Politics is a hard game. It is dirty and very rough. It is undemocratic, full of lies and much misinformation. Eliminating your opponent by all means possible and not allowing him to get his message to the public is key. If it means discrediting him as a person, threatening him and carrying out illegal acts to stop him, so be it. Now multiply the above by a factor of at least 5000 and you start getting close to the mark. It is certainly not for the faint-hearted or the weak. Not for the ideologist alone but for a team of people who want change. Each might have their own different reason for wanting it but they are united in the wish to change the situation no matter what. They want it so much that for them it is not a matter of if but when change will happen. They are willing to make huge efforts and endure personal pain; they work against incredible odds yet remain focused so that change will happen.

This week has been a good week for change. After having gone through recent big ‘pains’ I am much encouraged by a new batch of fresh blood and capable people finally committing to work actively with us for change to happen. On a wider level Malta too experienced positive steps towards real change. First, early this week, unknown to the general public, we had a potentially dangerous situation in Malta itself. Luckily, it was sheer luck and the fast action of some individuals that we were spared the very harmful international consequences. Later in the week, potential Libyan peace talks under the UN auspices finally took place in Malta. After ignoring repeated requests for such a meeting our government finally changed its previous, wrong direction on this matter. The Maltese government acceded to “obeying UN’s request” and also, in the end, upheld the Constitution itself instead of knowingly breaking it. This is something that the Partit Alleanza Bidla has been insisting on for over two years. Despite all the stumbling blocks thrown in our path, this week’s meetings would not have happened had it not been for Alleanza Bidla and other dedicated individuals who worked incessantly with the limited tools available to see this happen. Effectively, we did the work that our government should have done and presented it to them as a done deal. The typical response is that they now gloat about ‘their achievement’ that they had previously worked so hard against!! We too are gloating as our government’s forced turn around on this policy was worth all the effort. Not only because we were right all the time about Libya but because it was the right thing for Malta to do.

Finally, of course, we had the huge change in America itself. If there is anything that shows my first paragraph above to be correct, it was the American electoral campaign itself. It was long, rough, dirty, and like nothing that we have seen before. Against all imaginable odds, a totally non-political individual is now President-elect of the US. The establishment, based primarily on the pursuit of pure financial profit and banking interests, the establishment which in return for money drove the very harmful neo-liberalist agendas and imposed them on the rest of the world so forcefully, lost to the total outsider! Despite all the strength, power and money available, Goliath was beaten by little David. David, who refused to fight them with the fist and with their weapons, but preferred to use the sling. Just like David, they laughed and mocked him when he stood up to face the Philistines. Which one of them is laughing now?

Against all odds, change, real change that the people have been waiting for, for five years has now happened and we all hope that this change will be for the good of us all. For me, a Christian, anti neo-liberalist, pro-lifer, it can only get better.

There is also change in Europe too. Another real change against all odds. They laughed at Nigel Farage’s dream of Brexit. Again, who of them is laughing at him now?

In theory, the western world should be ruled by three women – Clinton, May and Merkel. Instead, we see neo-liberalism reeling and sovereign state-based democracy gaining ground by the day. Not just in the US and the UK but throughout Europe. Some now predict the full demise of the EU entity itself. Alleanza advised three years ago that if the EU does not reform fast and truly base itself on the people as opposed to Obama/Clinton’s policies, it will inevitably self-implode.

With these new changes the EU block will now probably split into two blocks: one led by Britain and with Italy in it too. This block will be close to the US and its new allies (Russia?) who all hold the same creed: sovereign democracy and free trade. Real independence, real sovereignty and the right to self-determination. The other block will be led by France and Germany. They will carry on preaching neo-liberalism and Merkel’s failed federalist dream. A fake dream because, in reality, they too put their countries first but pretend otherwise so as to control the smaller nations to their benefit.

In this scenario, Malta has some very serious and fast thinking to do with regards to its foreign policy. With our totally inept minister/prime minister relationship, this is something we are just not capable of doing at present even though it is so important that we do and get it absolutely right: our future way of life is at stake.

We all know that the PN, PL and AD are totally sold on Merkel’s federalist dream, and on Clinton’s neo-liberalist policy. At least Busutill stuck to his guns regarding his admiration of her policies. In typical fashion on the other hand, our Prime Minister has already abandoned ship and is now claiming that he is really like Trump! This is the kind of leadership that we have.

Three years ago, we (few) left the comfort of our traditional parties. We totally disagreed with the new neo-liberalist direction that both chose to take. To us, it is a harmful path and the results are already showing. Both the PN and the PL champion Clinton’s harmful policies unquestionably and the PL (Progressive Liberals) under Muscat gained so much temporarily for this new found loyalty to her.

Despite coming from different political camps we found what unites us and being fully aware of the hard road ahead, we left. We preferred to keep our principles, morals and values before everything else. We did not join to create a debating society but to make real change happen. To work for it politically as this is the only way we believe that change will happen. We believe that a much needed change in our failing two-party electoral power is needed. One that merely hands over power, without question, for five years to the ‘lesser of two evils’. One that is highly prone to abuse from whoever is in power to one that gives coalition governments and a real time safety valve against abuse.

But just like in Britain and in the US that part – the when – is not in our hands. It is in the hands of the Maltese people who now, like their American/British counterparts do have an alternative to consider in the forthcoming election.

Our job is to offer that alternative. To believe as we do in change and to persuade others that we are most serious when we say that it can happen if they want it as much as we do.

Of course back then they also laughed at us too. Yet the PN seems to have stopped laughing and seems to be taking us more seriously. And if what we are being told is correct, the PL has also stopped laughing too. Not the top Taghna Lkoll level in the OPM that is. They will no doubt carry on laughing even when it is too late to keep doing so. But not the more sensible lower levels, who now realise that the Taghna Lkoll are not only laughing at us but also at them and will carry on doing so long after they have left the others to pick up the pieces they will leave behind….

The question then is no longer if but when will the final tipping point happen?

Has it actually happened already?

Is the real, positive change we have worked so hard for just around the corner?

And who will in fact be having the last laugh on this road for real change in Malta too?