The most important result of the decisions taken by Prime Minister Gonzi last Friday was not the changes in the ministerial appointment nor the removal of the honoraria of the members of the Cabinet.
Let me go back down memory lane to illustrate what I think was the most important consequence.
I still remember a film I had seen some 40 years ago.
A young Sicilian maiden had been sexually assaulted by the member of a sinister Sicilian family in an attempt to force her to marry him. She refused to comply although she was pressured by her family. Then the young man's clan threatened to burn the family barn which stores all the agricultural produce that they toiled for. This barn was the only wealth the family had.
The girl went to the barn and burnt it. Confronted by her father, she said: "Now we are poor so we are strong. They cannot threaten us any longer."
I have carried that sentence with me all these decades. We can thoroughly enjoy something only when we are ready to lose it. We can only be free when we are ready to lose everything for the sake of our freedom.
It must have been crystal clear to the Prime Minister that the decisions he took would not pacify Dr Franco Debono. It must have been always clear to all and one that Dr Debono's only interest was to become a Minister and possibly more. Like the Sicilian member of the clan referred to above, Dr Debono was using all sort of pressures to get what he wanted.
Last Friday the Prime Minister once more showed that he is not for turning. He is his own man. He is malleable and can go to great lengths to reach reasonable compromises for the good of the land. But there are several red lines that he is not ready to cross. National interest, Prime Ministerial prerogative and personal dignity are three of them. The Prime Minister showed that he will not be blackmailed.
The Prime Minister's courageous decision can mean that he loses his prime ministerial post and the government. But this would not be his legacy. Gonzi's legacy are his many achievements in the face of adversity. A country that has soldiered on where others have been mired in the economic crisis, his growing stature as a regional leader especially during the Libya crisis, just to mention the most recent of a lengthy political career.
On the other hand, Dr Debono's legacy would be forcing the country into early elections, a tattered certificate showing the results of a mid-term Form 2 exam and a frustrated gigantic narcissistic ego.
Take your pick.
Other despicable actions
Dr Franco Debono is a public figure. His antics are in the public interest. His right to privacy is very limited indeed.
However, his mother and his girlfriend are private citizens. They have the right for their privacy as all other private citizens have. Their relationship to Dr Debono does not subtract one iota from their right to privacy.
It is despicable that there are people abusing the Internet to attack them or to ridicule them. They are not part of the story. They should be left alone and in peace.