Ray Bugeja described the general election as “an exercise in futility” while Reno Bugeja argued it is one of the most lacking in enthusiasm.

“I am not referring to the election per se because that, of course, remains the instrument that ensures sovereignty to citizens in a democratic country,” Ray Bugeja explained.

“The futility derives from the fact that the result is a foregone conclusion. It is not even a matter of being sure Labour will win again but that it will win with a huge majority. What we will establish today week will be the extent of that victory and if Robert Abela will fare as good, better or worse than his predecessor.”

As for Grech’s and the PN’s numbers, they are likely to have a big say on what happens next at Pietà.

He described the election campaign as “one of the quietest, if not the quietest” he could recall, saying nothing beats the eventful elections of 1981 and 1987.

Reno Bugeja believes more than one issue is to blame for the lack of enthusiasm in people. The shadow of a fading pandemic and the shadow of the Ukraine war are the most pertinent, he believes. The lack of proper election events, such as mass meetings, and the fact everybody believes they already know who will win, further sucks the enthusiasm.

“I also see another unfolding phenomenon. There is a growing number of people who are increasingly feeling disillusioned by all politicians and don’t want anything to do with politics.

“I don’t think we’ll surpass a 90% voter turnout this time. And that percentage will likely plummet even more in the coming years.”

However, the former TVM editor does not believe this week’s parties’ pleas for people to vote are related to concern over voter abstention. Such pleas are a staple of every political speech in the final days of every election campaign.

Ray Bugeja added: “I hope experts will do some number crunching to look out for any tell-tale signs I presume will emerge from the turnout itself and the voting patterns. I have this gut feeling that ‘intelligent voters’ will be sending subtle messages through their ballot.”

Former Times of Malta editor

Unimpressed by proposals

Both journalists are much less confident about the country’s future economic prosperity than Abela and Grech, to say the least.

“Just a few days away from election day and I still keep asking myself how, exactly, will they finance their proposals, including some very extravagant ones,” the former Times of Malta editor argued.

“Look what is happening around us. We are now being told the grey list may be no more, come this June. I pray that will, indeed, be the case. But what about the enduring effects – if not escalation – of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, COVID-19, the explosive situation in Libya, climate change and tax harmonisation, among others?

Reno Bugeja said both parties’ pledges assume the economy will “swell phenomenally”, but those projections could very well fall flat due to the current global unrest.

“I find it hard to process many of the proposals. Take the transport pledges, for instance. Both the trackless tram and the metro are highly unlikely to effectively take cars off the road, because people love their cars – it is our culture,” Reno Bugeja argued.

“We even take the car to go to mass and expect to park it on the parvis, if possible. And don’t forget that Malta already had a train, and cars killed it, so before we change that culture, we will not ditch our cars.”

Reno Bugeja was also cynical of the environment proposals, saying that while it is doable to transform €700 million in new green, open spaces, the environment is much more than that. He also recalled PN’s 2008 billboard pledging that Magħtab would flourish – a promise which, he said, never saw the light of day.

“Both parties like to talk big about the environment during the election, because they believe it wins them votes, but I’m less than sure they have real political will to put it on top of their agenda,” he said.

“They know how to fly with the birds and shoot with the hunters – they learnt how to speak differently to the ears of different audiences.”

Ray Bugeja said very few promises attracted his attention.

“I expected more on substance rather than ‘bread and circus’ issues. And there are indeed a few issues of substance that demand their attention,” he said.

“It annoys me hearing one side pulling the other’s leg on grounds of “terms and conditions”, “costings”, “copying” proposals or taking one’s time to publish the manifesto.”

Reno Bugeja said other important issues, such as farmers’ land leases and migration, remained very much untouched, and issues such as sexual health, were very opaquely discussed.

“At least the PN abandoned the rhetoric of ‘problematic foreign workers’, which was very common in former leader Adrian Delia’s discourse,” he said.

Former TVM editor Reno Bugeja

Cheques and balances

Reno Bugeja believes the government’s initiative to send tax rebate cheques this week is likely to have worked in its favour, and while he said the timing was not ideal, it could very well be justified.

Ray Bugeja weighed in on Wednesday’s Chamber of Commerce debate.

“After the university’s flat event, I hoped the main two political leaders will try to make up at the two encounters they had with entrepreneurs. The outcome was much better but Abela and Grech still stuck to the instructions of their strategists.

“Do I expect any better this last week? Hardly. I hope I’m wrong, but I fear scandal would prevail over substance.”