A month has passed since the Nationalist Party’s disastrous performance in the European Parliament elections, a defeat that sparked a series of accusations at the way the government is handling current issues and which raised speculation about a possible Cabinet reshuffle.

So far, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi has kept his cards close to his chest, but the pressure seems to be mounting – both from inside and outside – for him to boost an ailing government by either enlarging his Cabinet to include new members, reorganising his present set-up, or both.

Sources close to the party say that the more the media speaks about a possible reshuffle, the more it will not happen. Dr Gonzi, stubborn as he is, will not be pushed into doing something simply because he is being told to do so – unless that something is being orchestrated by some people who seem to be more equal than others, the sources added.

In the prevailing circumstances, there are various situations that Dr Gonzi could consider, if and when he decides to go for it. What is certain is that if he does make up his mind, the media will be officially informed only minutes before he makes the announcement.

Last year, when the PN was elected to government for a third consecutive time, Dr Gonzi opted for a leaner Cabinet, trimming down the number of ministries to eight (excluding the OPM), while giving some members of the younger generation of MPs the post of parliamentary secretaries.

He did this for two reasons – first because he considered his previous Cabinet as having been too large, and secondly because some of the ministers in the previous term did not make it to Parliament, or else barely did so.

But now he is finding there are ministries that are too big, which means that the ministers concerned cannot cope with the portfolio in the best way possible. One of these ministries is that run by Austin Gatt, who is entrusted with so many things that he cannot focus on particular issues without ignoring others.

The appointment of a parliamentary secretary to take over part of his responsibilities is likely, if Dr Gonzi chooses to play about with his Cabinet. Beppe Fenech Adami is being mentioned as a possibility, but one cannot exclude others – such as David Agius, the government whip, and Edwin Vassallo, who had experience as a parliamentary secretary for the self-employed in the last administration – from also having a slice of the cake.

While this could be a relatively easy move for Dr Gonzi to make if he wants to – as all it would entail would be an addition to the Cabinet – others are certainly more complicated.

For one thing, it must be remembered that on the PN backbench there are a number of MPs who were ministers under the previous Gonzi government.

Francis Zammit Dimech, Michael Frendo, Jesmond Mugliett, Louis Deguara, Censu Galea and Ninu Zammit were all part of that Cabinet and, while the possibility of having the latter three re-instated seems to be a rather remote possibility, the first three are still ambitious enough to be seeking a place where they think they belong.

Added to this, there are a number of other MPs who have never formed part of the Cabinet, and who are pushing for their own seat where it matters. These, according to the sources, include Robert Arrigo, Charlo’ Bonnici and Jean Pierre Farrugia.

Of these, Robert Arrigo seems to have the biggest chance of finding a place in the Cabinet, if Dr Gonzi does go for it. He was elected in two very difficult districts in the last election, but he was not given a post that many believe he deserves because he has worked so hard.

The fact that his wife, a former Sliema mayor, did not contest the local council election held last month has been interpreted as a first step leading to the appointment of Mr Arrigo in the position currently occupied by Chris Said, who is responsible for local councils. Now that the reform Dr Said spearheaded has been implemented, he could move to pastures new, and Mr Arrigo would have no conflict of interest, as his wife is now out of the Sliema local council.

The possibilities here are two. It could be that since Dr Said has too much on his plate, although he is “only” a parliamentary secretary, Mr Arrigo will be appointed as a third PS in the Office of the Prime Minister – the other being Mario de Marco, who is responsible for tourism.

Alternatively, Dr Said could be rewarded for the sterling work he has done by being promoted to the post of Gozo Minister. Again, this is a complex scenario. If Dr Said gets the Gozo portfolio, what would happen to the current incumbent, Giovanna Debono – the third most senior Cabinet member after the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister?

With the appointment of George Abela as President, and the post of Speaker also unavailable, there is no way up for Mrs Debono if she loses the Gozo ministry. And with Labour making inroads in Gozo in the last round of elections, the PN would not want to lose any more votes there. The removal of Mrs Debono – without giving her another top appointment – could lead to the PN losing more ground in what has traditionally been a Nationalist stronghold.

Sources told The Malta Independent on Sunday that many backbenchers have been critical of the way the government has been operating in internal meetings, and want to the Prime Minister to give the government a new lease of life so as to give the PN a better chance of a fourth consecutive term in office, something which, at this stage, seems rather unlikely. Some of these backbenchers have also expressed their reservations in public.

The sources added that there are some backbenchers who believe that enlarging the Cabinet will give the government a better chance of doing more work at a faster pace, and at the same time reach out to the public more – apart from giving them the opportunity of being more in the limelight.

Having the Prime Minister meet the grassroots in PN clubs, as Dr Gonzi pledged to do after the EP election defeat, is not enough to bridge the 35,000 gap in the number of votes lost to the Labour Party in the EP elections. People who go to PN clubs will vote PN anyway; it is the people who have shifted their allegiance or who did not vote that should be targeted, the sources contend.

scalleja@independent.com.mt