The contrast could not be greater.  On the one hand, the feeling of success and optimism associated with the election of Roberta Metsola as President of the European Parliament. On the other, the feeling of negativity and threat from Joseph Muscat as he is challenged for the crimes of his regime.

Two opposite Maltas, encapsulated in two single stories. One a story of hope and the future, the other of cynicism and the past. One of possibility, the other of impossibility.

One of the many experiences I enjoy about living in Gozo is the sound of distant thunder.  It usually implies a storm has passed out to sea or that one is imminent. But there is another important distant thunder in the air, that of growing anger and dissent. 

Martin Luther King reminded us of the importance and necessity of such thunder as a sign of energy, hope and possibility in dark times. 

In the popular imagination, Martin Luther King is often reduced to that single but iconic ‘I have a dream’ speech. It implies for many that King was an idealist rather than a pragmatist - wishful thinking rather than ‘real’ politics. In one of his last essays, A Testament of Hope, King spoke of himself as both a realist and simultaneously an optimist. 

Despite everything he and his contemporary activists experienced - threats, violence, murder, and jail - he remained optimistic about change. Not only was change necessary, it was also inevitable. Despite being the view of a minority, his perspective did not alter; he remained steadfast because ‘despair’ was not a realistic option or an effective strategy. ‘Strength’ he argued would be found in ‘struggle’. 

History echoes his view even though routinely suffused with its opposite.

King’s testament to hope remains as relevant today as when first written. It is relevant in the US as in many other parts of the world where rights and democracy are denied or under attack. It is also directly relevant here in Malta, especially in current times. 

"If we look honestly at the realities of our national life, it is clear that we are not marching forward," King wrote. "We are groping and stumbling; we are divided and confused."

As if referring to Malta, he added, "Justice so long deferred has accumulated interest and its cost for this society will be substantial in financial as well as human terms."

Additionally, "America (Malta?) has not yet changed because so many think it need not change, but this is the illusion of the damned."

King always insisted that human beings possessed the capacity to do right as well as wrong and while analysis of the past reveals its many blunders and flaws, it also reveals our capacity to overcome them, despite the many significant obstacles. 

While democracy in Malta is largely suspended and remains under threat, it is by no means defeated despite the dire predictions of the forthcoming election. 

Democracy and decency are very much still in play. The storm clouds clearly visible to all are also accompanied by King’s distant thunder.

Managing the current criminality is becoming more and more difficult and the cracks and fissures among the thieves are visible to all, nationally and internationally. Frustration, anger and public opposition are growing despite the utter failure of the official ‘opposition’. The post-election period will include a national post-mortem.

All is not lost.  Realism, struggle, and hope remain our key allies as is the common decency of a majority of Maltese. They will not forever remain compliant and silent. Time to listen for that thunder.