13 years of Labour: The 13 proposals that shaped Malta

It has been just over 13 years since Joseph Muscat’s Labour Party came to power with an unprecedented electoral victory that shaped Malta’s destiny.

On 9 March 2013, the PL achieved the biggest general election victory since Malta’s independence, beating Lawrence Gonzi’s battered Nationalist Party by some 36,000 votes.

To this day, Malta, its political class and many aspects of society have been shaped by the decisions taken since 2013.

On the 13th anniversary, MaltaToday reopened the Malta Tagħna Lkoll electoral manifesto in search of the 13 proposals we believe significantly shaped the country.

Re-reading the manifesto felt like entering a time machine taking us back to a completely different country. The seeds of today’s Malta were present in the 2013 Labour manifesto, even if some of the most impactful and controversial changes were presented very vaguely in the document.

1. CHEAPER UTILITY BILLS

Labour’s flagship proposal was to reduce electricity bills by an average of 25% and water bills by 5%. This was tied to other energy proposals such as a promise to ensure that energy production becomes cheaper and cleaner by phasing out heavy fuel oil and the closure of the Marsa power station. Energy production was to be revolutionised with the introduction of liquefied natural gas.

The cost of energy had been a significant concern for the electorate during the Gonzi years that preceded Labour’s election victory.

By 2014, utility bills were lowered and ironically, the rates set at the time are the same rates consumers continue to pay today as a result of subsidies introduced in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The lowering of utility bills gave families financial reprieve and provided businesses with long-term stability, enabling the economy to get back on its feet. At the same time, a new gas-fired power station was built by the private consortium Electrogas at Delimara, ensuring cleaner air.

But impressive as it may be, this achievement was not free from the shadow of corruption that would later be revealed in the wake of Daphne Caruana Galizia’s murder. Journalists discovered that Caruana Galizia murder suspect Yorgen Fenech, one of Electrogas’s shareholders, owned a Dubai company, 17 Black, that was listed as a target client for secretive Panama companies belonging to then Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi and then Office of the Prime Minister Chief of Staff Keith Schembri. Both Panama companies had been registered soon after the Labour Party came to power in 2013.

2. FREE CHILDCARE

The introduction of free childcare centres was intended to boost employment by encouraging more women to join the labour market.

The measure provided free childcare services for children between three months and three years old, whose parents were employed or pursuing studies.

Last month, a study by the Central Bank of Malta found that the programme significantly influenced female participation in the workforce, especially among single mothers and households with several children. The scheme’s uptake grew significantly from 875 children in 2014 to 9,400 by 2024.

Free childcare was just one measure in Labour’s tool box to revive the economy. It proved to be successful and the scheme is now part of everyday life for many families although it comes at a cost to public coffers. Earlier this year, the government inked a four-year agreement worth €277 million with private childcare facilities to maintain the free scheme.

3. THE GOLDEN PASSPORT SCHEME

The Individual Investor Programme (IIP), better known as the golden passport scheme, was but a vague promise in the 2013 election manifesto.

The PL had promised: “Improve existing schemes and programmes such as the High-Net-Worth Individuals and Permanent Residence Scheme, while introducing new ones to make it more attractive for individuals to invest in property in Malta and Gozo.”

In the first year, the PL government announced that ultra-rich applicants can pay €650,000 to become Maltese, and by extension, EU citizens. The scheme generated over €1 billion in revenue, the bulk of which was hived off into a sovereign wealth fund—National Development and Social Fund. The cash was used for major projects in social housing, the healthcare sector, and cultural investments. It also proved to be a useful safety net during the COVID-19 pandemic.

But the controversial scheme also attracted criticism in Malta and abroad with Brussels coming down hard and eventually opening a court case against Malta. The scheme was also prone to scandal with Keith Schembri and Brian Tonna, a financial services practitioner, being charged in court in 2021 with money laundering and bribery linked to the sale of passports to Russian nationals.

Last year, the European Court of Justice ruled that Malta’s citizenship scheme infringed EU law forcing the government to scrap it.

4. CIVIL UNIONS AND LGBTIQ EMPOWERMENT

Civil liberties were a major part of the PL’s rallying call in 2013, with particular emphasis on empowering the LGBTIQ community.

The state-sanctioned recognition of same-sex couples through the introduction of civil unions was promised and when the law passed in 2014 it also included the right to adoption. The measure changed the lives of many in the LGBTIQ community, who felt they were finally being recognised after decades of conservatism. But the introduction of civil unions was just the first step in a string of other empowering measures adopted over the past decade that transformed Maltese society.

In 2017, marriage equality was enacted by parliament, completing the cycle that recognised the reality of same-sex couples and families. Other civil liberties followed, cementing the PL’s status as a progressive party that did not fear pushing the boundaries.

5. HOSPITALS’ PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP

One of the PL’s biggest black spots since 2013 is undoubtedly the Vitals-Steward hospitals saga, which resulted in the biggest-ever corruption case being brought to court. Joseph Muscat, Konrad Mizzi, Keith Schembri and many others were charged in 2024 and the case against them is ongoing.

The Malta Tagħna Lkoll manifesto contained a number of proposals that hinted at what would be the hospitals’ concession. It made reference to the “state of abandonment” of the Gozo General hospital, while another pledge was to “welcome proposals for the sustainable development of sites like… St Luke’s Hospital…”.

The hospitals’ concession was a recurring controversy throughout Labour’s term in power as allegations of corruption overshadowed the concession, while most of the work and investment that was supposed to take place never materialised. The only significant benefit was the construction of the Barts School of Medicine campus in Gozo, which continues to operate successfully.

Eventually, a Maltese court annulled the concession contract amid suggestions by the National Audit Office that senior government officials were more interested in securing the interests of the private concessionaire rather than safeguard the public good.

Although the concession was not directly referenced in the 2013 manifesto, the impact of the scandal that followed continues to shape Malta’s political landscape. It will continue to do so at least until the criminal cases against the accused are finished.

6. NATIONAL TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT PLAN AND PROJECTS

In a stark reminder of how long Malta has been trying to tackle the traffic problem, the 2013 manifesto promised to launch a National Traffic Management Plan to tackle bottlenecks, such as Marsa and Kappara.

The two junctions were completed with flyovers that eased traffic flow in the areas. These were eventually followed by a post-2017 impressive investment in road infrastructure. But despite the modernisation of Malta’s roads, traffic continues to be among the top concerns for many people in 2026.

After 13 years and hundreds of millions of euros spent trying to solve the traffic issue, the problem persists, as does the lack of political will to introduce disincentives for commuters who use private cars.

7. GRANTING 16-YEAR-OLDS A VOTE IN LOCAL COUNCIL ELECTIONS

The PL’s 2013 manifesto had promised to grant 16-year-olds a vote in local council elections. This was the first in a series of changes that gave more rights to young people. Major milestones in this regard included giving 16-year-olds a vote in general elections and allowing them to become mayors if chosen by constituents. Just days ago, 16-year-olds were also given the right to open their own company.

8. PROTECTING HUNTERS’ RIGHTS

The last proposal in the 2013 manifesto’s section on the environment promised to “improve local regulations, among others by guaranteeing sustainable spring hunting according to EU regulations…”.

The proposal made it clear that the Labour Party would stand by the hunters’ lobby through thick and thin. When it comes to this promise, Labour not only kept its word, but went above and beyond.

More than a decade since Labour took office, government continues to defy the EU to protect the lobby’s interests, especially when it comes to bird trapping.

9. IVF

The changes to Malta’s legislation regulating in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) positioned Labour at the forefront of progressive policies. Although IVF was already legal in Malta before 2013, it was the Labour government that invested in the equipment and resources necessary at Mater Dei Hospital to make IVF practical for Maltese couples. The strict parameters introduced by the previous PN government were also loosened, enabling more couples and individuals to benefit from the procedure. Changes introduced over the years made it possible for single women and lesbian couples to have access to IVF, while the possibility of sperm and egg donation was introduced. Eventually, pre-implantation genetic testing on embryos for severe hereditary diseases was introduced in 2022.

Since 2013, more than 700 babies were born from IVF cycles.

10. A CONSTRUCTION BOOM

In 2013, there wasn’t one single proposal that hinted at the construction boom that would transform the island aesthetically and economically.

The electoral programme referenced the demerger of what would become the Environmental and Resources Authority and the Planning Authority, while promising to reduce the bureaucracy in the planning sector. It also mentioned a reform in the Local Plans which never materialised.

With the benefit of hindsight, what was omitted from the manifesto in this regard, became more important than what was written. New planning policies introduced along the years, such as allowing hotels to add two more floors, the change in building heights, the high-rise and rural policies, changed Malta forever since they allowed the building boom brought about by a growing economy to flourish even more.

11. THE STANDARDS CZAR

The Office of the Commissioner for Standards in Public Life can also be traced back to Labour’s 2013 electoral programme, even though the first standards czar was chosen in Joseph Muscat’s second legislature in 2018.

The creation of this office meant that MPs had a watchdog that could be called to investigate them by anyone from the public.

In the eight years since the establishment of this office, standard czar reports have shaken the political system, leading to the resignations of Rosianne Cutajar, Clayton Bartolo and Justyne Caruana.

The standards czar has also been a thorn in Robert Abela’s side due to the latter’s refusal to be transparent on Cabinet’s asset declarations.

12. ANTI-CORRUPTION PROPOSALS

In 2013, Joseph Muscat’s Labour Party was relishing in a number of scandals which rocked the previous Nationalist government. Riding on slogans of transparency, meritocracy and justice, the party’s electoral programme pledged to, among other things, remove the time-bar for corruption cases, introduce the Whistleblower Act and a law regulating political party financing, while giving the Attorney General more powers to investigate.

The reforms were introduced but what appeared good on paper has had little effect on the behaviour in public life. Despite promises of meritocracy and good governance, Labour in government has been rocked by a list of scandals too long to remember.

The Caruana Galizia Public Inquiry had found the Labour government responsible for the “atmosphere of impunity” that enabled the murder of the journalist to take place.

13. EXPLOSION AND EXPLOITATION OF FOREIGN WORKERS

The single-most issue of concern today, overpopulation and the number of foreign workers, coupled with the exploitation of vulnerable non-EU residents, was a glaring omission from the MaltaTagħna Lkoll programme. Indeed, the manifesto was intended to re-jig Malta’s economy and pursue growth but with that promise came repercussions that were left unexplained, unmitigated.

The only proposal that vaguely hinted at an economic model that would rely on the importation of foreign labour by the thousands was that a Labour government would embrace the “active labour market policies as expressed in the ratification of the Jobs+ programme along with social partners”.

The architect of that policy, put forward by the Union Ħaddiema Magħqudin, was none other than Clyde Caruana, today’s finance minister. But even with the benefit of hindsight it is difficult to decipher what that proposal meant.

While more women joined the labour force and pensioners were encouraged to work for longer, the rapid economic growth necessitated foreign workers by the droves. They came, filled the gaps, contributed to public coffers, helped buoy the property rental market but were also exploited and abused. And as the population grew, public infrastructure across the board was unprepared and started to creak.

The economic model made many people richer, leaving more money in their pocket, but it also widened the gap between the haves and the have-nots, with foreign workers becoming the new underclass.