VALLETTA — In a move described by aides as “modernising democracy,” the House of Representatives yesterday installed a giant cookie-consent banner across the chamber floor, requiring MPs to click before they could speak or vote.
Faster decisions, less reading
”We were losing time with debates,” Prime Minister Karmenu Borg explained at a press briefing while a small pop-up politely asked him to allow analytics. “Now you press one big button and everything is streamlined. It’s efficient. Uwejja, ċertifikazzjoni moderna.”
The banner — complete with an “Accept All,” “Decline All” and a very small “Manage Preferences” link — was projected above the Speaker’s chair. MPs who clicked “Accept All” immediately received a green checkmark and were allowed to propose, second, and vote on bills without interruption.
”I clicked accept because I thought it was for pastizzi,”
Several MPs said they “agreed to everything” out of habit. “I didn’t read the options,” admitted Marija Xuereb. “I just clicked because it’s how I get through my email. Mela, vote done.”
Those who clicked “Decline All” found themselves temporarily muted and labelled “Limited Session Mode” by the new chamber software. One opposition MP, Pawlu Buttigieg, spent an hour navigating nested preference menus trying to disable targeted ads for saffron-flavoured pastizzi before the Speaker called a vote.
Opposition leader Zaren Camilleri criticised the change as “undemocratic,” but later conceded that the translation of “Manage Preferences” into Maltese was very confusing. “I pressed the blue button and suddenly we had a law about roundabouts,” he said.
The IT department, which set up the system, defended the move as a way to reduce paperwork and speed up the legislative agenda. “Analytics will tell us which bills people care about,” an IT official said. “Also, it helps us know who likes scooters.”
At press time, the Speaker was still waiting for a second pop-up asking permission to use personalised jingles during the national anthem.