President Emeritus and former Prime Minister Eddie Fenech Adami has told The Malta Independent on Sunday that he would have announced his personal opinion on the issue of spring hunting in the same way as Leader of the Opposition Simon Busuttil did.
In an interview with this newspaper, it was made to understand that Dr Fenech Adami would be voting in favour of spring hunting in the referendum to be held on 11 April.
Asked whether he felt Dr Busuttil's stand was beneficial to the Nationalist Party, the former Prime Minister said that it is, adding that he has great admiration for the Leader of the Opposition because he is realistic, and not afraid of taking stands.
Earlier this month, Dr Busuttil said that despite being in favour of protecting the environment, he was the one who had worked and defended the derogation for limited and sustainable hunting in spring both within his party and in the EU, so he has to be consistent and vote to keep the derogation.
Dr Fenech Adami himself, in collaboration with Dr Busuttil, ensured that Malta's EU accession in 2003 included the right to derogate from the EU's ban on spring hunting. In Malta, the two main species hunted are turtle dove and quail. Under EU law, hunting in spring is normally prohibited so that birds can be protected during migration. However, during negotiations, Malta declared that it will use derogation from this part of the EU law so that hunting in spring can continue in Malta for turtle dove and quail. The agreement on hunting between Malta and the EU applies for as long as the Maltese government wants to use the derogation. If, on 11 April, the majority of voters vote 'No', the legislation that applies the derogation will fall through.
Dr Fenech Adami led his party to win five out of six general elections - in 1981, 1987, 1992, 1998 and 2003. However, in 2013, the party he worked so hard for suffered a colossal defeat with a 36,000 vote gap between the two major political parties. How confident is he that it will regain the electorate's trust in the next general election? "I've always stressed that the public is perceptive and well aware of what is going on, despite some thinking otherwise. People will scrutinise whether things are running as they should or not. And given this, I do believe Dr Busuttil has the ability to win the upcoming elections," Dr Fenech Adami says.
"I was well aware of Dr Busuttil's potential from the very start - I was the one, after all, who persuaded him to contest the European Parliament elections. I remember him saying he'd never manage to win enough votes, but I insisted that he would manage to reach a quota. In time, I was proved right. He is realistic, can read a situation well, and does not over-react in any context. He is able to provide direction, without interfering. He is also acceptant of everyone's opinion - and that I believe, is one of his best traits."
For years, the former Prime Minister opposed introducing legislations that are now implemented, or on the way to - including divorce, civil unions and the decriminalisation of drugs.
Over 20 years ago, former Prime Minister Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici, then Leader of the Opposition, had even suggested that drugs should be legalised across the board. However, this proposal only spurred Dr Fenech Adami to strengthen his anti-drugs stance.
"Principles are called that for a reason, and I stick to my beliefs. However, I can understand that one has to be realistic, and has to deal with certain exigencies. Even if a politician holds a belief, at times circumstances require accepting what the majority wants."
Dr Fenech Adami was always confident about the potential of local councils. But 20 years down the line, the councils today face media scandals and financial debts. However, Dr Fenech Adami is well satisfied with the role they are playing in governance. "Local councils today are a reality, and I truly think that every locality has benefited from such set-ups. The public feared that the councils would trigger political division, but this is not the case today. More often than not, council members from different political parties work well together."
Next week, Dr Fenech Adami celebrates his 81st birthday. But he is not one to look back. "I do not dwell on the past, and neither do I think much of the future. I am one to live for the present - and without sounding too cliché, I do not leave for tomorrow what I can manage today. However, if I could choose one year to go back to - it will doubtlessly be the day I got married to Mary on 27 June 1965, and when we started a family together, because ultimately I was surrounded by family all my life, including my political career."
Mary Fenech Adami passed away in 2011, after succumbing to a heart attack she suffered six days earlier. Throughout his career, she was a source of strength for her husband, even when the family went through a particularly difficult time after he was elected leader of the Nationalist Party in 1977 and their Birkirkara home was ransacked and looted by a mob. During public appearances, she was constantly by her husband's side or one step behind. The two had met in St Paul's Bay, where their respective families spent their summers.
Dr Fenech Adami admits that after she passed away, he had to learn how to manage things she always took care of. "I was always dependant on her for certain matters. I never thought about what I'd have for dinner, for starters. Not that it matters much. But they are simple things you realise she always took care of, without question."
Last year, Dr Fenech Adami suffered a blow when he found out that his son Beppe had a large tumour on his shoulder blade. Beppe underwent 33 sessions of chemotherapy, and was later operated on. He is now recovering gradually.
"Of course I was concerned. However, Beppe had a sense of peace of mind, which he managed to communicate to us. He remained realistic, yet courageous. Of course Mary would have been concerned, but she was always strong enough to deal with what life dealt."
Beppe today is the PN's deputy leader. However, his father says that he has never approached him for political advice. "Of course we discuss current affairs at the dinner table, just like every other family does. But he is autonomous, and I've never sought to influence him where his own political decisions are concerned."
Today, the former president enjoys the freedom of not having fixed appointments to keep every hour of the day, but he still makes it a point of accepting invitations. "I feel free as a bird, I still enjoy socialising and when my presence is requested, I go, even for my own good."
Throughout the past 81 years, Dr Fenech Adami has read tons of books. However, his favourite remains The Lord by Romano Guardini. "It is a book which has never ceased to impress me, read after read. Only a few books send out the message in the way he does, and I have often made reference to it when required." Romano Guardini was an Italian-born German Catholic priest, author and academic. He was one of the most important figures in Catholic intellectual life in the 20th century.