“As if we’ll be voting in favour!”

The Government has approved a budget designed to support families, middle-income earners, and pensioners. The Opposition had an opportunity to do the right thing and vote in favour.

As if.

It has instead continued to align itself against people’s best interests and refused to vote in favour of Budget 2025.

When questioned about their position on the budget, Opposition leader Bernard Grech’s response was dismissively arrogant, shrugging off the thought of supporting measures that provide significant tax cuts, lower electricity bills, and increased allowances for children. His shrug is a direct affront to the people who stand to benefit from such policies and an open disregard for the people he claims to represent.

The Opposition is not just opposing a set of policies, but actively standing in the way of the largest tax cut in history, the continuation of the cheapest electricity bills in the Eurozone, and the vital support that comes in the form of increased pensions and children’s allowances.

The Opposition’s alternative? A pre-budget document that has been widely criticised as lacking substance and real solutions. If their proposed policies are so much better, why not engage in the debate? Why not present a concrete alternative rather than throwing stones from the sidelines? Their refusal to participate in meaningful dialogue not only undermines their credibility but also exposes their priorities: to oppose, simply for the sake of opposition, without any regard for the consequences.

This is a dangerous game of political posturing, driven more by self-interest and the desire to score points than by a genuine concern for people. It is a disservice to the nation, and it highlights the Opposition’s inability to step up when it truly matters.

We need leaders who are willing to put aside political gamesmanship in favour of real solutions, especially in times of economic turbulence and uncertainty. The Opposition’s actions simply show how unwilling they are to do so.

“Tgħid mhux favur!”, which is hard to translate literally, equates to: “As if we’ll vote in favour!”