Dear Michelle
All the wives of presidents and prime ministers who have served this country played their role without being obtrusive and intrusive. They were silent partners, understanding that the focus must be on the head of state or head of government, and never sought to be in the limelight just because their husband occupied one of the top two positions in Malta.
Then came Michelle Muscat.
It was immediately clear that she was not going to accept playing second fiddle. She wanted, and sought, attention. She believed that, having worked side by side with Joseph until he reached the pinnacle of his career, she deserved the accolades too. She craved the spotlight, and it was no surprise when her critics dubbed her ‘Evita’.
And so she carved her own niche, not least by creating her own opportunities to be heard and seen, which included the yearly swim in aid of charity.
But, if you are in the public eye, there might come a time when the focus is on you for the wrong reasons. The story regarding female prisoners doing unpaid work on behalf of the Marigold
Foundation, over which Michelle Muscat presides, is one of her low points. Her “If you follow the media, my dear, you would know I was abroad on holiday” comment made during a press conference will remain seared in the memory of many, henna tattoo and all.
She had a love-hate relationship with the media. Naturally, she was comfortable in front of the friendly One TV cameras – less so when facing independent media. It was therefore no surprise that during her appearance on the Labour Party’s station last week, she could not stop herself from saying that “the media was against us.”
She was, of course, referring to her husband’s decision to resign – quite dishonourably, too – after his office was linked to the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.
Never before has a prime minister been forced to step down because of a murder linked to people working close to him, yet
Michelle Muscat blames the media for this. From now on, her reaction can be used to illustrate the term ‘in denial’.
The Muscats may have escaped the Egrant saga unscathed, but they could not remain untouched after the shocking developments in the police investigation into an assassination that rocked the foundations of our democracy.
So you see, dear Michelle, you cannot blame the media for doing its job. If you do, you are bound to be accused of trying to stifle it, of violating the fundamental right to freedom of expression, and of trying to hide facts which are inconvenient to you.
The media, dear Michelle, was not
“against you” for the fun of it. It is our duty to keep people like your husband in check just in case they mess up – like he did when he closed his eyes to a scandal that did not go away and, instead of kicking out the people who he now claims betrayed him, continued to defend them blindly.
It’s not the media’s fault. It’s all yours.