Less than two months after Malta switched over to the euro, Labour Party leader Alfred Sant is hoping that his party will be swept to power in next month's general election in order to strive to bring about the much-needed change to what it sees as the stagnant situation brought about by the Nationalist government over the past years.
Now, if taking Malta into the European Union and into the eurozone equals stagnation, one can hardly begin to imagine the kind of breakthroughs Labour in government would have to chalk up in order to justify its claim.
It may well be argued that such frivolous political talk is par for the course in an election campaign. Well, it may very well be, but in resorting to this, Labour would not be impressing the uncommitted voters who, right at this point in time, are dissecting all that the parties are dishing out with a fine tooth comb.
Rather than thinking that voters are completely blind as to what has been happening in the country over the past five years, Labour would do better, for instance, to reply to the legion of people who have been asking the party how it would be able to implement its pledge to halve the surcharge on fuel without harming the government's finances.
More than that, it would need to come out with convincing arguments to the charge that the pledge to halve the surcharge is socially unjust in that it would mean giving an advantage to those who earned most. Some 30,000 people are already exempt from paying the surcharge.
This apart from the fact that, if its proposal were to be carried out, it would not encourage householders from saving on fuel, something that ought to be at the very heart of any plan to keep the government's finances in shape. It is said that the devil is in the detail but Labour have been reluctant so far to explain their stand to the satisfaction of all.
It was the effort to put the government's finances in shape that led to Malta's acceptance for membership of the eurozone. Now, the Nationalists say that, if re-elected, they would work towards bringing about a balanced budget.
This may be easier said than done, especially in uncertain economic times as the present, when the prices of crude, grains and cereals have been shooting up. The Nationalists are confident they will be able to meet the targets they are setting. Not only that, but they are even promising significant tax cuts in the belief that in doing so they will be able to generate greater growth. In fact, they are estimating that they will recoup the funds expected to be lost through the tax-cut measure within two years.
On the basis of what has been achieved over the past few years, it is good to be confident and to further promote the feel-good factor.
The new investment the country has been able to attract will not only help to create new job openings in existing and new lines of work but will also upgrade the island's industrial set-up. However, it can also be dangerous to be over-confident. Promises by Labour that they would do this or that within six months of being elected may sound impressive but what counts most is whether or not such promises are feasible. The point is, naturally, also applicable and, forcefully so, to the Nationalist Party, which is also being liberal with its promises.
Only the other day, the European Commission took note of Malta's targets but advised the island to take care of certain risks that could upset the budgetary projections.
When the election is over, the party taking office will have to come face to face with reality again, something that will most certainly be somewhat different from what they have been painting over the past few weeks.