Budget 2026 failed to address many daily challenges general public continues to face – PN leader

Opposition leader Alex Borg said on Wednesday that while the government’s annual budget, Budget 2026, has some positive features, many challenges that are being faced by the general public – such as health, traffic, infrastructure – were not addressed.

During Parliament’s Wednesday plenary, the discussion on the implementation of this year’s annual budget continued. Opening the debate was Opposition leader Alex Borg.

Borg noted that in every budget, “we must perform a reality check and understand what the Maltese and Gozitan population is feeling at every moment in time.” In this regard, he commented that life in Malta and Gozo for locals isn’t as rosy as the government seems to imply and rebuked that Budget 2026 was, in the government’s own words, “the best budget in history.”

Alex Borg said that the budget, announced in late October, failed to address significant everyday challenges, such as healthcare’s long waiting times, increasingly common traffic congestion, increasing financial pressures through the rising cost of living, constant pressure to work longer hours, less stability, and less peace of mind.

“Less time, stability, and peace of mind; this is not a sensation, as the other side [of the House] tries to paint – this is the reality being felt everyday,” Borg said.

The PN leader said that these challenges are frequently brought up by residents who speak to members of the Nationalist Party.

Citing the IMF report published earlier this weekend, Borg reiterated that Malta’s economic growth, which he said is based on the importation of foreign labour, “is not sustainable.”

The IMF report also stated that Malta’s population density is 15 times larger than that of any other EU country. On this, Borg criticised past declarations made by Finance Minister Clyde Caruana that Malta’s population will increase to some 800,000 people in the years to come, so as long as the existing economic model is retained. Borg added that the government is not discussing enough the infrastructural upgrades needed for the country to better cope with the ever-increasing population, e.g., in schools, hospitals, and roads.

The Opposition leader stated that the economy is pushing people to live to work, instead of vice-versa, and that this is resulting in increasing mental health pressures and diminishing quality of life.

“This is definitely unsustainable economically, socially, and definitely not sustainable for the country’s future,” Borg said.

He continued that while economic growth exists in the Maltese islands, this is not translating to a better quality of life for Maltese and Gozitan people.

Borg outlines five key priorities for government

His first point is to have an economy that improves the quality of work in the country and reduces dependence on long hours by investing in more value-added sectors. In addition, it is important for wages to keep up with rising prices, Borg said.

Secondly, he mentioned introducing effective support against the increasing cost of living in a manner that assists vulnerable individuals, over “symbolic gestures.”

Thirdly, Borg called for implementing a housing policy that enables youths and families to plan their futures with greater certainty. He said that the PN has already come up with “several” proposals for aspiring homeowners to get there through its support.

Fourthly, he called to reform the national education system away from memorisation and in favour of one that prepares people for life. He said that education should equip students with life skills for the real world, “for them to live a decent, quality, and flexible life,” instead of just teaching them to prepare for exams.

Finally, Borg appealed for the government to work towards having a healthcare system that places patients at the centre. He said that people should no longer expect to wait 8-10 hours for emergency care and that a “concrete plan” is needed to address mental health, instead of “slogans and PR stunts.”

He concluded by telling Parliament that this is all achievable and that it is vital for no person to be left behind in all these ambitions. He said that “Malta can do better, as the people deserve better” and called for political action that is not afraid of being honest.

He added that this is the Nationalist Party’s plan to move Malta forward.

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