Editorial

As he settles down in his office after a very busy first week most of it spent outdoors, the newly-crowned Prime Minister may find the time to look out from his office high up in Castille, the master of all he surveys.

Lawrence Gonzi has grown in stature and authority over the last few weeks and days.

The Nationalist Party would not have triumphed at the polls had he not built up such a strong personal following, based on a campaign that revolved entirely around his persona.

He was able to inspire trust and confidence based on his solid track record and because there is a sincerity and conviction about him that is apparent to all but the most biased or cynical.

People see in him the makings of a great leader and statesman and that impression has been strengthened post-election as he has sought to play down political rivalries and transmit a message of strength in unity. He is now in a position to pursue his vision for the country with no holds barred.

But the dominant message of the PN's campaign - "You can trust this man" - will have an inevitable corollary: raised expectations.

These will figure highly in the way he is judged over the next five years. He must be fully aware that, with Alfred Sant out of the picture, the measure of his performance will now be largely the standards he has set for himself - nothing short of excellence both in terms of the government's targets and of his own leadership skills. Now, more than ever, he will be judged by his actions and not by his words.

His greatest and most hazardous challenge in this regard is probably taking on the Malta Environment and Planning Authority - though more will follow, surely.

He will be deemed to have failed unless he manages to turn it into a friend of the environment rather than the foe it is often perceived to be. He has already taken a firm step in that direction but will be humbled by the task that lies ahead.

It is, indeed, with self-professed humility that he has spoken of taking on the grave responsibilities of office. The Prime Minister needs to be humble in another way too.

As he gazes out of his window over a view of practically half the island, the knowledge that he has the outright backing of fewer than half the voters will loom large in his thoughts about how to handle himself in office.

The electorate clearly expressed lack of trust in many of his previous team. He must now continue to show that he has no qualms about using his authority to nip such doubts in the bud, by whatever action necessary. The choice of his new Cabinet already transmits certain messages.

Having pledged a government of inclusiveness, one expects he is now keen to see government appointments reflect that stance more strongly in practice across the board - including the highest post in the land; the most powerful confirmation of that policy would come in the choice of a new President.

It should be possible to appoint as Speaker of the House one of his own and a person acceptable to all to the country's highest office.

He would also welcome a reborn opposition party responding more positively to his offer of greater participation in decision-making.

As Dr Sant, faced with no other option, has bowed to the people's will and stood down as Opposition Leader, it was only by a hair's breadth that Dr Gonzi was not placed in a similar position.

It is with this sobering thought in mind, as well as the certainty of massive popular support, that he must now set about fulfilling the great promise that he holds as the country's leader.

Would it be asking too much for the island to let go of the stranglehold of political divisiveness and rally around him?