This article first appeared in Malta Today

There is an uncomfortable similarity between what the Maltese government is doing and the way Trump successfully managed to direct the public’s anger towards immigrants (instead of himself) for so long. During these past two years he managed to deflect from the fact that his decisions were disastrous and he tapped into an inherent prejudice and bigotry among a large segment of Americans instead.

But you can only fool the people for so long – in Tuesday’s mid-term elections, the Democrats dealt a historic, resounding blow to the Republican Party, turning what were once considered Red States into Blue. And because Trump told people to vote like he was on the ballot, they did just that, basically making the election a referendum on his leadership. Predictably, his inflated ego made it about himself and he got his response.

The man who kept telling us he was going to Make America Great Again (a phrase I have come to loathe because of its nationalistic fervour) realised, too late, that no one was buying his spiel any more. His attempts at dividing a nation which is literally built on immigrants and cultural diversity have come at a human cost, driven a rift between families and have pushed the US to the cliff edge of fascism. Meanwhile, his moronic behaviour and extravagant projects of self-aggrandisement resembled that of a tinpot dictator, while the corruption became more and more blatant.

It was after he took the country into a war no-one wants while food and gas prices hit the roof that decent people realised they are the ones with the power to save America from the brink, and that this deranged, dangerous man had to be stopped…instead of staying home, they came out in their droves and voted accordingly. There will be two more years of his Presidency but at least now the House and the Senate, led by the Democrats, can apply the brakes on some of his lunacy.

Some of the parallels with what is happening in Malta are too strong to ignore. We are not suffering economically (yet) but the warning signs have been there for a while. The money to keep cushioning the public from what is happening elsewhere is running out. It is for this reason that the Labour government played its last desperate card, deliberately shifting the blame for all our woes onto ‘foreigners’ (but more specifically those who are non-EU). The narrative which was spun hit its targets with arrow-like precision and they were all too happy to repeat it. It was not that difficult really to lift the lid off the barely-suppressed xenophobia and all it needed was a nudge from Clyde Caurana and Robert Abela before the lid was blown wide open. Rather than putting the onus on the government for leading us down the wrong economic path, many have obligingly jumped on the “it’s the TCNs’ fault” bandwagon.

Meanwhile the government keeps acting like everything is under control, even going so far as to introduce another freebie for foot passengers crossing over to Gozo (but not if you are a Third Country National, of course, because then you have to pay). Was this to appease those who are pissed off at the new eco-tax every time they go to Gozo? If so this is turning into kindergarten politics where I take your toy, you start crying and then I give you a bag of Smarties in return.

More and more, this Budget keeps reminding me of a family living beyond their means, flaunting a lavish but debt-ridden lifestyle featuring a boat, private schools and twin SUVs. One hiccup in their income however, and it will all come crashing down.

So far, the vitriol against TCNs has alienated enough people who still seem convinced that the Budget measures mean that the government has “done something” to make Malta for the Maltese again (now why does that have a familiar ring to it?). Gradually, however, I am seeing a bit of an awakening as Abela makes one U-turn after another as he announces exemptions, which is now prompting very justified anger.

It’s becoming obvious that these measures were concocted in haste, and now they are realising some of them cannot be implemented as easily as they thought because there will be serious repercussions in every sector.

Take the removal of free childcare: apart from dealing a financial blow to pregnant TCN women already in the workforce who were counting on this service to continue working, what everyone seems to forget is that without these foreign children, many of these centres will have to close (we have a declining Maltese birth rate remember?). This means many Maltese business owners will lose their business and staff (which includes Maltese employees) will lose their jobs. A few days after the Budget I kept seeing adverts by the centres urging TCNs to register their children by this month in order to beat the 1 January cut-off date. Some centres had already designed special “affordable” payment packages for TCNs. It is no wonder that barely 10 days after the Budget, a concession had to be made for those women who are currently pregnant, meaning they will still be entitled to the free service.

At the risk of sounding sexist, it is clear that these measures were dreamt up by two men who not only did not bother consulting the Cabinet, but also did not have the foresight to ask the advice of female MPs about the consequences of touching something as crucial as childcare. That is why, after the initial euphoria, we are seeing so much backpedalling because it is one thing to treat human beings as mere numbers on a spreadsheet to balance your Budget, but it is another when you are hit by the reality of what it will mean in practice. Every sector will feel the ripple effects of these measures – much like a Jenga board game, you move one piece and you are risking the whole thing tumbling down.

As I have repeatedly pointed out, not only has the government not addressed overpopulation at all (but simply figured out a way to tax these poor people) but it has unleashed a venomous serpent of anti-TCN rhetoric which now will not go back willingly into its box.

There will come a day, however, probably in the new year, when those who hailed Clyde Caruana as their saviour will take a look round and realise that

1. The roads are still jammed with traffic because we have too many cars (there are so many exemptions that those who will give up their car because of the new fee will probably account for a very small percentage)
2. Bolt cabs and food couriers are still on the roads (they are exempt from extra licence fee)
3. The buses are still crowded because no new buses/routes were added (most TCNs travel by bus)
4. The hospital, health centres and care homes will still have foreign staff and there will still be waiting lists (health care workers are exempt from new work permit fee)
5. Property prices/rents are still high because owners/landlords won’t lower their prices despite the fact that new apartment blocks keep being built
6. Childcare, schools and after school services will still have foreign children
7. Malta is still actively recruiting and granting work visas to TCNs.

Meanwhile it was gratifying to see that there are still a few left-wing voices, namely former Labour PM Alfred Sant, former trade unionist Sammy Mielaq and the GWU, who are calling these measures out for what they are: the shameful exploitation of the working class. Just because the new working class in Malta happens to be foreign, doesn’t make them less worthy of protection.

The false information being bandied about that Third Country Nationals do not pay taxes also needs to be corrected. Apart from the obligatory National Insurance contributions, figures tabled in Parliament in 2023 show 60,457 TCNs paid over €85 million in income tax, around €1,413 each.

If the country’s economy is as rosy as Abela always claims it is, why is there this frantic attempt to make TCNs the scapegoats? I’m sure if the Labour government tried really hard it could find the money it so badly needs by trimming the fat from somewhere else. Alternatively, it can come clean and admit that it cannot keep sustaining this freebie culture.