Nothing can touch him

PM Abela, in his first given interview to the Times of Malta, some couple of months agol, stated himself that he doesn’t like to compare himself with others, his predecessor Joseph Muscat in particular. There have been various topics that were part of the interview and he’s been very kind to the interviewer on all topics, but always with the partisan line prevailing in his answers. This left some impression on my mind and in particular the fact that he doesn’t like to compare.

But others, myself included, do compare PM Abela not just with his predecessor, but beyond Malta too. Past and present and one can draw similarities in comparing, see the differences between characters and the ways of their conduct, but also taking into account the way they see themselves in context with what is expected from them by their voters, party members and other sympathisers or followers.

I always had the impression, and on some occasions in conversing with PLers, there is still the expectation on their part that a leader always means to be ‘the strong man’ which translates to me into ‘being authoritarian’. Otherwise they regard that person as too weak and not of leadership material. In my view, this is still an attitude that stems from the Mintoff era and prevails to this day with them. That is what they expect from PM Abela and he’s somehow appearing like being in a fix between pleasing his party members and voters and reacting on incidents that demand a decisive and consequent action by the state authorities. In my opinion, this hither and thither makes him appear to be ‘not settled’ (yet) in his role as PM. Always giving the impression that in fact, it isn’t himself who is head of the govt, but Joseph Muscat pulling the strings from behind.

Sadly, in regards of the quotes in this article regarding the separation of powers in a democracy, populism and those who support and cheer it (lots of them among the PLers), take it either as ‘a minor issue’ or comply with the undermining of this principle in order to have the strong leader. As long as they are on the ‘right receiving end’, they can live with it because they are not concerned as they don’t bother about such things.

Wherever in the EU there emerged or consolidated a government, put in place by voters who are fond of populist, whether they are of the political right or left, the whole population had to witness a decline in standards of the separation of powers. One can compare Malta in such regards with Poland (the PiS party a right-wing one), Hungary with Victor Orban (with the Fides party also a right-wing one) and recently the new govt in Italy with Ms Meloni. What goes for Poland and Hungary, there are similarities in style of governing, in regards of the separation of power, in regards of ‘handling’ judges who defend the constitution and work accordingly, in regards of journalists who report about the abuse of power, as they see it and as they have stories brought to their attention by first hand witnesses or affected.

What concerns Italy, Ms Meloni is still cautious in switching over to a hard ruling, and one knows that governments in Italy don’t last that long, often break up after a couple of years. What all the populists have in common, as by the three mentioned other countries these are all right-wing parties, is a distinct either openly anti-EU attitude or they disguise it as being ‘EU-critical’. In fact, they all seek to take the advantages from their country’s EU membership and try to circumvent the EU principles which are founded on the principles of the separation of powers and the independence of the judiciary.

In Malta, the situation is the reverse to the other three right-wing parties because the PL is supposed or classyfied as being a left-wing party (not that I would regard it as such). But the PL is as much populistic like the others and from all the PLers I have encountered, there was hardly a single one I would recall as not either being openly and aggressively anti-EU or indifferent. The nationalism displayed by them which is aking to the Trumpist slogan machtes to the old Mintoff slogan ‘Malta first and foremost’. That leaves no place for anything else. The anti-EU stance lives on and this is manifestated by the way the PL is trying to handle Malta’s EU membership which hardly anybody of them wanted, but when it comes to money, it’s all ok with them.

I think that one should take PM Abela seriously because he is in the position of power and whether one believes it or not, Joseph Muscat is far from ‘out of politics’ and the admiration he still enjoys from within the PL is not fading away. His influence on the party lives on because there are no major alterations in regards of this party’s conduct when it comes to the Daphne Caruana Galizia case. The govt makes concessions and shows action when either put on pressure from the outside or crimes occure which shake up the whole nation. One has to show the strong leadership in such moments. Once the noise and outrage has settled, back to business as usual.

It would be very daring at this stage to state whether Malta is heading into a similar direction like Poland and Hungary, but the populism that comes from the PL and the receptiveness of those who are with that party, gives some food for thoughts that it could well be. Maybe it is just a matter of time, fact is to me, the landslide victory in the 2022 GE have encouraged the PL to think that they can do as they please and not being accountable to the nation because no matter what they do, they got their landslide victory and that is considered as being more than just the approval of the past term in govt but with an increase of voters, more than a confirmation to them to feel even stronger.

In regards of Poland and Hungary, the EU imposed sanctions on these coutries for stepping out of line in regards of the EU principles, separation of power, free speech and a free media as well as the independence of the judiciary. Now with the war in Ukraine, Poland is forced to reign itself in at least a bit, but the PiS is still reluctant, the fear of a Russian attack breathing down their neck. In Hungary, the same but Orban is still maintaining his good relationship with Putin, because his country depends very much on energy supplies from Russia and like all the populists, he has to show his followers to still being the strong man, putting Hungary’s national interests first, as far as this is still possible and not always staying in line with the EU sanctions on Russia.

Just theoretically, if Malta with this PL govt is to heading down the same or similar path like the other mentioned countries, Malta sets itself into conflict with the EU and if the EU responds on that with sanctions because the PL govt would not budge and get back in line with upholding the separation of powers, it would merely increase the anti-EU sentiments or say ‘befire’ them, for they are always there among the PLers.

I have seen reports about Hungary, a documentary in particular where ‘former’ journalists from Hungary were interviewed who had to leave their country because the Orban regime made it impossible for them to work in their profession. The similarities to Malta were there, though not as harsh as in Hungary, but it is always the same, populists don’t like free journalists and by that I mean not just the free lance ones, also those who work for a media outlet that has no partisan links.

Going with all that and with a bigger picture that includes the comparisons made, to have Ms Metsola as President of the European Commission in the aftermath of the 2024 EP election, would have at least the prospect that the PL couldn’t proceed with their ‘do as we please’ attitude because this would put Malta in conflict with the EC and I consider Ms Metsola as the person that wouldn’t let the PL get away with it. It would have the potential of conflict which put even more pressure on the PL govt because with her, the EC would have a President that knows exactly what is going on in Malta and how to respond to the PL in a way and language nobody else from another EU member state can.

With the war in Ukraine, Malta is not in the focus of the EU these days, but with Ms Metsola as President of the EP, Malta is also not forgotten.

Body building effects the brain?

He’s certainly not of stellar intelligence.And he is surrounded by upstarts!

Hopefully we can get rid of this useless, arrogant twat, at the next GE.