Editorial

It is really amazing how matters have been developing since the election. Labour is somehow managing to hold the people's attention, for the wrong reasons, even when the country is facing a series of problems that should, to all intents and purposes, concentrate the people's minds on the government's actions.

In truth, the Malta Labour Party has not been able to find its feet again since Dom Mintoff voted against his own government over a motion in parliament that had been considered by Alfred Sant as a confidence vote. This had led to the party calling for a fresh election barely two years after being returned to power in 1996.

Turning the original motion, over a waterfront project (!), into a confidence vote was Labour's greatest strategic mistake at the time. Since then, the party has been making one mistake after another in both its policies and in the way it has tackled those who were in disagreement with its views.

Today, the party finds itself at the crossroads. Which way will it be taking? Never mind Mr Mintoff, he truly belongs to the past. But is not Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici whipping up unnecessary turbulence for the party with his vague motion to the delegates on the party's stand over EU membership? As if this were not enough, the party's vigilance board some time ago came out with the surprise announcement of a warning given to Alfred Mifsud who eventually left the party.

Where does this leave the MLP now? It leaves it short of another talent. Can the party possibly afford to continue losing some of its best brains? Was it not enough for it to lose Lino Spiteri and George Abela?

The MLP is now trying to put behind it its recent past when it so ardently fought so many imaginary enemies in its EU referendum and election campaigns. But as it changes course, stops tilting at windmills and accepts "the reality of the situation", as decreed by the majority of the people when they voted in favour of membership, the position of Dr Sant as leader of the party becomes untenable.

For how can a party leader who had made it his mission to see Malta, stay out of the EU now convincingly argue that although partnership is the right option, they will be acting within the parameters of the new reality of Malta as an EU member?

Of course, the MLP is doing the right thing in making the U-turn and deciding to give its contribution so that the island will make the best out of membership. But, surely, such a change in policy ought to have propelled to the top of the party's hierarchy people who had not expressed themselves so categorically against membership.

Does it come as a surprise that a report commissioned by the party to analyse the last electoral defeat speaks of several wrong strategic decisions, particularly over the way the MLP dealt with the EU membership issue? The first big mistake over this was committed when the party closed its doors to membership rather than keeping its options open.

The party has now come out with its first draft document, called "Our role in the European Union - in the best interests of Malta and Gozo". In it, it has confirmed it would now seek to get the most out of membership. In time, the MLP too will fall completely in line with the views of the majority of the people.