Spring is in the air. Its arrival has been noticeable, as it proceeded to unlock every flower blossom by blossom to unleash a riot of colour across our countryside. This time, its starting to look like it has brought an added whiff of something else, which smells of electoral gunpowder.

The precipitous decision of the Gonzi administration, committing Malta to the strictures of ERM II, seems to suggest that Malta’s accession to the EU– which is a fait accompli– leaves no room for lethargy, and that the issue of the adoption of the EURO has to be faced sooner rather than later.

The government’s “strategists” know there are two difficult hurdles to be tackled on the way. On the one hand, the economy is in poor shape and anaemic. On the other, the Gonzi administration is committed to implement a “Convergence Programme” of its own specifications, to smooth the passage to EU viability. The latter involves austerity and a stern regime.

Two hurdles

The two hurdles are not complementary. Imposing an austerity programme on an economy that has been withering on the vine during the run-in to a general election in two years’ time, is bound to raise the hackles of the electorate. The Gonzi administration HAD to go into high gear and there is no turning back without loss of face. By pressing on regardless, Gonzi now has to take the electorate head-on. And there is little leeway for sugaring the pill, let alone for reducing the necessary dose of medicine prescribed by the Convergence Programme.

Given enough time to work its way through, a convergence programme could conceivably stabilise the economy. But it does not fertilise the pre-electoral soil. Rather than have the electorate up in arms against a government that messed up the economy, the strategists seem to have opted for a situation where the blame could, if need be, be attributed to ERM II.

Whether this is going to wash is altogether another matter. What is certain is that the next two years are going to be a hard slog.

The ruling Nationalist Party has just held its General Council and elected a new, compact crew to man the party machinery.

Going into high gear

The party’s print and broadcasting media are going into high gear and there is talk of a Cabinet reshuffle in the offing.

The PN is making no secret of its will to open up and reach out for the support of its lost sheep.

The Malta Labour Party has, on its part, updated its policies in the course of wide consultation and discussion, and is setting them in documentary form for submission to its general conference for approval. These documents will give substance to the new thinking within the Party

Without going into their merits, they are shorn of the dogma and ideology of former years. Well aware that the old generation of “soldiers of steel” is being rapidly decimated as the years roll on, the MLP is making a bid to woo the young generation.

In its turn, Alternattiva Demokratika, which made a slight but visible dent in the more recent electoral results,

has concentrated, practically throughout its existence, on stratagems to attract the support of dissidents disenchanted by the establishment.

Fascinating scenario

The contemporary political scenario is fascinating because, while a sizable chunk of the Maltese electorate has been weaned from the polarisation of past years, political partisanship seems to be the common currency of the broadcasting media and of some of the leading political players in the field.

Pluralism in broadcasting may have broken down barriers and given a voice to every citizen, with dissidents often taking the initiative, if not also the upper hand, in talk shows and fora where political and even religious issued are discussed.

The candidates of the rival political parties conduct home visits and meet electors holding different views for face-to-face discussions.

Very many citizens have tested the political waters by standing for local government office and will contest the next national election.

Perhaps these and related developments have helped to persuade a good many MPs to compete in a bid to capture the middle ground. Although the parties represented in Parliament have, on occasion, found it possible to work together in areas where the sober electorate expects results in the national interest, confrontation at leadership and subordinate levels remains the order of the day.

The eyeball-to-eyeball syndrome reigns supreme

When Dr Gonzi was parachuted into the office of Prime Minister (and PN leader) a year ago, he had a singular opportunity to break the mould: first by imposing his personal imprint on the Nationalist Party by reconstituting the government apparatus, and then by building bridges with the Labour Opposition.

Eyeball-to-eyeball syndrome

He opted against change, lost no time in elevating his predecessor to the presidency, and promptly proceeded to lead both the infantry and the cavalry of the Nationalist Party and the government against the Labour Opposition.

In a sense, Gonzi has been a prisoner of circumstances. As the new PN leader, he had to appear before the electorate and his party faithful as a new broom, capable of clearing up an almighty economic mess. But the mess was of the PN’s own making, it having been in office for many years, during the latter part of which Gonzi was Deputy Prime Minister and deputy PN leader.

Alfred Sant, already demonised to saturation point, could hardly have been made a scapegoat for the PN’s shortcomings. The PN and its media will now assign the role to the EU and can be expected to hold forth that the new austerity will not be attributable to the PN’s past shortcomings, but to the imperatives of EU membership!

Governments take credit for the good things and blame the EU for anything that’s unpopular.

Time will tell whether or not the electorate will be persuaded to buy this twist.

Role of the young generation

Common sense as well as the electoral pain will militate against the PN propaganda machine.

But the young vote will probably be even more decisive in tilting the electoral scale.

Today’s young generation is not prepared to be led by the nose. It is inquisitive, it insists on being persuaded. It is getting used to seek the truth by first sifting the facts. It is disposed to be rebellious if it feels hard done by.

This young element must be wooed and somehow activated, not by regimentation and by resorting to old methods. Novel approaches are called for that will rely on reason and gentle persuasion on new forms of participation, on the appeal of solidarity and co-partnership, on communitarian initiative that is distinct from collectivism, on the environment and its protection.

At the next election, the respective political parties cannot afford to zigzag and play ducks and drakes with basic values that distinguish them from their competitors. Hence, the tightrope walk on such issues like the economy and the mess it has been reduced to, and Malta’s future positioning in the general EU scenario, with inevitable side-issues such as divorce and censorship, hunting and fundamental human rights, and so on.

Who is likely to be the more credible? Those who opt to walk the tightrope or those who stand firm on the bed rock of principles, values and common sense?

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