21 things to look out for in 2021

1. A general election

If Robert Abela’s wish to see the country return to business as usual by May does materialise and the poll numbers remain in his favour, the Prime Minister may just be tempted to call an election for June. It will be a short and intense election campaign – Abela’s first as Labour leader.

2. Bernard Grech

This will be Bernard Grech’s year of formation. The PN leader will want to consolidate his grip on the party, strengthen his public persona and reach out to voters who have abandoned the PN. But he could be rudely interrupted by a general election. This means Grech will have to act fast, diligently and efficiently in the first three months - a massive undertaking given his relative newness to party politics.

3. COVID-19 vaccine

The roll-out of the first coronavirus vaccines has started and logistics are in place to have an orderly inoculation programme. Health authorities want to reach herd immunity as early as possible but this will also depend on the supply capacity of pharma companies producing the vaccines. Short of a virus mutation that will be resistant to the vaccine, there is hope the pandemic emergency will end by the first half of 2021.

4. Economic recovery

The Economist Intelligence Unit forecasts a slow and painful global recovery that will be uneven across different sectors. Malta will be no different. Some companies will close, others will consolidate and yet others will shift their business model towards digital services. Jobs will be lost and financial institutions are likely to face a raft of non-performing loans. But there will also be opportunities for diversification and growth. Watch out for the green shoots in the second half of 2021 as tourism starts to pick up.

5. Jobs and incomes

A MaltaToday survey last December registered unemployment as a concern for the first time in many months. It is likely to persist in the new year. Government wage support will remain an important factor to prevent mass redundancies until the economy starts to chug along. While some will lose their job, others will contend with depressed incomes. The outlook will remain bleak throughout the first half but likely to improve after June.

6. Haley Bugeja

To football aficionados, this 16-year-old footballer’s stature, ball control and passion are reminiscent of Diego Maradona. She started off on a promising international career with Italian side Sassuolo last September and left her mark with some brilliant goals. With commendable performances with the women’s national team, Bugeja’s prowess will have scouts watching her. She may want to bide her time at Sassuolo, a modest but very professional outfit, but in 2021 Bugeja is very likely to be tempted by other big clubs in the world of female football.

7. Cardinal number 2

After former Gozo bishop Mario Grech was made cardinal last November, Pope Francis may just be tempted to give Malta its second cardinal. Archbishop Charles Scicluna was

appointed as Adjunct Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith of the Holy See in 2018. The body is responsible to promote and safeguard the doctrine on faith and morals in the Church. Scicluna’s moral proximity to Pope Francis may put him on the road to cardinal in 2021.

8.  Euro 2020, again

UEFA postponed the Euro 2020 tournament because of the pandemic. The month-long football feast will be played between 11 June and 11 July. It will still be called Euro 2020 and the original format has been retained. Games will be played in 12 host cities around Europe with the final at Wembley Stadium. Football fans will have something to look forward to and hopefully help relaunch a good season for bars. What will be missed though is the colourful fans in the stadiums.

9. Joe Biden’s US

Joe Biden will become president of the US later this month. Europeans will probably see the return of an America that is a reliable partner on the world stage. Biden has already signalled a return to the Paris climate change accord. But many will wait for big foreign policy decisions on the US-China trade war and the Middle East, none of which will be rushed.

10. Caruana Galizia public inquiry

The three judges have slated a session for final submissions at the end of January. This, and other decisions, such as whether former PN leader Adrian Delia should testify, are likely to see the information-gathering part end sometime in February. The board will then have to draw up its report. The conclusions are likely to find the current administration at fault for not doing enough to prevent a climate of impunity that made Daphne Caruana Galizia’s murder all the easier to commit. The board may also suggest compensation for the family.

11. Yorgen Fenech’s house of cards

Yorgen Fenech’s compilation of evidence will continue throughout 2021. Many in the world of politics will be anxious to see whether past relationships and cosy alliances with one of Malta’s top business people will come back to haunt them.

12. Tokyo Olympics, again

After postponing the summer Olympics and Paralympics because of COVID-19 by a year, the premier world sporting event will be held in the Japanese capital. It will still be called Tokyo 2020 and the games kick off on 23 July and end on 8 August. With no Olympic medal to its name, Malta’s small contingent is unlikely to change its fortunes in Tokyo. Missing from the sporting events will be the fans.

13. Abortion

Expect the debate on abortion to pick up steam in 2021. More mainstream voices will join the call for Malta to legalise abortion, making it increasingly harder for the political parties to avoid touching the subject. High profile people in the Labour Party and younger voices within the Nationalist Party will find it easier to make their pro-choice views heard even though people will generally remain against abortion.

14. Electric car changeover

The date to stop the sale of petrol and diesel cars had to be announced in 2020. The date may be announced this year but a major decision will have to be taken whether the future will only make space for electric vehicles or also include hybrid options. Policymakers will have to factor in social and economic concerns apart from environmental ones.

15. Batteries to harness solar

Electricity generated by solar panels constitutes a small but growing part of Malta’s energy mix. But this clean energy does not provide security of supply because it is dependent on natural elements. To harness the full potential of solar, Enemalta will start looking at battery technology to store the excess energy generated for use at peak times.

16. Moneyval

Malta awaits the outcome of the Moneyval test in the first quarter. Higher investment in its regulators and a slew of interrogations involving people close to power and good governance reforms may just see the country avoid the grey list. But restoring Malta’s reputation will also depend on whether the authorities retain the zeal to prosecute high level cases of money laundering.

17. Supply chain logistics

A delayed parcel, out of stock goods and delayed receipt of HIV medication were some of the problems experienced by consumers in 2020 as COVID-19 disrupted trade logistics. All eyes will be on international logistics and whether the disruptions in supply chains experienced in 2020 will persist in the new year.

18. Joseph Muscat

The former prime minister’s steps will continue being watched. What jobs he will take up, what public utterings he may make and how he will feature, if at all, in ongoing police investigations and magisterial inquiries, will remain matters of public interest. But Muscat will increasingly take a backseat role in politics as he concentrates on his personal career and writing his memoirs.

19. Luqa airport junctions

After the Marsa junction project is finalised in the first months of 2021, Infrastructure Malta is expected to set the ball rolling on two key junctions just outside the airport. The removal of two roundabouts in the area will make commuting for residents of the airport villages more efficient. But serious consideration has to be given to the catacombs beneath the airport roundabout and the roads agency will have to come up with an innovative, costly solution to cut out the catacombs in a block of rock and shift them to a nearby site.

20. Destiny’s Eurovision

Like other major mass events the Eurovision Song Contest that was to be held in Rotterdam last year was postponed because of the pandemic. It will now be held between 18 and 22 May in the same city. Destiny Chukunyere will be Malta’s singer. Her song has not been released yet but Malta’s aficionados will pin their hopes on this young singer with a powerful voice.

21. Census

Malta like the rest of the EU is due to hold its 10-year census in 2021. Much has changed since 2011 – divorce became a legal reality, gay couples can now get married, the population ballooned with thousands of foreigners who came to live and work here, unemployment is down and poverty indices show an improved situation. The census will give a snapshot of a radically changed country.