Let the spring bloom

Last weekend we celebrated the 39th anniversary of Malta's independence. This time last year, the "no" camp, led by the Labour Party, was accentuating the magnitude of the day. Everybody felt, especially Labour supporters, that the celebration was cynical and entirely out of place. It was not heartfelt and it left them cold.

Everyone knew that Labour was driven by political expediency. Just a few years ago, celebrating independence meant we had to defy the violence of Labour thugs abetted and aided by an openly partisan police force.

But a year ago, Labour were harping on the loss of sovereignty attained by independence were the Nationalist government to achieve its aim of taking Malta into the EU. They had even hoped to garner the support of prominent Nationalist old-timers, who had lived and even striven for that memorable day, to turn the swelling tide of support for Europe.

They knew that they were in for an inevitable defeat though they assured their supporters otherwise. A drowning man clutches at a straw. They did not succeed, because joining Europe was the natural step after independence.

In fact, it is remarkable how since its foundation Labour always trailed the Nationalist Party on Malta's constitutional development. When our party was fighting for independence and when nearly all colonies had already won their freedom, Labour, under the pseudo revolutionary Dom Mintoff, was advancing in reverse, striving to unite our islands to the UK.

Nearly half a century later, Labour, under the pseudo modern Alfred Sant, was fighting for isolation in a globalised world under the banner of sovereignty. Now most (I hope) of Labour have seen the light. Not so Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici who is calling, in Dr Sant's words, for a jihad to defeat, also in Dr Sant's words, the Don Quixotic windmills. In fact, on the 21st, the CNI mourned the death of independence.

In the circumstances, we wish Dr Sant the best of luck, though he does not deserve any. His present difficulties are of his own entire making, aided by his nearest cronies.

On the other hand, one cannot but admire the prime minister's leadership who, through his speech, showed once again his statesmanship.

One must have noticed that not once since his triumph on April 12 has he attacked, ridiculed or abused the Labour leadership. He has been patiently calling on Labour to play its part so that a new spring will bloom a thousand political blossoms.

He has even more than once indicated that he understands the leadership's quandary and that he will wait patiently. May November, if it is necessarily pregnant with the oncoming winter, through Labour's general conference, give birth to the political spring fathered by the prime minister.

It will be first of all a triumph for Dr Fenech Adami who has been extending his hand of friendship since the early 1980s, even when he was being vilified and had just been cheated of five years of power, which an absolute majority had bestowed on him. Of such mettle is a statesman moulded. But more important than that, it will be a triumph for civil politics and the sounding of the death knell of confrontational politics.

The prime minister has also designated the five broad areas on which the government will focus immediately. While journalists were moaning, essentially because all interesting news were coming from the Labour side, and assumed that both the PN and the government were exhausted and were hibernating in summer, all of us were busy preparing solutions to the immediate and pressing problems which we had pointed out more than once over the past few years.

We are determined and ready to lick the deficit and to tackle the structural weaknesses in our welfare and economic spheres. This is necessary to put the welfare society on a sound and sustainable footing so that the fruit we can harvest today will be enjoyed as well in the future by our children and grandchildren.

We are sure that we can convince civil society that this is the only way open - a sound welfare system built on sound economic foundations. We have to prune the dead wood so that the tree will grow stronger and hence produce choice fruit. We have to take radical decisions.

Labour will be tempted to oppose. Or it may rise to the occasion and be constructive. It is remarkable that on the re-opening of parliament, I was able to pilot two bills on the same day. The debate was short, terse but productive and to the point.

Time will tell if this healthy attitude is sustained. Time will shortly tell if a truly new, strong, reforming leadership will emerge in November or whether we will have more of the same.

Time will shortly tell if an opposition worthy of the new government temper will be born or if the opposition succumbs to pique and confrontation. Time will shortly tell if the opposition has truly imbibed the European spirit or if it has merely put on another mask.

Meanwhile, we shall lead with or without the opposition. The past has shown us more than once that we have recognised the signs of the times. I am confident the future will prove us right once more.

Dr Deguara is Minister of Health.