Malta : the benefits of centralised politics

Abstract

Malta is the EU’s smallest and most densely populated member state, situated in the central Mediterranean south of Italy. With the fastest population growth rate in the EU and a tourism-based economy, some feared that Malta would be heavily impacted by the pandemic. While infection rates were comparable to most European states, the death rate was lower and Malta is projected to be the EU economy least impacted by the pandemic. By May 2021, Malta had the highest vaccination rate in Europe and became the first EU country to reach herd immunity. Malta’s COVID-19 experience can be differentiated into three phases with a series of containment, health and economic measures which were rapidly enacted and enforced through Malta never introduced a total lockdown. As argued in this chapter, Malta’s response was facilitated by its heavily centralised political system and nationalised health care system; in Malta, executive control during the pandemic was clear, unequivocal and rapidly enforced.