Owen Bonnici (Minister for National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government.)   This week in Parliament, I explained that with the coming into force of Budget 2026, investment in culture and the arts will be strengthened, and that our ambition for these sectors will be furthered. Budget 2026 is a budget with a strong social heart that the Labour government, led by Prime Minister Robert Abela, has demonstrated time and again. It improves the quality of life of Maltese and Gozi

Owen Bonnici (Minister for National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government.)     I have always strongly believed in culture and the arts to transform, unite, and inspire. The second edition of the Malta Biennale, to commence on March 14, over 11 weeks, will do just that. It already did, in its first edition, which was an extraordinary success. The second edition, I'm sure, will be even better. For years now, Malta has been taking an active part in various art biennales, and

Owen Bonnici (Minister for National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government.) This weekend and up until the 17th of February, Valletta, our capital city, will be buzzing with activity for Carnival weekend. Carnival in Malta has become a household name within the European continent and the Mediterranean region, as thousands of people travel to Malta to witness the splendour of the Maltese carnival. The Carnival floats are getting better every year, showcasing the extraordinary

Owen Bonnici (Minister for National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government.)   This week, Dr. Luke Dalli, the Executive Chairman of Arts Council Malta, and I announced that Malta has officially become a member of Eurimages, the Council of Europe's film support fund. This is an important step for our country's domestic audiovisual sector and its integration into the European cultural landscape.  The membership followed a comprehensive evaluation process led and coordinated by

Owen Bonnici (Minister for National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government.)   Last Saturday's Malta Eurovision Song Contest was remarkable in many ways. Congratulations to this year's winner, Aidan, who gave an excellent performance. I am sure that Aidan will do Malta proud at the Eurovision Song Contest later this year. Congratulations, and thank you to all the artists who took part in this event that unfailingly remains popular and generates huge interest every year. Than

Owen Bonnici (Minister for National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government.)   Malta's economy is doing well, and the people are optimistic about the future. This is in deep contrast to other EU member states. The situation in Malta is not a matter of luck. It is the result of a Labour government, led by Prime Minister Robert Abela, that is competent on economic matters and that values social justice, a value that is deeply embedded at the heart of the Labour government. It

Owen Bonnici (Minister for National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government.) A huge crowd of 70,000 people celebrated the start of 2026 in Valletta at an event organized by the Valletta Cultural Agency. Valletta, now formally recognised by the Constitution as Malta's capital city, shone in its splendour. The beautiful fireworks display and a strong lineup of local and foreign musicians and artists made the start of 2026 truly memorable. A lot of work and effort went into the

Owen Bonnici (Minister for National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government.)     Last week, as the Minister for Culture, Lands and Local Government, I launched the Temp25+ scheme. The goal of this program is to help more Maltese and Gozitans become full owners of their homes by paying off, at a fair, just and reasonable price, the ground rent on properties built on government land. Temp25+ will offer families certainty and peace of mind. This scheme is aimed at residents, fa

To celebrate its 10th anniversary, Arts Council Malta has launched an unprecedented initiative that has been well-received by local artists and the public alike. RETOLD is an initiative that brings together locally produced, world-class artistic projects exhibited in past arts biennales for display in Malta, allowing the local community of artists and Maltese citizens to enjoy them. The biennales are the Venice Art Biennale, which takes place every two years, and is the best

Owen Bonnici (Minister for National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government.)   I never called Dr Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici by his name:  "Karmenu." To me, he was always Dr Mifsud Bonnici, or just Dr Karm.  I had spent a good seven years studying and working with him in my years as a law student and in my first years as a lawyer in private practice in what were the most interesting, colourful and inspiring years of my youth.  Sometimes we would walk down the small street that le

Owen Bonnici (Minister for National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government.)    On Tuesday evening, during the Prime Minister's budget speech, the contrast couldn't have been clearer. On one side stood a strong, calm, and decisive Prime Minister, focused on delivering a clear vision for the nation. On the other hand was an opposition leader who seemed completely out of his depth - struggling, distracted, and evidently unable to keep his own party and parliamentary group unde

Owen Bonnici (Minister for National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government.)     The weekend before budget day, as is customary, the finance minister gave us, his cabinet member colleagues, a presentation of the Budget 2025 measures.   My immediate reaction was that this was a positive budget that would receive a strong nod of approval by all Maltese citizens. You are reading this article four days after Clyde Caruana read his budget speech, and I have no doubt that you appr

Owen Bonnici (Minister for National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government.)    Never have we witnessed such a tremendous positive reaction to a budget. People from all walks of life, regardless of their background, age, or financial standing, shall benefit from unprecedented tax cuts; higher stipends, children's allowances, pensions, and many other positive measures. Last Monday's budget was yet another clear demonstration that Labour cares and works. It gave more, and took

Kitba meħuda mill-gazzetta ‘it-Torċa’ (| Il-Ħadd 26 ta’ Ottubru 2025) paġna numru 3   Ix-xogħlijiet ta’ restawr fuq il-Mitħna tar-Riħ storika ta’ San Ġwann t’Għuxa f’Bormla mexjin sew, u dan jimmarka pass importanti ieħor fil-preservazzjoni tal-wirt arkitettoniku u industrijali rikk ta’ Malta. Ilproġett, immexxi mid-Dipartiment tar-Restawr u l-Preservazzjoni, beda f’Mejju 2025 u mistenni jitlesta salbidu tal-2026.   Mibnija fl-1674 minn Nicolas u Rafael Cotoner, ilmitħna tar-

Kitba meħuda mill-gazzetta ‘it-Torċa’ (Il-Ħadd 26 ta’ Ottubru 2025) paġna numru 2   Ir-restawr u x-xogħol ta’ konsolidament tat-Torri ta’ Għajn Tuffieħa, wieħed mill-eqdem torrijiet tal-għassa kostali ta’ Malta, tlestew b’suċċess, u dan jimmarka pass importanti ieħor fl-isforz nazzjonali kontinwu biex jiġi protett u mqajjem mill-ġdid il-wirt kulturali tal-pajjiż.   Il-proġett, immexxi midDipartiment tar-Restawr ul-Preservazzjoni, ta ħajja ġdida lit-torri tas-Seklu 17, li nben

Owen Bonnici (Minister for National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government.)   This Monday, we will present the fourth budget of this legislature. Families will be the focus of Budget 2026. This budget follows a statement from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) indicating that Malta's economy is expected to continue surpassing the rest of Europe, with the IMF forecasting it will remain the fastest-growing economy in the eurozone through 2030. PRE-2013 There was a time, no

Kitba meħuda mill-gazzetta ‘it-Torċa’ (| Il-Ħadd 19 ta’ Ottubru 2025) paġna numru 2   Saret ċerimonja l-Furjana biex tfakkar lil Dun Karm Psaila, il-Poeta Nazzjonali ta’ Malta, f’għeluq 64 sena minn mewtu fit-13 ta’ Ottubru 1961. L-avveniment sar ħdejn il-monument tiegħu stess, fejn uffiċjali u rappreżentanti kulturali nġabru biex jonoraw il-kontribut dejjiemi tiegħu għal-lingwa Maltija u l-identità nazzjonali.   Imwieled f’Ħaż-Żebbuġ fit-18 ta’ Ottubru 1871, Dun Karm ma kien

Kitba meħuda mill-gazzetta ‘it-Torċa’ (Il-Ħadd 19 ta’ Ottubru 2025) paġna numru 3   L-istilla ta’ Hollywood Jake Gyllenhaal bħalissa jinsab f’Malta għall-iffi lmjar ta’ Road House 2, produzzjoni internazzjonali ewlenija li għażlet il-gżejjer bħala l-post ewlieni tal-iffilmjar tagħha. Il-film, dirett minn Ilya Naishuller, huwa t-tieni film fil-franchise popolari ta’ Road House u jimmarka l-ewwel darba li qed jiġi ffilmjat f’Malta permezz talprogramm ta’ rifużjoni fi flus kont

Owen Bonnici (Minister for National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government.)   Following the Labour Government's investment of around €30 million to save a total of 14 band club venues at risk of eviction, we have now taken a further step in our effort to safeguard Maltese pastimes and traditions.   Last Sunday, at a town hall meeting with several NGOs and organizations representing pastimes and local traditions, Prime Minister Robert Abela announced that musical societies w

The resistance to the Nationalist Party's constitutional bill by various stakeholders was fierce and understandable. Had it gone through, it would have created an unprecedented threat to numerous pastimes and Maltese traditions.  We stopped it before it could create havoc. Whether the intention was to undermine Maltese traditions or whether it was a badly planned motion is anybody's guess, but the PN managed, once again, to create a coalition of people and organisations again