Last weekend was different. A tectonic jolt has shaken Maltese politics at its roots. Our landscape has changed for good.

Indeed, something historic was achieved in last Saturday’s election: 13% of voters opted for third parties and other independents.

Many of us have long considered tribalism to be the bane of Maltese society, yet, our binary voting patterns have remained unchanged for the past 58 years.

Essentially, our campaign was a 21-day sprint.

During this period, we surged from barely one percentage point to obtaining 8.1% of the vote. Once our marketing machine had kicked into high gear, our message echoed throughout society with great speed. It was resonating deeply and exponentially.

I am confident that, if we had access to funding for a slightly more protracted campaign, the outcome would have been significantly more positive. Notably, we were taking on two huge propaganda behemoths that each enjoy the privilege of TV stations.

Meanwhile, every utterance elsewhere is examined by the Broadcasting Authority with a fine tooth comb.

Thankfully, the internet allowed us to employ creativity and ironclad commitment to bypass this injustice wherever we could.

I personally received just under 13,000 first count votes and over 22,000 on the last count; the highest amount ever obtained by an independent candidate in 103 years of elections.

I missed out on winning a seat on the European stage by a cat’s whisker. Upon learning we had failed to secure a spot in the top six, my heart sank, exhaustion set in and, for a while, I sat silently processing the disappointment.

The time is now ripe for the setting up by all these well-meaning people of a centre-green-left oriented coalition

Yet, the sadness faded surprisingly quickly, giving way to an enduring sense of hope. All around me I could see young, intelligent patriots who were not there to score some cushy job through political connection. Rather, they fought alongside me in service of an ideal. They merely did not want their country destroyed. All they wanted out of this was for their efforts to contribute towards a society that prizes talent, hard work and innovation, rather than graft and servility.

These youths were here to demand a society where people succeed on their own steam and where the state protects the common good.

And, let me tell you right now, they have no intention of going away. Neither are the hundreds who are still sending in their messages through social media.

There is still a lot of work to be done. 100,000 eligible voters opted not to participate in the process at all. A minority of the public that voted for a third party opted for Imperium Europa, a party whose ideology is unacceptable; which is why I set out to oppose it from the start.

In fact, I was keenly aware throughout that my campaign must offer disgruntled voters an alternative avenue for their anger than what was being pitched by Norman Lowell and friends. Here, I feel my team and I also had notable success. Throughout our surge, we saw our numbers grow and Lowell’s shrink.  

I would like to congratulate Roberta Metsola on her historic result and also Thomas Bajada on his election. I am happy that my number eight preference contributed to his success. After giving my number one vote to myself, I cross-voted for ADPD, independents, Volt and even valid PL and PN candidates.

My message to you, Thomas: Keep humble, simple and truthful; the PL is at an existential crossroads, you should neither allow your reputation to be sullied by bullies nor stand for delinquents trampling over your ideals.

There is an emerging sense of optimism and a desire for a new chapter in Maltese politics – a wish for a modern, just and prosperous Malta. And while the numbers may have been just shy of what was required this time around, let’s all note that this has been the best outing for third parties and independents since MEP elections began. Indeed, support for us outliers has tripled since 2009. 

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank my formidable team, all the people who endorsed me, everyone who donated and, of course, everyone who trusted me with their vote. I am humbled by you all.

I find profound solace in the knowledge that an ever-increasing number of my fellow countrymen and women are primed and ready to champion that which I have fought for my entire life.

June 8 marked the birth of a movement for hope. Building on it is the next step. I personally believe that the election result testifies to the fact that the time is now ripe for the setting up by all these well-meaning people of a centre-green-left oriented coalition, one that would give its future MPs a free vote on matters concerning ‘conscience’.

Join our ranks by filling in the form on https://forms.gle/mefvE8XyFjrQhb6e8.

Arnold Cassola was an independent candidate in last week’s European Parliament elections.