An open letter to the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition

Dear Joseph and Simon, I do apologise for calling you by your first names but you have always insisted with your colleagues and supporters to be called so. I think the message you want to convey is that you are close to the people – the noblest of values

Dr Andrew Azzopardi Dean Faculty for Social Wellbeing, University of Malta & Broadcaster – Għandi xi Ngħid www.andrewazzopardi.org

Iwrite this letter as I wear three ‘hats’; my role as Dean of a Faculty (for Social Wellbeing) that is continually seeking to respond to the tragedies of the socially excluded in our communities through empirical research and training of professionals; I speak to you as a broadcaster, who senses the pain and anger of the people that have over these last 10 years grown bitter and are quickly losing their trust in the institutions that represent them; and, above all I speak to you as a parent who together with my wife needs to make a living and to give quality of life to my family.

Joseph and Simon, the reason why I’m writing an open letter is that I would like to log in my distress at the way our political climate is faltering. At this point we have a serious situation that is unfolding. The worse thing about all of this is that at both ends of the continuum you think you are in the right – and that is wrong! The antagonism towards each other is your Achilles heel which risks clouding clarity of thought and the gusto in argumentation.

You have both given up a great deal for politics (as have your partners Michelle, Kristina and your children) and for this I am eternally grateful. Very few would have chosen to do what you have done. You both had promising careers as MEPs that I couldn’t see coming to an end any time soon. You were successful and committed to the cause you represented – and people saw this in you. They understood clearly that you were two of our most promising upcoming politicians with a whole lot to offer not only at a local but also at a European level. You could have done mammoth inroads in an array of European roles and not only as MEPs, had you retained your snug positions – but you have chosen otherwise, for the love of your party and your country and because you felt you could give back so much to our wonderful county, our delightful citizens and our fascinating communities.

Yes, you now have onerous responsibilities and I’m not envious for the weight you carry on your shoulders but I do believe in your abilities.

You lead the two largest parties that have been fundamental in laying the pillars of the modern society we live in. You have succeeded illustrious leaders who have rested the cornerstone of modern Malta and Gozo. I am sure you appreciate the immensity of your role and of what your office represents.

The citizens of Malta and Gozo love you. Yes, they adore you with some even choosing what you say over what their families ruminate. In not so many words, these people think the world of you and they look at you for guidance. Many have designed their lifestyle and even moulded their values on what you tell them. Don’t you think this places a colossal obligation on both of you? In turn, do you understand the impact on people of what and how you say things? Do you recognise that the moment you talk and take a position, hundreds, no thousands, of people walk behind you, many of whom without questioning what you say (because they have so much faith in you)? I respect you both immensely. You are young, you are unwavering, untiring and solid. You both believe in what you represent and that excites me. Your determination and resolve is venerable. You are ambitious for yourselves, party and country – this is exceptional.

But you are also smart enough to realise that things are not right.

There is something terribly wrong in the way you are leading. I will not mince my words – you are both driving us up the wrong route and possibly providing an opportunity for the dark forces to rub their hands in earnest because as you know fra i due litiganti il terzo gode.

Keep in mind that whilst most of your supporters are enchanted with your Pied Piper knacks you should know that if you do not halt the way things are going we will all slam against a wall with damaging repercussions for this country of ours. Please stop in your tracks. Think things through. Start by getting your heads together.

Do not lead us into a black hole.

We common citizens feel that there is something brewing and this is creating nervousness and unease.

I don’t want to revisit the 80s – I’ve been there and it is dark;

I don’t want odium, loathing and detestation – I know this breeds derision.

I don’t want our communities, our families, our towns and villages to be loyal to red or blue but to each other’s wellbeing above all else.

Good economy, thought-provoking reports, enchanting legislation are not good enough to guarantee success in a nation. The biggest measure of it all is that of fundamentally learning how to live with one another, to preserve our communities and integrate those who want to make part of it, to give our people the happiness, the serenity, in other words the reassurance that the sun will rise again tomorrow and we will be a bit better than today.

You know you can change the course of things. You are two shrewd, no-nonsense and charismatic leaders albeit at times hard-headed. Yes you have both paid a big price for the choices you made and that is why I expect so much from you. Let it be written in history that you have left a legacy of goodness and virtuousness and not unscrupulousness and ruthlessness! If we aren’t vigilant the State’s social fabric risks being torn apart by the political divisiveness you are duty bound to protect us from. Keep an ear to the ground. The people in this country are feeling increasingly disenfranchised, vilified and reviled by the semantics you chose to use, but this can change.

You can do this by standing tall in front of the many vultures who hound you and your values, who are ready to sell their soul to get close to you. These are scavengers interested only in kicking your opponent in the groin and nothing else.

You can do this if you have the courage to do away with pseudo-colleagues who hover around you making you think they are ready to take ‘the bullet for you’, but are in fact solely interested in their own advancement.

You can do this if you shun away the corrupt political elite, those with no morals, no regret, and nothing but an insatiable lust for power. These people are conditioned by their personal agendas and will get you in all sorts of trouble.

You can do this if you keep your eyes on the ball, namely, the wellbeing of society.

You can do this if you stop your newsrooms inflicting hatred, vomiting confrontation, packaging fake news and all as if it was the Gospel itself.

You can do this if in your Sunday speeches you focus on reconciliation, resolution, compromise, respect and fellowship and not the other way round.

You can do this if your parties choose to live in scarcity, dearth and paucity if necessary, rather than bowing down to the rich.

You can do this if you use your power solely to distribute wealth justly and honourably.

You can do this if your policies are based on sound ideas of how the excluded can come together.

You can do this if you disassociate yourselves from blogs, newspaper articles and microblogging that are only interested in instilling hate and loathing.

You can do this through good governance, choosing the right people for the focal jobs, separating government from the civil service, allowing our institutions to thrive, strengthening our political class and giving a clear example of good leadership.

In other words create a firewall around you. Flush out all those who are a nuisance. Focus on re-dimensioning your political discourse.

Start by talking, meeting, and convening often. Discuss unaccompanied. Meet unaided. You can do this. You have the qualities to do this. I do appreciate how thorny it is to try and give a different direction to what you are expected to do but the solution is in the encounter. Don’t worry, you can still remain competitors, you can still have a go at each other, you will still be distinguishable, because you are individuals with your own personas – but it can be done without throwing yourselves, your values and beliefs in a mud pool.

You must have realised that I write this open letter with a heavy heart.

It pains me deeply to see the exquisite dream of a proud country with values that are known to embrace what is righteous and virtuous slowly coming to a halt. I reiterate my appreciation for all the work you do and I apologise if this letter is coated in so many emotions. But I want politics in Malta and Gozo to become an art once again.

I want it to influence the changes it has the power to do.

I want politics and politicians I so esteem to become the voice of those people who struggle dayin and day-out to make sense of a life that has in many ways been taken away from them; children who are abused, minorities who are short-changed, women experiencing domestic violence, people in precarious jobs, lack of education, physical pain, relationships that have gone bad, to name just a few.

But do you realise what a privilege you are endowed with?

Your words, your actions, can make a difference to these people – listen to your strengths.

Please let’s bring back decency in political debates.

In the meantime, I remain eternally grateful for serving our country. Esteemed regards, Andrew Azzopardi.