Air Malta is a prime example of how clientelism is king in Maltese politics

“What’s happening with Air Malta is a prime example of how clientelism is king in Maltese politics. It is a direct consequence of a parliament totally dominated by two parties. They have consistently joined forces to resist electoral reform because they know that a pluralist parliament will mean an end to their nepotistic and clientelist politics.” ADPD – The Green Party Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo emphasized this when addressing a press conference in front of Parliament in Valletta on Saturday morning.

ADPD Secretary General Ralph Cassar said the government’s attitude in relation to Air Malta is another consequence of the PLPN system.

While the restructuring of Air Malta has been on the cards for decades one must not forget that it has been the PLPN that have been milking the cow dry, that is Air Malta, without batting an eyelid.

“The Air Malta problem is what it is because of years on years of political clientelism. In fact, Air Malta has been plagued by this nepotistic and clientelist political interference since its inception. PLPN have milked Air Malta dry. It was their cash-cow in their respective bids to cling to power. We are all victims of these shameful PLPN practices, because our public funds and taxes have been used to buy votes through the Air Malta ‘cow’.”

ADPD Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo said it is evident that the Labour Party uses politics as a game in which empty promises may be made in order to buy votes.

It is now well known that the Labour Party in government had been preparing for the distinct possibility of winding up Air Malta, even though just a few months ago on the eve of the March 2022 election its employees were guaranteed  that the company will continue to operate and that any excess labour would be transferred to the public sector subject to the same salary and conditions.

Indeed, in the Labour Party’s electoral programme we read that a process has commenced to ensure that Air Malta will remain in operation and serve its strategic objectives in line with EU regulations (p. 222). It is evident this was all a charade and a load of empty promises.

This is a result of political clientelism that has been practiced without any restraint since the setting up of Air Malta. Successive strategic plans failed because there had not been the political will for Air Malta to operate without political interference. Millions of Euros in ‘aid’ have been squandered which effectively financed the clientelism that has led to Air Malta’s downfall.

The current state in which Air Malta finds itself in is clear testimony of the political clientelism that has ruled our country. It is both the current Labour government and the Nationalist Party which are at fault too because the latter had the opportunity to fix the situation but instead opted to milk this ‘cow’ too.

We have now become used to governments and politicians paying lip service to the principles of good governance, but then unashamedly practicing clientelism and vote buying.

Carmel Cacopardo concluded that “political clientelism is a direct consequence of a parliament totally dominated by two parties. They have consistently joined forces to resist electoral reform because they know that a pluralist parliament will mean an end to their nepotistic and clientelism politics.”

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L-Air Malta hija xempju tal-klijenteliżmu li ikkontamina l-politika f’pajjiżna

“Dak li qiegħed jiġri fl-Air Malta huwa xempju tal-klijenteliżmuli ikkontamina l-politika f’pajjiżna. Hu frott ta’ sistema ta’ parlament iddominat minn żewġ partiti. Għalhekk kontinwament jirreżistu riforma elettorali sura – għax pluralità ta’ ilħna politiċi fil-parlament inevitabbilment twassal għad-daqqa mortali għall-klijenteliżmu.” Dan emfasizzah iċ-Chairperson ta’ ADPD – The Green Party, Carmel Cacopardo, meta indirizza konferenza stampa is-Sibt filgħodu quddiem il-Parlament fil-Belt Valletta.

Dr Ralph Cassar, Segretarju Ġenerali ta’ ADPD – The Green Party qal li l-attitudni tal-Gvern fil-kwestjoni tal-Air Malta hija wkoll wirt tad-duopolju  PLPN.

Filwaqt li ristrutturar bis-serjetà tal-Air Malta ilha inevitabbli għal għexieren ta’ snin ta’ min wieħed ifakkar fl-attitudni tal-PLPN li dejjem użaw lill-Air Malta bħala baqra li ppruvaw jeħilbulha sal-aħħar qatra.

“L-Air Malta hija fil-qagħda li hi ħtija tal-klijenteliżmu politiku li fuqu tmexxiet il-kumpanija sa minn meta twaqqfet. Il-qagħda attwali tal-Air Malta hija, iswed fuq l-abjad, riżultat tal-klijenteliżmu sfrenat li mxew bih il-PLPN tul is-snin. Dawn ġabu l-Air Malta għarkupptejha biex jixtru l-voti u jqassmu l-pjaċiri għas-skapitu tal-finanzi pubbliċi. Il-qagħda attwali hi l-konsegwenza ta’ dan.”

Iċ-Chairperson ta’ ADPD – The Green Party qal li huwa ċar daqs il-kristall li l-Partit Laburista jara l-politika bħala logħba li fiha huwa permess li tidħaq bin-nies f’wiċċhom biex tikseb l-appoġġ tagħhom. Fl-Air Malta mexa hekk kontinwament.

Issa huwa fatt magħruf li l-Partit Laburista fil-Gvern kien qiegħed jipprepara għall-possibiltà tal-għeluq tal-Air Malta, avolja qabel l-elezzjoni ta’ Marzu tal-2022, sena biss ilu, il-ħaddiema tal-Air Malta ġew imwegħda li l-kumpanija se tkompli topera u li l-ħaddiema “żejda” se jkunu trasferiti mas-settur pubbliku bl-istess pagi u kundizzjonijiet.

Saħansitra fl-istess programm elettorali tal-Partit Laburista jgħid (fuq paġna 222) li nbeda ‘proċess sabiex l-Air Malta tkompli topera u sservi l-oġġettivi strateġiċi tagħha b’ħarsien tar-regolamenti Ewropej’. Huwa ċar li dan kien kollu daħq fil-wiċċ, u kliem fieragħ.

Dan hu kollu riżultat tal-klijenteliżmu politiku sfaċċat ipprattikat fl-Air Malta tul is-snin sa mit-twaqqif tagħha. Pjan strateġiku wieħed wara l-ieħor kollha fallew għax qatt ma kien hemm ir-rieda politika li l-Air Malta titħalla topera mingħajr indħil politiku. Dan wassal għar-rimi ta’ miljuni ta’ Euro f’’għajnuna’ lill-kumpanija Air Malta li fil-prattika fissru iffinanzjar tal-klijenteliżmu li kisser lill-istess kumpanija.

Il-qagħda attwali tal-Air Malta hi l-ikbar monument għall-kljenteliżmu politiku li ilu jirrenja fil-pajjiż. Ta’ dan jaħtu kemm il-Partit Laburista li hu fil-Gvern illum kif ukoll il-Partit Nazzjonalista li kellu l-opportunità li jirranġa l-affarijiet u naqas milli jagħmel dan u minflok ipprova jaħleb hu ukoll.

Għandna storja twila ta’ gvernijiet u politiċi li jitkellmu fuq il-governanza tajba, imma mbagħad jipprattikaw il-politika ta’ klijenteliżmu sfaċċat: kollox biex jinxtraw il-voti.

Carmel Cacopardo ikkonkluda li “l-klijenteliżmu politiku hu frott ta’ sistema ta’ parlament iddominat minn żewġ partiti. Għalhekk kontinwament jirreżistu riforma elettorali sura – għax pluralità ta’ ilħna politiċi fil-parlament twassal għad-daqqa mortali għall-klijenteliżmu.”

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