Opinion: Flip-flopper in chief

Still shell-shocked from the European elections, Robert Abela made a stunning declaration: “Government will respond to the electorate’s message by making decisions that benefit the country… as with tables and chairs”.

Just days later, he was endorsing and supporting ROCS’ hijacking of the whole of Triton Square and the entrance to the capital city for an entire fortnight.

It wasn’t just tables and chairs. Red banners, advertising hoardings, information booths, a platform with a Porsche Cayenne and huge marquees left only a small restricted passage for those trying to reach Valletta.

Abela, the man who believes in “the fight for what’s right”, turned up with his wife to fight for the right of his friends to deprive the public of access to its own capital city.

Rachel Vella, ROCS director, fawned above a photo of herself accompanied by Abela with his broad smile, aviator shades and his wife Lydia, milking the free publicity. “Just three hours away from the start of FESTA ROCS,” Vella said, “and we were honoured by a surprise VIP visit from our Prime Minister Abela and his beautiful wife, Lydia Abela!”

Abela’s contempt for the public is staggering. He doesn’t even try to hide his duplicity. He promotes it, allowing people like Rachel Vella to wipe his disdain in our faces.

Abela’s Minister for Lands Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi tried to pick up the pieces, acknowledging that there had been “a lack of sensitivity” in the takeover of public space. But it wasn’t a lack of sensitivity that Abela displayed—it was sheer scorn for the common citizen while standing fully behind the money-grabbing efforts of his business friends.

Abela has a knack for putting his foot in it. While he found time to support ROCS, he completely ignored the residents’ groups and NGOs who requested a meeting with him after his post-electoral pledges to find a balance on the tables and chairs issue.

“We have written to you several times,” the NGOs told Abela. “We have sent our proposals by e-mail, held protests and actions and were never acknowledged by you or your ministers. Now you say citizens know they can trust your government and that a solution can be found. If we don’t hear from you with a definite date set for a meeting, we’ll know that you are bluffing once again.” But Abela couldn’t care less. 

Even Jason Micallef was livid, calling the whole ROCS event a “hamallata” — a tacky, tasteless abuse of citizens’ rights. 

Cultural heritage advocates like Din L-Art Helwa expressed their outrage at the “devaluing of the historical context” of a UNESCO World Heritage site, calling the event “a brazen bazaar” that “crossed a line”.

This is classic Robert Abela. He says what people want to hear, but he doesn’t mean what he says.

He was never going to try to find “the right balance” when it came to the abuse of public spaces by his rich friends.

He says one thing and does the opposite in an effort to placate the public while hoping they forget his latest promise. 

Abela is convinced there’s nothing the public won’t forgive him for as long as those cheques keep coming.

Back in May 2020, Abela said on ONE that breaches of COVID rules were not intentional. He told the public, “if they have already paid their fine, they can apply for a refund.” But, on 2 March 2021 Abela warned them that fines for those caught breaching COVID rules would be increased.

When Rosianne Cutajar’s chats with Yorgen Fenech were leaked, Abela defended her, saying she should not have to pay a political price again. That was 22 March 2023. He changed his mind six days later.

“Nobody is bigger than the party,” he told Cutajar, and by 3 April, he had called a Labour Party executive meeting to kick her out of the parliamentary group. Cutajar made him wait until the very last minute before announcing her resignation. Abela retaliated by stating that he excluded the possibility of Cutajar running on the Labour Party ticket again.

Just a few months later, with an election looming,  Abela changed his mind again. “Rosianne Cutajar has paid enough,” he said. “I’m reconsidering her position. Nobody should pay a never-ending penalty.” Days later, he made another U-turn, this time insisting Cutajar apologise for her actions. She refused, but she was still on the Labour campaign trail weeks later, making speeches at Alex Agius Saliba’s event.

When Miriam Pace was killed beneath the rubble of her own home, Abela rejected a public inquiry but set up an expert panel to investigate. He promised to publish the report within ten days. When it was finalised, he changed his mind, saying, “The report won’t be published as it is already being implemented.” He gave in and published it months later as public pressure mounted in the face of his callous insensitivity. 

When Abela tabled the Miriam Pace report, he warned the “construction cowboys” that they wouldn’t be allowed to put people’s lives at risk any longer. That was a few months before Jean Paul Sofia was buried under the rubble of another flimsy construction site.  

Abela rejected calls for a public inquiry for months. On 12 July 2023, he ordered his MPs to vote against a motion calling for a public inquiry. Then, on 17 July, he announced a public inquiry into Sofia’s death—but only when faced with the real prospect of massive public protest. 

The man is so out of touch that when that protest went ahead anyway, he walked down Castille’s steps and into the crowd. He imagined he’d be feted as a hero. Instead, he was jeered and booed. His security staff whisked him away for his own safety.

Robert Abela thinks he’s too clever, and people are too dumb to remember his fake promises. He’ll soon discover that there are only so many times you can take the people for a ride.