Ritratt ta’ Miguela XuerebThe Green Party has called for citizens abroad to be allowed to vote at embassies, describing the current system of subsidised return flights as “irresponsible” and financially unsustainable.
ADPD – The Green Party said the government’s continued practice of funding election travel with taxpayers’ money was the “bare minimum” that could be done. The party argued that Malta should instead adopt the standard practice of all civil and democratic EU states by providing every citizen with the option to vote at their nearest embassy or via electronic means.
Luke Caruana, an ADPD candidate for districts 12 and 13, highlighted the current system’s failings. “During yet another general election, we are once again hearing reports of Maltese citizens living abroad facing significant difficulties in booking flights to return to Malta just to vote,” he said.
Sandra Gauci, ADPD chairperson and candidate on districts 6 and 12, described the government’s continued reliance on what she called “antiquated voting procedures” as “preposterous”. She said they placed unnecessary strain on flight capacity during peak season.
Airline extends services after demand surge
The criticism came as KM Malta Airlines announced it was adding further flights following exceptionally strong demand for election travel.
During the first two days of bookings, the airline said it had already booked more than 1,000 return passengers, with approximately 90% of bookings originating from Brussels and London.
Additional services were announced from London Gatwick on 20, 21, 22, 24 and 31 May, and from Brussels on 21, 22 and 25 May.
However, bookings remain available only through a dedicated telephone call centre. Voters have reported making dozens of attempts to get through, with one person reporting 44 phone calls before securing a ticket.
The subsidised fares cost €90 return, but the true cost to taxpayers is significantly higher. In the 2022 election, the scheme cost public coffers €1.9 million – 22% of the entire election budget – with an estimated true cost per passenger of approximately €852.
Malta’s EU isolation on voting rights
Malta is one of only four countries in the European Union that offer no form of remote voting for citizens abroad, alongside Czechia, Ireland and Slovakia. The other 23 member states have implemented some form of external voting, whether by post, at embassies or electronically.
The lack of reform is often attributed to mutual distrust between the Labour and Nationalist parties, both of which have a shared interest in maintaining a closed electoral system.
The Nationalist Party had previously expressed openness to embassy voting, but only on condition that the Electoral Commission is made “truly independent and autonomous from the government of the day” first.
ADPD said securing voting rights for all Maltese citizens abroad through the most convenient and accessible methods available was a fundamental democratic right that must be guaranteed.
