As much as I am an optimist, I am giving up. For the past few years, I have waited in vain for the proverbial ministry phone call inviting me to declare special wishes or needs that I might have. I am so envious of all those lucky citizens that, much as they were not entitled, benefitted from Labour government bespoke favours.
Well, one has to concede that this “do you need anything?” Labour Party definitely lives up to a reputation of generosity towards its own supporters. These favours may not be exactly according to law, or decency, and are sustained through inroads into the public common wealth, public assets and public taxpayers’ monies.
Is this a novel way of administering the island, introduced to Malta following the 2013 Labour election victory? Definitely not.
Illicit person-to-person patronage seems to have been for years the hallmark of the relationship between Labour/Nationalist politicians and the prevalently servile citizens and corrupt businesspeople.
Although many citizens responsibly demand services and entitlements that are theirs by right, so many others prefer the godfather route to illicit favours, these varying from job offers to the bargain acquisition of a massive plot of public land.
If this is a known and generally accepted feature of Maltese politics, why is there a minority that never stops complaining about the current dismal governance of the Labour Party? Well, the reason is simple enough. In comparison with the pre-2013 Nationalist administration, the Labour Party has, extremely and significantly, increased the incidences of malfeasance and corruption. Corruption seems embedded in the party’s method for public management.
The fantastic variations in Labour misbehaviour are infinite – they go beyond our wildest imagination. Their constant bad governance is in your face, our administrators no longer even make minimal effort or even bother to lamely justify their incredibly unjustifiable actions.
On winning the 2013 election, the Labour Party appears to have methodically started a process of infiltration and capturing of institutions through the wholesale appointment of new people to key posts.
Many of these appointees, who appear very greedy, seem to feature “loyalty” and “blind obedience to the party” among their other qualifications.
Such qualifications induce the person appointed to behave in a manner that progressively disintegrates governance according to rules and the law.
This, in turn, creates fertile ground for corruption to proliferate. It is frightening to see how the majority of citizens have accepted such a situation as normal.
A corruption overdose has blurred the lines
The idea of pure and raw corruption no longer seems to perturb so many people.
A corruption overdose has blurred the lines. We cannot distinguish any more between the corrupt and the corrupted; their collaboration, raised to a fine art, occurs seamlessly.
If I now shift my focus onto the Nationalist Party, it is not that I find much comfort in doing so. Even if perhaps not through direct infiltration (as some have maintained), the Labour Party has, somehow, certainly managed to reduce the Nationalist Party to an irrelevant entity.
The miserable performance of the current Nationalist Party leadership team justifies its complete and urgent replacement.
It is very painful to watch this pathetic effort to blame so-called outdated rules and statutes, or else the presence of renegades, for the Nationalist Party’s mess, especially when it is so obvious that capable, selfless, visionary leadership is what is lacking.
Where is that person of integrity? Where are those groups of committed persons who will save the party and democracy from a perilous situation?
Is the Nationalist parliamentary group capable of rising to the occasion and collectively lead, not just the party but Malta, away from a looming disaster? Save some noteworthy combative members, the collective performance of the PN Opposition parliamentary group leaves a lot to be desired.
In truth, the Opposition has become quite limp and incoherent. Considering the power and authority that reside within them, it is unbelievable how a very plausible majority within the PN parliamentary group does not have the willingness to act collectively, take the situation in hand and restore sanity.
Which returns me to the question at hand: do I need anything from this Labour administration and from this Nationalist Opposition? I certainly do need an infinite number of things; my list is endless.
However, I will be more than satisfied with a few fundamental concessions.
Can we put a stop to further employment of people in unrequired, non-existent public vacancies and unnecessary positions of trust?
Can we see an end to the giveaway of public assets, at conditions ridiculously disadvantageous to taxpayers, to an army of greedy and corrupt businessmen, developers and various hangers-on?
Can the current level of in-your-face corruption somehow diminish, allowing some breathing room to decency and the rule of law?
Can State institutions be allowed to function correctly and unhindered?
Can we hope to see progress in the investigation of Daphne Caruana Galizia’s assassination?
Can we hope to see the Nationalist Party wake up from its soul-destroying lethargy, sort out its bankrupt leadership problem, and responsibly assume its democratic Opposition obligations?
And, finally, perhaps we may consider discarding our current national motto, “Virtute et Constantia” and replace it with “In God we trust”.
It somehow makes me feel a little bit better and gives me hope.