The Ombudsman is democracy’s last line of defence
Speaker Anġlu Farrugia addressing the International Ombudsman Conference in Malta.
Valletta, 15 October 2025 — “The Ombudsman is not an accessory to democracy; the Ombudsman is democracy’s last line of defence,” declared Speaker of the House of Representatives Dr Anġlu Farrugia during the International Ombudsman Conference held in Malta to mark the 30th anniversary of the Office of the Ombudsman.
The conference, themed “Upholding Good Governance in Challenging Times,” brought together Ombudsmen and Commissioners from across the Mediterranean region and members of the International Ombudsman Institute.
Speaker Farrugia observed that these are not just challenging but defining times, when citizens witness abuse go unpunished and truth strained by convenience. Yet, he said, the Ombudsman remains the unbending guardian of accountability.
He described the Ombudsman as “an institutional conscience whose loyalty is to the people and the truth,” emphasising that integrity must be lived, not merely claimed. Democracy, he warned, suffocates when oversight is weakened or Ombudsmen are ignored.
Dr Farrugia also reaffirmed Parliament’s constitutional duty to safeguard the independence and strength of accountability institutions, stressing that the Ombudsman’s recommendations carry institutional weight and should never be ignored.
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