Brussels delivers damning verdict on Abela’s rule of law record

Prime Minister Robert Abela’s record on the rule of law has received a damning assessment from the European Commission, which has concluded that Malta has made little or no progress on most of the key reforms repeatedly demanded by Brussels during his premiership.

The findings, contained in the Commission’s 2026 Rule of Law Report published on Friday, cover reforms that fell squarely under Abela’s administration and, until last month’s general election, under the political responsibility of former Justice Minister Jonathan Attard. Following Labour’s re-election, Attard was removed from the Justice Ministry by Abela and replaced by Clifton Grima.

The report concludes that Malta continues to lag in tackling high-level corruption, improving the efficiency of its courts, strengthening media freedom and implementing several key institutional reforms despite years of recommendations from Brussels.

Of the seven recommendations assessed, the Commission found no progress in three, only limited progress in another three, and some progress in just one area concerning the governance of public service media, which is still to be put in practice.

Among the report’s most damning conclusions is Malta’s continued failure to establish a credible track record of final judgments in high-level corruption cases.

While acknowledging that the Police and the Office of the Attorney General have received additional resources and launched new investigations and prosecutions, the Commission says this has failed to translate into final convictions.

It attributes the problem to structural weaknesses within the justice system, including a substantial backlog of cases, the heavy workload of judges and the fact that only four magistrates currently deal with preliminary inquiries into complex criminal investigations.

In its report, the Commission is urging Malta to intensify efforts to conclude investigations and secure final judgments in high-level corruption cases.

Brussels is equally critical of the country’s courts.

It concludes that no progress has been made in improving the efficiency of judicial proceedings, despite repeated recommendations in previous years. Malta is once again being urged to increase judicial resources, reform court procedures and accelerate the digitalisation of the justice system.

The report also finds that the government failed to advance reforms concerning the appointment of the Chief Justice.

Although discussions have continued, the Commission notes that the appointment process has still not been aligned with European standards by providing for greater involvement of the judiciary itself.

The Commission also concludes that the government has made only limited progress in strengthening protections for journalists and improving public access to official documents.

While acknowledging a public consultation and the introduction of an electronic management system for Freedom of Information requests, Brussels says legislative safeguards are still required to improve the working environment for journalists and guarantee effective access to public information.

Similarly, only limited progress has been registered in improving public consultation before laws are enacted. Although the government established a Department of Public Consultation, the Commission says the legislative framework needed to ensure meaningful public participation has yet to be introduced.

Another long-standing commitment also remains unfulfilled.

According to the report, Malta has made no progress towards establishing a National Human Rights Institution in line with the UN Paris Principles, with the necessary legislation still pending.

The only area where Brussels identifies positive movement concerns public service broadcasting, where it notes some progress following reforms intended to strengthen the governance and editorial independence of PBS. In practice, however, this is also far from being implemented.

Overall, the Commission’s latest assessment amounts to a damning verdict on Robert Abela’s stewardship of the rule of law, finding that after years in office his government has failed to deliver meaningful progress on most of the reforms Brussels considers essential to strengthening Malta’s democratic institutions and the administration of justice.