There is no conceivable excuse or explanation for the government’s appointment a few days ago of a Labour Party candidate, who is currently campaigning for election to the European Parliament, as Malta’s ambassador to Romania. Other than the ‘iced bun’ aspect of it (“don’t worry if you’re not elected, because we’ve got a nice ambassadorship for you as thanks for serving Labour’s interests”), there is the entirely inappropriate – extraordinary, actually – timing to consider. Why appoint him now, even as he is campaigning for election? Why did the government not wait until after the election results are announced, appointing him if he fails to be elected? That would be just as bad in terms of cronyism – “let’s stick our friends in high places” – but at least the timing would not have been quite as absurd and offensive.

It’s interesting to observe that the government-cum-Labour-Party (for all pretence at distinguishing between the two has long since been abandoned) does not seem to notice or care that when it makes these appointments and behaves in this way, it upsets its own supporters far more than it does those who do not support Labour. I never expected otherwise, and so I am neither shocked nor disappointed – this sort of behaviour is entirely what I envisaged because it is quite possible to work out how people will behave and no magic powers are necessary. But there were many people who voted Labour for the first time because they were led to expect something quite different, and who are now extremely cross. There are dedicated Labour supporters, too, who are annoyed because they see Muscat and his cronies as having let the side down with this sort of behaviour.

Then there is President Coleiro. I wrote when we were told of her selection as Head of State that she would turn out to be the worst president we have ever had, surpassed only by the perfectly dreadful Agatha Barbara. And so it is rapidly turning out to be, her six-hour installation ceremony having set the scene for the five years to come. There was absolutely no reason for her to hand our new ambassador to Romania his letter of appointment right now. But President Coleiro was quite happy to be used in Lino Bianco’s election campaign.

 

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If the Malta Developers Association wishes to be taken seriously and earn itself some respect, it should elect a new president. The sight of the current incumbent helping to make up the numbers at the Labour Party’s ‘soldiers of steel’ May Day rally in Bormla was more than a little unsavoury, especially given that the very next day, the press were called to a meeting between him, in his official capacity, and the government’s planning secretary, Michael Falzon.

The feeling grows that there is some form of trading in influence which will work to the benefit of developers at the expense of the greater good. This may or may not be true, but it’s perception which counts. It looks ugly.

Nor did it do either Bank of Valletta or the government/Labour Party any good to have the bank’s chairman, John Cassar White – a political appointee – speak at a Labour Party rally a few days ago, as part of its election campaign. Bank of Valletta is a public limited company listed on the stock exchange. It is not a private company. Are the bank’s directors and shareholders happy with the fact that the chairman spoke at a Labour rally? Was his decision unilateral and was it discussed, or did he seek and obtain approval from the board?

Fascinatingly, the Labour Party still thinks of Bank of Valletta as somehow belonging to it in some spiritual way, which when you think about it is not far off from the truth. But still, the way Labour identifies with and has a sense of ownership towards the bank is quite enthralling. Every year I go to Bank of Valletta’s Christmas party for people who work in the media. It’s always a very pleasant affair in which there are no political overtones or undertones and everybody is civilised. Last Christmas, people turned up randomly from different media houses, depending on their workload that night, but the Super One/Labour media mob turned out in full force and literally took over the space, led by Super One TV chairman Jason Micallef. The way I can best describe their attitude is as that of close friends and relations at a family wedding.

And that, of course, reminds us that Jason Micallef is still chairman of the Labour Party’s television station even as he chairs and leads the Valletta 2018 foundation. I hope that, for his sake at least, his plans to carpet Palace Square with a few thousand pansies turn out fine (at the risk of sounding terribly politically incorrect, I’ll have to point out that his rival Joseph Muscat got there first). It was, as he told us, his long-cherished dream, and now he’s getting to live it at the expense of the public purse. Let’s hear it for meritocracy.

www.daphnecaruanagalizia.com