Editorial

Never mind what the opinion polls say, it is clear the budget the Nationalist government has drawn up for next year has helped to greatly improve the party's election chances. At least this is the general perception, based on the popular reaction to the string of favourable measures announced in the budget. From a point when the Nationalists were held to have no chance of winning an election at all, were one to be called today, the pendulum appears to have swung to the other side, opening a new window on the political landscape.

Labour are, of course, sensing all this, even though they are sticking to their "too little, too late" slogan, evidently thought up well before Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi, as Finance Minister, unwrapped a package of benefits that has had the effect the party had naturally aimed at: That of making the people see the situation as it really is and not as it is being projected by Labour.

Although all this is not to say that the way is clear for a Nationalist victory, it would be brave indeed for anyone to deny the favourable impact the budget has had on the people's mood.

Having wisely engineered such mood with a budget that has left Labour high and dry, will the Nationalists stay on until after the introduction of the euro or will they go for an election in the shortest time possible?

Many would argue that since, with or without the Nationalists in government, the euro would still be introduced on the first day of the year, common sense dictates the Nationalist ought to take advantage of the favourable situation now, rather than leave the poll to a much later date.

In an interview with our sister newspaper, The Sunday Times, Dr Gonzi gave no hint as to what date he has in mind for the election. Timing, he said, was going to be fundamental and he was not ruling out any option whatsoever.

Timing is always a fundamental issue in elections, and no one is expecting the Prime Minister to rule out options either, but then it is difficult to understand how Dr Gonzi can refuse to accept that Malta is in an election mode.

Malta has been in an election mode for quite some time now and refusing to see this would project the Prime Minister as one who is, to use one of the Labour leader's favourite words, "disconnected" with the mainstream of public opinion. However, all other indications suggest the opposite.

So, why would the Prime Minister refuse to accept something that is a fact? One logical answer is that he may wish to leave the election for a time after the island joins the eurozone so that the government would sort of bathe, as it were, in the glory of the event. But if he were to do so, would he not risk losing the favourable impact the budget has produced for his party?

Perhaps Dr Gonzi is banking on the likelihood that Labour will fail to catch up with the momentum his party has set in motion with the budget for next year.

In truth, Labour have been far from inspiring in their criticism of the budget and the liberal way the party leader has been making promises is having the opposite effect to that he obviously intends making, at least among uncommitted voters.

Yes, timing is fundamental. However, misreading the moment can change the fortunes for the Nationalists faster than they think.