Ira Losco did a splendid job. She gave her all with two great performances in the semi-final and final nights of the Eurovision Song Contest. She finished in 12th place, far below the second position she had obtained in 2002, but knowing that she had given it her best shot.
But, this year, Ira was just the instrument used by Labour in yet another of its marketing campaigns. And by Labour I mean government, party and so many others linked to them who openly used the singer in an attempt to bring the Eurovision festival over to Malta.
I have no doubt in my mind that, if Ira had won, she would have been pushed off the stage immediately after receiving the trophy, to be replaced by Joseph Muscat.
Labour did all in its power to win the Eurovision Song Contest. Not for Ira to win, but for Labour to win. They would have loved to organise the event next year right in the middle of the EU presidency (how ironic, that someone who campaigned so heavily to keep Malta out of the EU will have the honour of leading it for six months).
They would have used it as a launching pad leading up to the election. By the time the next Eurovision song contest comes in May 2017, we will have started the countdown, and having all European eyes – and Australia’s too – on Malta would have given Labour the opportunity to instil a feel-good factor which has gone wildly astray in the past few months.
Given that Malta has been in the international news for the wrong reasons because of the Panama Papers scandal, Labour's victory in Stockholm and subsequent 12-month buzz as Malta prepared to host the 2017 event would have served as a great distraction. Labour tried to do it by creating stories about Simon Busuttil, Ann Fenech, Mario de Marco, Beppe Fenech Adami, Tonio Fenech and they did not manage. The Eurovision was their next target. And they failed there too.
Reports that, this year, the Eurovision team had a limitless budget have been denied, but there is no doubt that no expense was spared to push Malta’s entry. Ambassadors were also reported to have sent emails urging citizens of the country where they are serving as Malta’s representatives to vote for Ira.
Here in Malta, Labour raised expectations sky-high. They used Ira’s popularity, and her 2002 near-success, to build up the event both nationally and internationally. Labour used Ira in every possible way to try to push for a win: she was told to announce her pregnancy publicly on the eve of the event to gain maximum mileage, although by then all of Malta knew she is with child. They used her to speak up about LGBT rights in the hope of getting gays and lesbians to vote for Malta. They used her in every possible way to serve their purposes.
But Labour failed to win the Eurovision. Now they have to find another target to deflect attention away from the Panama Papers.
But they will fail again.
As for next year’s Eurovision, perhaps they should send a trio wearing Panama hats.