Rudderless and reeling

Last Sunday, June 29, Malta celebrated L-Imnarja (a corruption of the Latin Luminaria). It’s a festival dating back to Roman times celebrating light. Yet, there was only darkness at the PN’s headquarters. The front doors were closed, the lights switched off and the place deserted. The seven-day period for those interested in replacing Bernard Grech to submit their nomination was still open. Still, nobody at party HQ was expecting anyone else to turn up to submit their nomination. They’d just given up, packed and gone to the beach.

Meanwhile, Labour’s ONE news delighted in reporting on the gloom and silence that descended onto the PN’s headquarters, broadcasting images of the tightly shut front door of what was fondly still referred to as L-Istamperija (The printing press) by the victorious veterans of the party. Alas, those glory days are long gone. Not even the lowliest of party officials could be found to hold the fort at least until 2pm when the period for nominations officially closed.

At the end, Mark Anthony Sammut, the last faint hope of normalcy and decency, extinguished that dim flickering light. He had his family to think of. His children were too young. He didn’t want to be the source of disunity in the party. He confirmed he wouldn’t be turning up to submit his nomination.

To drive that thorn deeper into the side of a majority of party loyalists, out came Franco Debono, the quirky maverick, confirming he wouldn’t contest either but ominously threatening that he will “henceforth take a more active role in politics”. His much-awaited announcement came on Facebook. Being Franco, every opportunity of self-glorification must be exploited. He boldly announced that “the wish of both PN members as well as of the general public for me to return with a more active role in politics and in the party was evident”.

“Even scientific and non-scientific surveys indicated that I was among the first three preferences of party members for the position of party leader, and this despite the fact that I have not been active in politics for more than 10 years,” he bragged.

Writing his own pun, he added, “therefore, since my style has always been to keep my feet firmly anchored to the ground and without haste to walk carefully and thoughtfully one step at a time, and since I believe that a change in the leader brings with it vacancies in other important positions and roles in the party, with sensitivity, loyalty and respect towards those who desire to see me more active in the party, after whole days of thought and reflection, and after considering also my considerable professional duties, I promise them that, in the time to come, I will consider a more active role according to circumstances and opportunities that the change in leader brings”.

That inspiring, awesome declaration was met with ecstatic enthusiasm by his Facebook followers. “We want you back in the party Franco”, “We need you as leader Franco”, “Prosit” came the deluge of comments. “Well done, you deserve it”, one added – although what he deserves wasn’t entirely clear. “Between the enthusiasm you showed 12 years ago and the maturity you express now, I believe that you are very valid,” Carmelo Saliba commented. Fatima Hassmann put it best: “The One!”.

Understandably a few others felt betrayed. Debono had been teasing them for a whole week intimating that he would contest. He even had a hilarious catchy anthem called In Franco’s hands.

Not everything is a performance. This isn’t a stage. Leadership is not an act- Kevin Cassar

Debono himself, just days earlier, said that “I am duty bound to explore the possibility of contesting the PN leadership” after a mere 8.8 per cent of party members mentioned him as their choice for leader. Mercy Abela confronted him – “So you changed your mind?”. Others commented “the burden is too great”, “easier to preach what needs to be done than to sacrifice your career”, “we don’t need you just in fair weather”.

That left Adrian Delia, the former party leader, and the young Alex Borg to fight it out. For that part of the electorate overawed by social media fluff and utterly oblivious to real substance, that’s the ideal bout. The amazing success of Labour’s sultanistic oligarchy and its enduring appeal only indicates one thing – that the vast majority of the electorate is mesmerised by selfies, it adores the posing – and is utterly disinterested in real character and competence.

The PN’s two contestants are ideal for that audience.

Their prospects of success must be far higher than the dull level-headed Grech, with an electorate that demands its constant fix of mindless media posts illustrated with meticulously filtered images of perfection.

In a society addicted to the frivolous and the petty, and obsessed with the merchants of that pettiness and frivolity, the PN’s limited selection strikes the right chord. Where Love Island participants are feted as heroes and money-grabbing influencers are held up as role models, electoral victory could only come from mimicking those shining examples of success.

For an audience that admires the image and the presentation above all else, image and presentation is what’s needed. There is no denying that, in our world, self-promotion trumps competence. In our bubble of mediocrity, loud bragging overshadows quiet diligence and grit, hollow platitudes drown out true wisdom. Self-obsessed wannabes suddenly transform into visionary leaders.

Who wants boring debates based on well-researched facts when we can have emotive fiction and fisticuffs? Arguments should not be based on principled conviction emanating from sound extensive knowledge but simply guided by the imperative for instant maximum likes. The path to victory is lined not by tough moral choices but by the electorate’s addiction to instant gratification.

Such a contest may delight the vast majority but it leaves a significant minority not only disillusioned but totally bereft of hope.

Real expertise cannot be replaced by amateurism. When it is, the world becomes instantly perilous – buildings collapse, drainage overflows into the sea, power cuts are routine and healthcare becomes a dangerous gamble. Newly surfaced roads are instantly dug up, public transport is an unpredictable game of guesswork, traffic grinds to a halt and basic services falter.

Not everything is a performance.

This isn’t a stage.

Leadership is not an act.

Kevin Cassar is a professor of surgery.