Originally published here by the Transparency International Helpdesk, the following is an overview of corruption in Malta produced by our research department in Berlin.
Malta’s strategic geo-political location, along with its stable economy and skilled workforce has enabled it to establish itself as a successful financial centre. However, patronage and clientelism in the form of ‘korruzjoni’ and ‘klientelizmu’ persist. Despite having substantial legal mechanisms in place, Malta has been rocked with a number of corruption scandals in the recent years, which has “tarnished” its incumbent presidency of the Council of Europe.
Notable integrity challenges include procurement irregularities, unresolved conflicts of interest among serving government ministers, and the revolving door between the island state’s close-knit political and business class. Malta is also the only country in the European Union to have an incumbent minister named in the Panama Papers revelations in 2016.