.

However, the survey also highlights a number of ministers scraping through, with Agriculture Minister Anton Refalo and Justice Minister Jonathan Attard hitting the bottom two spots, scoring 5.05 and 5.07 respectively.

Other struggling ministers include Planning and Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri (5.28), Housing Minister Roderick Galdes (5.31), and Transport Minister Chris Bonett (5.38).

This suggests that ministers overseeing more contentious sectors – such as planning, transport, housing, and justice – are rated less positively than those in less controversial portfolios.

Notably, Jonathan Attard appears to bear the brunt of the controversy surrounding the reforms to magisterial inquiries, which took political centre stage while the data was being collected. While Attard’s low rating among PN voters is to be expected, he is also the lowest-ranked minister among current non-voters.

The less favourable ratings for Gozo heavyweights Clint Camilleri and Anton Refalo come in the wake of the PL’s declining electoral fortunes in Gozo and are also reflected in their relatively low scores among Gozitan respondents. However, the survey confirms the popularity of Health Minister Jo Etienne Abela, who also hails from Gozo.

The survey asked respondents to rate the performance of each minister on a scale from 0 (very bad) to 10 (very good).

TOP PERFORMERS

Clyde Caruana

Gone are the days when finance ministers under PN-led governments bore the brunt of public anger due to fiscal austerity. Clyde Caruana not only scores well among Labour voters (8.13), coming a close second to Ian Borg, but also ranks as the top-rated minister among non-voters (5.67) and current PN voters (4.48).

Caruana is particularly popular among over-65s, who give him a stellar rating of 6.62, likely reflecting appreciation for budget measures targeting pensioners. He also scores well across all educational brackets, including tertiary-educated voters (5.9). Among men, Caruana leads with a 6.26 rating, while among women, he ranks just behind Ian Borg.

Ian Borg

Deputy Prime Minister Ian Borg, now also responsible for tourism, emerges as the top-rated minister among Labour voters (8.22) and women (6.23). He ranks third among non-voters (5.53) and PN voters (4.43).

Borg receives his highest ratings from over-65s (6.43) and is most popular in the South East region (6.7). He also performs well among respondents of all educational backgrounds, with tertiary-educated voters rating him at 5.8.

Michael Falzon

Social Security Minister Michael Falzon, a veteran overseeing Malta’s welfare system, ranks third overall and second among PN voters (4.45). His popularity likely stems from broad support for the welfare state and his relatively controversy-free tenure.

Jo Etienne Abela

Health Minister Jo Etienne Abela, who took over from Chris Fearne in January 2024, ranks third among Labour voters (8.11), slightly ahead of Michael Falzon. His strong rating may reflect confidence in Malta’s healthcare system.

In the Gozo region, Abela is the highest-rated minister (6.4), significantly outperforming Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri (4.67) and Agriculture Minister Anton Refalo (5.3).

Clifton Grima

Education Minister Clifton Grima’s high overall ranking reflects the absence of controversy surrounding government education policies. He also ranks second among non-voters (5.63).

MIDDLE TIER

Miriam Dalli

Energy and Environment Minister Miriam Dalli appears to have recovered from a 2023 public backlash over power cuts, now ranking sixth with an overall score of 5.84. Among Labour voters she ranks sixth, surpassing the 8-point mark. But she scores lower among PN voters (3.83). She also performs slightly better among women (5.89) than men (5.79). Dalli also gets a pass mark from non-voters (5.39).

Silvio Schembri

Economy Minister Silvio Schembri ranks seventh overall (5.71) but sees his score dip among non-voters (5.09). While generally well-rated, past controversies related to his former lands portfolio may have affected his standing. The minister was lately in the news following a request for a magisterial inquiry on his role solicited by Jason Azzopardi, which was turned down by the magistrate.

Owen Bonnici

Culture Minister Owen Bonnici ranks eighth, performing better among women (5.82) than men (5.59). He surpasses the five-point pass mark among non-voters (5.28) but scores poorly among PN voters (3.7).

Julia Farrugia

Inclusion Minister Julia Farrugia ranks ninth overall and seventh among women, scoring higher among women (5.84) than men (5.54). She also secures a pass mark among non-voters.

Byron Camilleri

Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri ranks tenth (5.5). His low rating among PN voters (3.5) contrasts with a pass mark among non-voters (5.13). The survey coincided with an Ombudsman report on human rights violations under former prison director Alex Dalli who had served on his watch before being removed and reassigned to another official post.

Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi

Lands Minister Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi’s tenth-place ranking reflects the low visibility of his portfolio, which includes the administration of public lands and the rather vague task of overseeing the implementation of Labour’s electoral manifesto. His mid-table position also reflects lack of controversy despite overseeing a sector previously marred by corruption allegations.

BOTTOM TIER

Chris Bonett

In a country where traffic is a top concern, Transport Minister Chris Bonett shoulders the brunt of public dissatisfaction. The overall result puts him in twelfth place. He scores below five among non-voters (4.8) and in Gozo (4.79).

Roderick Galdes

Housing Minister Roderick Galdes ranks as the second-lowest-rated minister among Labour voters (7.35), possibly reflecting some discontent over housing. His low ranking among non-voters (4.84) and PN voters (3.5) may also be tied to controversy over the allocation of unfinished housing units in Siġġiewi during the local council elections last year.

Clint Camilleri

In a possible reflection of discontent over planning policies, Clint Camilleri ranks 14th (5.28) and scores low among non-voters (4.78). However, he ranks tenth among Labour voters. In Gozo, his rating is particularly low (4.67). The minister’s low rating could also reflect the reprimand he earned from the Standards Commissioner over a job in the Gozo Ministry awarded to the wife of former tourism minister Clayton Bartolo.

Jonathan Attard

Justice Minister Jonathan Attard ranks lowest among non-voters (4.47) and receives the lowest score from PN voters (2.96), likely due to controversy over reforms to magisterial inquiries. Attard also ranks third from the bottom among PL voters (7.41).

Anton Refalo

Agriculture Minister Anton Refalo, who was first elected to parliament in 1987, is the lowest-ranked minister overall. He is also the only minister rated below 7 among Labour voters (6.9) and receives a low score from Gozitan respondents (5.3).