No politics please… we’re Maltese

Some years back, it must have been circa 2010, I had a serious chat with a muchloved uncle.

To put you in the picture, Is-siju Charles is probably the wisest human being I have ever known. Quiet and unpretentious, he nonetheless exuded a gentle intelligence, coupled with great charm and tenderness. He worked as a teacher all his adult life and was most definitely one of the old school. His pupils adored him and when he died legions of them packed out the church at his funeral.

I enjoyed many conversations with him and practically all of them were memorable. We talked about a wide variety of stuff… he was particularly knowledgeable on subjects related to the countryside... (not that he’d find much of that left these days). One subject that did not occupy his consciousness too much was… politics… the local parish pump kind. Unlike most of his fellow countrymen, he found the subject both tedious and its practitioners – in general – corrupt.

I remember the time that “Chuwseff Muscat” succeeded Alfred Sant as leader of the PL. Uncle Charles was watching the news on TVM, as the new PL head honcho waved to his supporters. I ventured the opinion that maybe now the Party would be on the up and ready to one day govern. Uncle Charles said nothing, until I prompted him for an opinion on the brand, spanking new political leader. Then he sighed and eventually said: “Look at the eyes. They will tell you everything you need to know about him.” When I pressed him to further elucidate; he volunteered: “He’s already corrupt, so God help us if he ever becomes prime minister.” He never spoke of Muscat ever again. But in recent years I have often reflected on his words. He was absolutely spot on.

As I mentioned previously, Uncle Charles was not that interested in local… or any other… politics, but if he did have any inclination it would have been to the left; and specifically towards green politics. He was passionate about the countryside and nature in general – and I think if Malta had ever gone down the road of green politics (I can hear the hollow laugh of the majority of the population already) Uncle Charles would have been right there with them.

I wonder what he would have made of the situation today. Sadly, or perhaps it’s just as well, he died before the furore over the Panama Papers, Daphne’s murder, Pilatus Bank and assorted money laundering allegations, grey lists, Nexia BT, Jorgen F, Johnny D, Chuwseff M, Keitt S, Konnie M, old uncle Ed Scicluna and all!

He once told me of a home visit he received from a candidate for one of the main parties in the run-up to a general election. When Uncle Charles opened the front door to him, the young man began a carefully rehearsed spiel, before uncle cut him off by asking: “If you and your Party are elected to power… can you guarantee to be completely graft free… no corruption of any kind whatsoever?” The young man apparently paused momentarily before thinking on his feet and replying: “When we come up you will be so much better off that you won’t care about corruption.” And that, my friends, neatly sums up the attitude of the vast majority of my fellow citizens… plus ca change.