Much has been made about the Malta Today survey published on Sunday, March 12, and it stands to reason. It was possibly the worst survey result for the Labour government during the past 10 years and it arrived soon after the damning court ruling about the Vitals-Steward deal.

Add to that all the misgivings accumulated throughout a decade in power and the apparent sluggishness in providing leadership to the country, the survey could be indicative of the beginning of a downward trend for Labour, or else, a warning shot by an increasingly flustered public opinion to wake up and smell the coffee.

Prime Minister Robert Abela hasn’t got an easy task ahead, also because he has to right wrongs that happened before his time in office but which cannot be dismissed simply “because they happened under someone else’s watch”. These aren’t two different governments we are talking about; there is continuity between the Muscat administration and that of Abela’s.

Therefore, the approach, in my opinion, should be one of humility, taking stock of failures as much as of the successes, and providing a strong leadership to use the time before the next election to do what needs to be done.

It is very clear that, after the shake-up brought about by the Vitals-Steward debacle, the country is asking for signs of a strong leadership. Having fared rather well during the challenging times of the COVID pandemic, and hopefully in the process also learnt a few important lessons, Abela has to regain that momentum and take important decisions in the coming months. He needs to show enough confidence and maturity to convince the electorate that he is the man for the job.

The first thing he needs to tackle is the question of competence, whether it be that of ministers or of officials running government entities.

It was one of the pillars upon which Labour campaigned back in 2013 – that it would bring back competence into government – but which, during these 10 years, it has often left by the wayside.

It’s a fact that all governments seek to have loyal people heading public institutions, who share their vision and ambition. However, loyalty shouldn’t preclude competence. For too long we have had to put up with people who didn’t have the right qualities for the offices they held, and almost invariably they ended up shaming the government and their country in the process.

The prime minister would do well to ensure that such public offices are filled with goal-driven, ambitious people, who see their appointment not as an occasion to bask in ostentatiousness and privilege but as a commitment to serve their country. Because of their sense of public duty and because of their competence, such people ensure good governance.

It is high time for Abela to initiate a strong reform within the Labour Party itself- Aleks Farrugia

Competent people care for their reputation because their reputation is their CV and therefore it is less likely that they would engage in malpractices or corruption, risking their reputation in the process.

Besides, beware the loyalty of sycophants and don’t forget that loyalty doesn’t necessarily share a political colour. Fortunately for this country, there are still competent people who can rise above petty politics to serve their country regardless of the party in government.

This country needs a long-term vision. It’s one of the failings of democracy in general that, for the obvious reasons of electoral expediency, the long term is often ignored. Our country is no exception.

However, we find ourselves at a juncture, also due to constraints pertaining to our small size and to the fact that we ignored structural deficiencies in our institutional set-up for a very long time, where a long-term vision for this country is paramount. Planning should be the new watchword, and not just regarding the environment.

In the economy, for example, the prime minister should hold the finance minister to his word and oblige him to come up with a vision to overhaul the sector, providing an economic solution that looks ahead to a future that is less dependent on construction and gambling money, that wipes out once and for all the modern slavery of third-country migrants, and instead improves salaries and working conditions for workers, provides for green sustainable jobs, leads to environmental regeneration, and aims at attracting high-quality investments.

Finally, I think it is high time for Abela to initiate a strong reform within the Labour Party itself. Going to government has weakened the Labour Party as a political organisation and this didn’t do the Labour government any favours.

First of all, a clear separation between party and government should be kept. The party should act as the voice of conscience to the government.

Its role should be to keep a constant eye on the workings of the government to ensure that the vision in practice is that which upholds its ideals, remaining a strong critical voice, expecting from government to deliver more and better, and at the same time acting as the forum where new ideas are generated that will enhance the government’s vision.

If there is no criticism coming from within, no debate, no challenge, then it is easy for the people in government to insulate themselves from the grassroots and end up encapsulated in a world of their own make-belief.

Party structures should be invigorated to attract new people, including people who perhaps feel labourite in their principles but who are critical of the government, keeping in sight that the party is not its ministers or even its leaders, but a congregation of people who share an ideal and a vision of how this country should be.

Abela has four more years ahead of him before he calls a general election. What he makes of that time is up to him, to how much he is willing to write his story than having it written for him by those who came before him.

Much can be done in four years. It only has to be done.