20 things to look out for in 2023

1. Steward’s fate on the line

Judge Francesco Depasquale is expected to deliver judgment in January on the case instituted by PN MP Adrian Delia to have the hospitals privatisation contract rescinded. The judgment will determine the fate of the concession agreement, the future of American operator Steward Health Care and government’s plans for the sector.

2. Small Nations Games come to Malta

Puka, the lampuka-inspired mascot, will welcome athletes from nine countries competing in the 19th edition of the Games of the Small States of Europe to be held in Malta between 28 May and 3 June. Athletes will compete in 10 sporting disciplines and Malta will hope for a better performance than that in Montenegro in 2019 when it won 27 medals and placed sixth.

3. Valletta flies the rainbow flag

Valletta will host EuroPride, a pan-European event dedicated to LGBT pride, between 7 and 17 September. The celebration will be the largest gathering of diversity Malta has ever seen. LQBTI+ human rights issues will take centre stage in the event billed as ‘Equality From The Heart’.

4. Aborting the presidency

In January, parliament is expected to conclude deliberations on the Criminal Code amendment to allow a pregnancy to be terminated if a woman’s life or health is in danger. Government will tweak the proposal but George Vella’s moral convictions on abortion could be tested, leading him to abort the presidency prematurely.

5. Metro feasibility study

Will this be the year Malta finally sees light at the end of the metro tunnel? The numbers will inform the decision on financial feasibility and these could be expected later on this year. Whether an actual decision is made to embark on this ambitious multi-billion-euro project remains to be seen.

6. A sexual health policy is born

At long last Malta will have an adjourned sexual health policy more than a decade, and a radically-changed society, after the first such policy was enacted. Crucial will be how abortion is dealt with given the latest legal developments.

7. Bring on Italy and England

Malta’s Euro2024 cup adventure starts in March but the highlights of this qualifying stage will be the games against Italy and England. Malta plays Italy at Ta’ Qali on 26 March and England on 16 June. The away game against Italy will be played on 14 October and against England on 17 November.

8. 20 years since EU referendum

In March, it will be 20 years since Malta voted in favour of EU accession in a referendum, a result confirmed in a general election a month later. It won’t be much of a national celebration but it is an occasion the Nationalist Party would like to milk, especially since the 2003 election was the last time the party enjoyed an absolute majority in the country.

9. Yorgen Fenech trial

The man accused of masterminding the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia, Yorgen Fenech, may finally face judgment day in court after more than three years. Although no date has been set for his trial, it is likely to be held sometime in 2023 unless complicated legal challenges keep pushing the date further down the line.

10. Food prices will bite

With consumers shielded from higher energy and fuel prices, it will be food and services that will chip away at spending power. The statutory wage increase of €9.90 per week from January and other budgetary measures, such as the higher Children’s Allowance, will cushion some of the impact. But food inflation will remain a headache.

11. Ukraine war will drag on

Russia may attempt a second multi-pronged ground attack in the east, south and north of Ukraine as the winter months subside or Ukrainian forces will continue their gradual advance and recapture more territory. In either case, the war is likely to drag on for months, severely testing European unity over continued military aid to Ukraine and Vladimir Putin’s permanence in Moscow.

12. Military flare ups elsewhere

China’s lacklustre economic performance could trigger something more than sabre-rattling over Taiwan, while North Korea will continue to test its southern neighbour’s patience. In the Balkans, the Serbia-Kosovo border could become a flashpoint for conflict, while Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s flagging fortunes ahead of presidential and parliamentary elections in June could prompt a skirmish with Greece over oil exploration rights in the eastern Mediterranean.

13. Crypto rules

The collapse of crypto exchange FTX and its founder’s arraignment on charges of fraud, money laundering and breaking US election campaign finance, coupled with Bitcoin’s 60% decline in 2022 have shaken the foundations of cryptocurrency. In 2023, expect central bankers and governments to intensify efforts to try and tame the crypto system through consumer protection regulations. Whether they will succeed is another story altogether.

14. Heat waves, ice spells and floods

The impacts of climate change will continue to be felt all-over the world. From suffocating, longer and more frequent heat waves in the summer to massive cold storms in winter; from rivers running dry in some months to unspeakable floods in others, climate change will continue to put the lives of 8 billion humans at risk.

15. Airport junction works reprieve

Works on the two massive road projects outside the airport and Luqa will finally come to an end by June, bringing reprieve to residents and tourists alike. The flyovers and tunnels will provide seamless travel to and from the area but pressure will increase to solve the bottleneck at the Qormi roundabout known as Tal-Imgħallaq.

16. Malta on the Security Council

Malta takes its seat at the UN Security Council in January for the start of its two-year term. This is only the second time that Malta will sit on one of the UN’s highest decision-making bodies, the other time being 1983-84. Malta’s stated goal is to be ‘a voice for justice, moderation, understanding and tolerance’ with a commitment to global dialogue. How to do this at a time of heightened global tension remains to be seen.

17. King Charles III coronation

The coronation of King Charles III will take place on 6 May at Westminster Abbey to much fanfare and pomp. Heads of state will be invited and the cost of the ceremony will be borne by the British state. The UK will observe a bank holiday on Monday 8 May to mark the occasion.

18. Tosca at Manoel Theatre

Teatru Manoel and Valletta Cultural Agency will present Tosca by Giacomo Puccini in March. World famous tenor Josè Cura will direct the opera and feature in it as Cavaradossi. Tosca will be played by Tanya Ivanova and Carlos Almaguer will feature as Scarpia. The opening night will be on 5 March with other performances on the 8, 10 and 12 March.

19. A Maltese song at Eurovision

Liverpool will host the Eurovision song contest instead of Ukraine, which is deemed unsafe because of the war. The final will be held on 13 May. Malta’s selection will take place on 11 February. 40 songs have been shortlisted for the quarter finals, including five that are in Maltese. Could this be the year Malta returns to the Eurovision with a Maltese-language song?

20. Catholic synod pits conservatives against liberals

The Catholic church’s first of two synods dealing with controversial issues such as holy communion for divorced and remarried Catholics and blessing of same-sex couples will be held in October. The meeting at the Vatican will be the culmination of a global consultation process led by Cardinal Mario Grech that has pit conservatives against Pope Francis’s liberal views.