Planning the infrastructure of recovery

Around 2012, or even earlier, the Labour Party began to use the infamous Fourth Floor where the foundations of the new Labour administration were laid

“I firmly believe the Nationalist Party must not go down this road, cost what it may, even perhaps forsaking the slim chance of an electoral win in the immediate future.”

We now know what this preparation consisted in and we now can see the longterm consequences of it.

We can see it was a vast exercise in clientelism. People got what they wanted to get for the relatively cheap price of support.

You wonder at so much construction going on? That’s the consequence of so many developers or would-be developers joining the band-wagon. Ditto for the innumerable roadworks that bedevil any movement.

On to weightier issues. We know now how the energy sector was planned under pressure from big businesses which stood to gain. It was from here that the Labour Party got its electorally useful commitment to reduce the price of electricity.

There were other commitments made, not just in terms of jobs promised but perhaps also in sectors like financial services. Labour is always boasting it has kept its commitments.

I firmly believe the Nationalist Party must not go down this road, cost what it may, even perhaps forsaking the slim chance of an electoral win in the immediate future.

The situation in which our country finds itself is far too serious for the next election to become a contest who offers more.

In my view what characterises the Nationalist Party in government has always been seriousness in intent with the interest of the country always prevailing over the clientelar.

Of course, mistakes were made and the country has suffered in consequence. There were times of lax administration and also times of pig-headed ministers, aloof from the suffering of people.

I also believe it would be a signal mistake for the party to let policy be written by the spokespersons in each sector. We have seen in recent times how some have made, or believed they made their sector their own backyard.

(In some cases, their professional and political roles were made to coincide.)

But each sector I can think of would interest quite a number of supporters who are eager to contribute to the plans the party may draw up. And not to benefit personally from the commitments made.

It’s a great pity such people do not find a way in which they can contribute. And there may also be others who are not party members (or not yet, at any rate) who are very interested to make suggestions, seeing they are in daily contact with their sector.

So far, I am sorry to say, I do not see this happening. Even the newly-approved candidates do not seem to be ready to face the electorate in general, except those who can be attracted to visit the party club or to be among the small group of party insiders.

To get back to the main theme – the party must focus on suggestions how Malta may against become a serious country, renowned and accepted by others as such. The interview with Lawrence Gonzi on television last week showed us, in case we have forgotten, how our small island can regain credibility. Over the past years, notwithstanding the EU summit, the Commonwealth one, etc, we have seen our national credibility disintegrating. Daphne’s murder then sealed our fate.

Care must be exercised here – too many details may be counterproductive in that they might scare off those who might be affected by the changes that are proposed.

But the party must show it has listened to what so many people demand of it and seriously commits itself to seriousness in the running of the country. This is the chance for it to stand out and be in contrast to the reigning party.

There is so much to do. When the pandemic is over (when, not if ) the Malta that will emerge will be vastly different from the Malta we remember and the Malta many dream of returning to. It will be, it can be, it must be the rebirth of the nation – something the Nationalist Party has so often brought about.