In this soaring heat, and with all the constraints, uncertainty and fear caused by the pandemic, daily life has a sense of unreality. These are not normal times.
In a crisis, people seek stability and a safe pair of hands to provide leadership. The situation is complex but Prime Minister Robert Abela has so far not managed to project a sense of being in control. In the first months of the pandemic, he was understandably overshadowed by Health Minister Chris Fearne. Now he gives the impression of being overly influenced by specific commercial pressures.
In the meantime, he has been photographed relaxing and enjoying his holidays in Sicily. Whether he was ‘teleworking’ on his boat or not, he will find it hard to shake off the self-indulgent image this created.
Abela can relax in the knowledge that the opposition is in shambles. Despite the many shortcomings of the government, voters do not have a plausible alternative to turn to.
August is always a quiet period. Many people are on vacation, with hordes of Maltese descending on Gozo in flip-flops as usual. The season is not ideal for revving up any special interest in the political scene.
But actually this summer is a pivotal moment in Maltese politics. The process leading to the election of a Nationalist Party leader is under way. There are only two candidates, Adrian Delia and Bernard Grech.
If Delia retains his seat as PN leader, it is not just a disaster for the party, but a huge political mess for the entire country.
The point is straightforward. A leader of a political party must strive to lead his party to electoral victory. Adrian Delia is not capable of this. The writing is not only on the wall, it is everywhere. If Delia takes the party to the next election, the PN is likely to experience its biggest thrashing ever from voters.
The current government has its positive side but it has amply shown that it is also prone to excesses, impunity and arrogance. Besides the media, it must be held to account by a strong opposition. Any political party in government needs to be kept in check.
Delia took over the reins of the PN at a weak and vulnerable moment. Instead of starting a process of healing, he drove it further into the ground. Cuts and bruises developed into open and infected wounds.
He has tried to attract sympathy, also implying that he gave up so much for the PN. Well, perhaps he did, although nobody forced him to. On a human level, this is probably a massive personal disappointment. But he is now doing so much harm to the opposition that sympathy has currently run dry.
In 2017, the PN tesserati members gave Delia a chance. Many genuinely believed that he could be the right person to lead the party after the electoral disaster that year. But he has not managed to unite or take the PN forward. Choosing him again is political suicide.
The situation is complex but Prime Minister Robert Abela has so far not managed to project a sense of being in control
As Delia will not recognise this, the only way to be rid of him is to now support Bernard Grech. He has emerged as the only alternative. If Delia had stepped down of his own accord, there would have been a leadership contest with more than one candidate to choose from.
But as Delia is desperately clinging on, only one opponent was nominated. Wondering whether any other potential candidate would have been preferable is just a distraction at this point.
Giving the job to Grech is not only important for Nationalist voters but for the entire country. A democracy requires more than one strong party to function well.
Bernard Grech is not an entirely new name but he is not yet that familiar. He has given some interviews, explaining his views to journalists who are doing their homework and struggling to grasp what he stands for.
Overall, his ideas and vision seem pretty mainstream. There is nothing outrageous to latch on to. But at this moment, the country does not need groundbreaking ideas. It needs cleaner politics. If Grech can just show that he is clean, that is already a huge asset for the country after years with the stench of corruption right at the heart of government.
One of Delia’s shortcomings as party leader was that allegations and rumours of corruption stuck to him and he could not shake them off. His personal finances and life are messy. He enraged and repelled an influential segment of PN voters who yearn for a different, cleaner style of politics and politicians.
To move away from this unhealthy stalemate, Grech must be given the opportunity to become opposition leader. Let’s hope he makes a good job of it. There is no guarantee of this, but hopes are pinned on him and he is ready for the challenge. So far, he has not put a foot wrong.
As is usual in this country, at the start of a political race our media unfailingly obliges every rising politician to first jump over the divorce and abortion hoops and hurdles. Grech seems to have passed that somewhat bizarre test and, in that area, he can proceed to the starting line. Surely Malta has gone far enough in civil rights legislation for that not to be a major aspiration of voters today.
Grech is already quite popular within the PN grassroots. He will now need to persuade a wider segment of the population.
The Nationalist Party is in a black patch but it is still breathing. It is down but not dead. Once it sheds its lame leader, it could start walking again.