Keeping steady as she goes
It was a kick in the teeth for the leftist government, returned to power in Romania in December 2016, led by Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu.
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An international news item which I followed was the recent mass protests in Bucharest. For five consecutive days, Romanians have felt the need to take to the streets to demonstrate against a decree which was meant to come into force at midnight on 10 February. The decree was intended to decriminalise abuse of power offences when sums of less than €44,000 are involved. The decree has angered the Romanians so much that the popular protests were by far larger than those organised in 1989 when communism was on its death bed.
Romanians exercised popular pressure and forced the hands of Prime Minister Grindeanu, who had to repeal the decree. The Romanians showed that they have got what it takes. They should be credited for showing determination, courage and their fighting spirit. They have showed citizens in other EU member states that they are capable of stopping their government from introducing laws which are grossly unfair and socially unjust.
If I can draw some parallels, in Malta there are many alleged cases of corruption which involve persons holding public offices, and yet people remain silent. Indeed, one may argue that there are different pieces of legislation to bar corruption but it seems that none are sufficient to curb corruption as such cases continue to mushroom.
The recent news item in which Minister and PL Deputy Party Leader Chris Cardona and his consultant Joe Gerada allegedly paid a visit to a brothel in Germany while on official duty has managed to shift the national attention from a momentous event during which the EU leaders met in an informal summit in Malta to discuss irregular migration. If this is the case, the visit is deplorable. There are no two ways about it.
But I’ll add a word of caution here, and two questions. Did this alleged scandal deserve to be front-page news? Are these scandals what really matter in Malta’s politics nowadays?
When considering that Simon Busuttil, Nationalist Party Leader, did not receive the same coverage during the recently convened general convention in Gozo themed ‘Idea Għawdex’, I wonder. Sensational news may cloud the people’s vision and distract them from the real bread-and-butter issues. If such tabloid news keeps being incessantly recycled on the front pages, then this could spell disaster for the PN at the polls. Without a shadow of a doubt, all media efforts are not only welcome, but necessary and important to help the general public form an opinion. But great care should be given not to allow such news to alienate the electorate from the real socioeconomic fixes we are in.
People will not change their government because of some sex scandal. Unfortunately, the local electorate has, on various occasions, remained passive in the face of much more serious allegations, including those of gross injustices, fraud and corruption. Perhaps it’s time to take a page from the Romanians.
To my mind, the Nationalist Party should remain focused on the political agenda. The PN should not be persuaded to take up sensationalist issues, real or perceived, of whatever nature. Sensational issues have a shelf-life, but will wear out in a short time.
I strongly believe that the way forward for the PN is to continue to roll out policies and fresh proposals aimed at improving the quality of life of the people. I feel confident that the electorate is looking forward to more concrete proposals from the PN. The PN should demonstrate that it has refined the ‘djalogu’ process, which was a first in Malta in the late 1980s. People should feel that change is necessary to safeguard their future and that of their dependants. The current status quo is not an option in a fast-changing world and people should be encouraged to engage in and be part of the change process.
A political party aspiring to take charge should continue to sail in one direction; detours should be avoided. Whether sailing against the wind or when the wind blows in the sails, the captain has to remain focused on the direction. Safely docking the vessel in port is the ultimate objective.
In the coming months, the government will continue to entertain various stakeholders, and I am sure more monies will find their way to the national kitty to feed the hungry wolves. The PN and the other political formations will not be able to match such game-changing measures. It is therefore imperative that they expend their energies on serious issues such as corruption that results in gross injustice.
The government can only be defeated if the PN asserts itself as a fully re-energised political party. A political party which has, at its fingertips, policies and strategies in all sectors that truly improve the quality of life of people.