Power of incumbency: the art of government projects timed for elections

The 2022 general elections campaign many Cabinet members hitting their districts with the power of their national portfolios.

The power of incumbency has always played a crucial role in Maltese elections – the distribution of tax credits and COVID relief cheques in March in mid-election shows as much, which is why many condemned what is a caretaker administration’s largesse during a campaign for votes.

After Prime Minister Robert Abela called an election for 26 March in 20 February, his ministers and parliamentary secretaries still remained in power, using their Cabinet portfolios to announce major projects in their constituencies.

MORE | Scramble for deliverables: the ministers of embellishment

Ministers of Deliverables

1.     Environment Minister Aaron Farrugia is contesting the seventh and first districts which include the localities of Valletta, Ħamrun and Marsa. On Monday 21 February he launched the ‘Renovate your property’ scheme for the regeneration of properties in the Grand Harbour Region, with Valletta being a prime locality.

2.     Parliamentary Secretary for Lands and Construction Chris Agius was alongside Farrugia during the press conference. Agius is contesting the second district which includes the localities of Birgu, Bormla and Isla. A week later, on Monday 28 February he announced the planting of 2,500 trees, shrubs and plants in a project at Sebgħa ta’ Ġunju 1919 square in Ħamrun. On Sunday 20 March he also inaugurated a €456,000 investment into the Belvedere Garden in Marsa.

3.     Minister for Social Accommodation Roderick Galdes is contesting the sixth and eight districts which include the localities of Qormi and Siġġiewi and Birkirkara. On Tuesday 22 February he announced seven urban embellishment projects in Attard, Mosta, Siġġiewi and Qormi. Alongside Galdes was Parliamentary Secretary for Citizenship and Communities Alex Muscat who is contesting the eleventh district, which includes the localities of Mosta and Attard.

4.     On Saturday 5 March Galdes had a press conference during which he provided details of a €30,000 spend on a second from seven urban regeneration projects, through the Housing Development Fund at the Qormi sports complex. Galdes inaugurated a €110 million social housing project in Swatar, Birkirkara on Friday 18 March. 

5.     Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri is contesting the second and fourth districts which include the localities of Paola and Santa Luċija. On Sunday 27 February Camilleri announced the extension of community policing in Gozo and Maltese localities including Santa Luċija, Paola, St. Paul’s Bay, Lija, Iklin, Attard and Balzan. 

6.     Inclusion Minister Julia Farrugia Portelli is contesting the seventh and fifth districts which include the localities of Żurrieq, Dingli and Rabat.  On Monday 28 February, Farrugia Portelli inaugurated a Community Hub for persons with disability with a €500,000 investment in Tal-Virtù, Rabat. On Sunday 13 March along with Economy Minister Silvio Schembri, Julia Farrugia Portelli announced a €500,000 investment into a community residence for persons with disabilities in Dingli.  Farrugia Portelli also inaugurated an €850,000 investment into a residential community for persons with disability in Żurrieq on Tuesday 22 March. 

7.     Economy Minister Silvio Schembri is contesting the sixth and seven districts which includes the localities of Qormi, Luqa, Siġġiewi and Dingli. On Wednesday 2 March, Schembri announced a €5 million investment in the regeneration of the Luqa industrial zone. He also announced a €2 million investment as part of Corporate Social Responsibility projects in Mellieħa, Qormi, Safi, Xewkija, Siġġiewi and Dingli on Saturday 12 March. €1.2 million alone would be spent on Pjazza Federico Maempel in Qormi.  On Sunday 13 March alongside Farrugia Portelli he announced a €500,000 investment into a community residence for persons with disabilities in Dingli. 

8.     National Heritage Minister José Herrera is contesting the first district which includes the locality of Marsa. On Tuesday 8 March he announced three investments in Marsa, costed at around €570,000, involving the restauration of the Church, the installation of a number of CCTV cameras and a van for the community. 

9.     Energy, Enterpise and Sustainable Development Minister Miriam Dalli is contesting the eleventh and fifth districts which include the localities of Birżebbuga, Qrendi and Żurrieq and Mosta. On Tuesday 8 March, Dalli announced the completion of a €10 million Corporation project for the improvement of water quality in Qrendi. Alongside Dalli was Parliamentary Secretary for European Funds Stefan Zrinzo, who is also contesting the district. 

10.  A €4 million investment in the regeneration of the Shell bridge in Birżebbuġa was inaugurated on Sunday 20 March. On Tuesday 22 March Dalli announced a €40million investment into the regeneration of the San Lucjan oiltanking facilities in Birżebbuġa. During this press conference, MaltaToday spoke to Dalli about the timing of such a multi-million euro investment in the district she was contesting: “This is a project on which we have been working on for various months. I have worked on various projects and investments in various localities in which I am not contesting. This is a national project,” Dalli insisted. 

11.  Deputy PM and health minister Chris Fearne is contesting the third district and fourth districts which include the localities of  Marsaskala, Paola and Tarxien. On Thursday 10 March Fearne inaugurated a primary health clinic in Marsaskala; on 16 March he inaugurated a memorial for COVID-19 victims in a garden in Paola; and then  opening of a new community health clinic in Tarxien on Friday 18 March. 

12.  Minister for Active Ageing Michael Farrugia is contesting the eleventh and twelfth districts, including the locality of Mellieħa. On Monday 14 Match he inaugurated a €26,000 investment into a multi-disciplinary clinic in Mellieħa. 

13.  Transport Minister Ian Borg is contesting the seventh and sixth disticts, including the locality of Luqa. On Tuesday 22 March he announced that the first lanes of the Luqa Junction project would be open by the first half of the year. 

Just a coincidence?

Such investments and projects are not simply announced overnight, and months or years of work are behind them.

Timing such impressive projects that serve as game-changing infrastructural deliverables for a party-in-government that is seeking re-election may not be an unfair practice, but it raises questions about the enormous power of incumbency at election time.

Indeed, it is a practice that without proper checks and balances could be turned into an art, with elections being turned into an open season of finished projects and futuristic urban embellishments.