The sword of Damocles is a metaphor used to represent the insecurity and the responsibility entailed in taking on a position of great power.  The person that rises quickly to a position of great power, to which he was not used to or groomed into, becomes afraid that someone can take away that role of power from him suddenly.  Moreover, this person also fears that fate may make it difficult for him to keep that position of power.  The expression is typically used to describe a situation of fear in respect of something damaging that could happen to us at any moment and that we would like to get rid of immediately.  I could not stop thinking of Cicero’s metaphor as I watched Joseph Muscat address the press last Sunday in reaction to the referendum results.

It is an open secret that the Malta Labour Party ran an ‘incognito’ campaign for the Yes camp.  The fact that the Labour Party put its weight behind the ‘Yes’ camp has made many people angry, but the fact that Joseph Muscat is denying this blatant and obvious circumstance is making people furious.  Events in the run-up to the referendum have convinced me, and many share my conviction, that Joseph Muscat aimed for an overwhelming and resounding majority for the ‘Yes’ vote.  At the same time, the Labour Party ran a fully-fledged general election campaign for this round of Local Council elections.  His objective was simple: A resounding majority for the Yes vote, and an increase in the 17% gap between the PN and the MLP number 1 preference in the local council elections.  Joseph Muscat is not satisfied with winning. He enjoys trying to ridicule and humiliate his opponent. And he does this with pomp and jest to make it clear to all and sundry that he thinks he is superior to his opponent. The expression on Joseph Muscat’s face and his body language during the press conference last Sunday was significant.  The dismal margin for the ‘Yes’ vote despite the intensive, expensive, and sophisticated campaigns, meant that his plan did not work to the full.  For the first time, Joseph Muscat had to deal with an unsatisfactory outcome.  This is uncharted territory for Joseph Muscat and a failure to maintain, let alone improve; the 17% gap next weekend will confirm Joseph Muscat’s worries.  For this reason, this weekend expect a jubilant Joseph Muscat. Regardless of the result of the Local Council elections the Labour Party is organising celebrations and planning its media splurge irrespective of whether the gap is maintained.

What was Joseph Muscat’s reaction? Courting those that voted ‘No’.  I guess this is to be expected from a first class salesman.  In his eyes, the hunters’ are his property. On the other hand he needed to woo the environmentalists.  He realised that half of the people that voted were looking at him angrily for having contaminated and piloted an affair that should have been solely of the people.And he was uncomfortable with the new situation.

The Prime Minister announced the date of the referendum and immediately declared that he would be voting ‘Yes’.  He stated that he wanted to preserve the derogation, which the PN had negotiated with the EU with a view to achieving a balance between the environmentalists and the hunting lobby. And lest we all forget this was a derogation, which Muscat fought against tooth and nail. 

Everybody understood what that meant when he said that he would vote ‘Yes’.  The Malta Labour Party had not been consulted but had been given clear instructions.  Simon Busuttil disappointed him by declaring (after consulting with every organ within the party) that he would also vote ‘Yes’.  However, Simon Busuttil also said that he would leave everyone vote as he deemed appropriate and that the PN would not interfere in the referendum campaign, and that is exactly what he did.  Dr. Busuttil was taking his time to make sure there was consultation within the PN, and while the PL was trying to depict him as a weak leader, we had on the other hand the great leader Joseph Muscat who took his decisions on the fly, without consulting anyone, and imposing his will on the PL and their voters.  Those that argue that Simon Busuttil took this position as a tactical ploy, which incidentally also gave a fighting chance to the ‘No’ vote, clearly do not know Simon Busuttil well enough.  He is a principled person above anything else.  Having personally negotiated the derogation, voting ‘Yes’ was a matter of principle for him. Irrespective of his personal preferences or what was more convenient for him or the PN, Simon Busuttil stood by the compromise that he himself had fought for ahead of Malta’s accession to the EU. Love it or hate it Simon Busuttil is a leader with whom you know where you stand.

Having been under the reign of Joseph Muscat for over two years people are starting to realise they can aspire to something better. They are starting to realize that in politics it is possible to reintroduce trust again.They are starting to realize that they can hope fora clean, transparent and honest way of doing politics.  For this reason alone, expect Muscat’s apologists and supporters to start conceding to a number of mistakes and shortcomings but to continue to emphasize that the almighty Joseph Muscat is still the preferred choice. Reading through their propaganda messages is crucial because their incessant pounding will take its toll even on the most resistant thinkers.

But here’s a note of optimism. Joseph Muscat has become very predictable. And his predictability is making it increasingly easy to see through his tactics. From now on, assume more back room deals with the gatekeepers to the hunting lobby group, lots of macho talk to lure the ‘No’ voters, and a pretext to close the hunting season early. And where is the problem with all of this? Joseph Muscat doesn’t give a toss about hunters, birds or the environment. He only cares about power. Like Damocles in the 4th century BC, he has become afraid that someone can take away his role of power. Fear of losing power can lead individuals to dark places to the detriment of our society and the country that we live in. Society is slowly waking up to this realization.

 

MP Joe Cassar is the opposition spokesman for culture