WATCH | Owen Bonnici claims leftists see Budget 2027 as 'progressive'

Accommodation Minister Owen Bonnici believes people on the left of the political spectrum see Budget 2027 as “one of the most progressive budgets in Europe today.”

Bonnici was responding to a barrage of criticism from Labour supporters and people on the left over what they described as “anti-socialist and anti-leftist” punitive measures against non-EU workers.

Their comments came as MaltaToday unveiled that Cabinet was completely unaware of the budget measures before the finance minister’s speech last week. 

Fielding journalists’ questions on Monday, Owen Bonnici did not deny that he knew nothing about the measures, telling MaltaToday that he cannot discuss what was said during Cabinet meetings. 

Bonnici insisted that government has long-promised to address the disgruntlement surrounding the large number of non-EU workers.

Asked to comment on the criticism generated by the measures from PL members and leftist thinkers, Bonnici insisted that “foreign workers benefit from many of the measures we introduced.”

“I understand the sentiment of those who contributed to this discussion, but when you consider the nature of this year’s budget, it’s one which continues to strengthen Malta’s social sector,” the minister added. 

“This is another social budget,” Bonnici continued, saying, “certainly those who are on the left or centre-left, when you consider the international context, will surely say it was one of the most progressive budgets in Europe today.”

PL claims to expose 'leaked details' of Alex Borg's budget replica 

Bonnici was speaking following a Labour Party press conference in which the party claimed saw "leaked details" from Opposition Leader Alex Borg's budget replica speech.

Bonnici, joined by PL backbencher Nigel Vella, went over a number of points they said Borg was going to discuss on Monday night. Coincidentally, the points were similar to criticism made by social partners following the budget. 

Owen Bonnici countered this claim by citing Eurostat data indicating that Malta’s GDP per capita rose by 17% between 2019 and last year, compared to European growth of under 5%. Bonnici further contested Borg’s expected statement that productivity is stagnating and that the economy prioritises quantity over quality, stating that Malta’s GDP per capita currently stands 10% above the European average.

On public finances, the Labour Party disputed Borg’s projected remarks regarding national debt and rising interest burdens. Bonnici maintained that Malta’s debt-to-GDP ratio is on a downward trend and remains below 50%, contrasting it with rates exceeding 70% under past Nationalist administrations.

For his part, MP Nigel Vella argued that the planned speech shows a lack of economic competence within the Opposition.

Challenging Borg's anticipated claims regarding a declining standard of living, Vella cited Eurostat findings showing that life satisfaction among Maltese residents exceeds the European average, noting that Malta moved up to tenth place overall within a single year.