Parliament has risen for the summer recess and, for the next two months, until late September, there will be no sittings. Summer is a time for holidays, but it could also serve as a time for reflection for politicians and political parties.

The Nationalist Party, the Malta Labour Party and Alternattiva Demokratika all have their own worries and concerns about the near future (the coming months) and their long-term objective (the next election, probably in 2008).

The PN is not at its strongest point after losing the last three elections – two at local council level and one for the European Parliament. The Malta Labour Party is riding high on these last three electoral victories, but they do not necessarily mean that the outcome will be the same in three years’ time. Alternattiva Demokratika almost elected their candidate in the EP, but know that a general election is a different matter.

So, where do the three political parties stand at this point in time?

The Nationalists have been in power for 18 years, except for a 22-month stint for the MLP. They have taken Malta out of the difficult years of the early 1980s into Europe, but they also know that the country is now passing from a very delicate stage.

Becoming members of the European Union has not turned Malta into a paradise. The country has major problems it needs to tackle – particularly from the economic point of view – and there is no magic wand that will change the situation. EU membership is a long-term investment, the benefits of which will be seen in the years to come. In the meantime, Malta must work hard to lift itself from an economic slump that has taken its toll and the PN in government must lead the way.

The PN has seemingly distanced itself too much from the electorate, and this is one of the reasons as to why it has lost the last two local council elections and the EP poll. To win the next election, it must show that it has re-established true and direct contacts with the people, know what they are saying and grumbling about and act accordingly.

Being in opposition, the Labour Party took advantage of the fact that it does not have to govern the country, and in fact has managed to reach out more. The party leadership’s presence in matters which directly affect the citizens, including, just to give an example, unfinished roads, has enabled it to be in close contact with the people.

Yet, the MLP must understand that winning a local election is one thing, and winning a national poll is another. In the three years or so that remain, the MLP must show itself as being a credible alternative to the PN. It must continue to address issues that have a direct effect on every day life, but at the same time it must show that it has the right plans to steer the country forward.

For its part, Alternattiva Demokratika has picked up on an issue that affects many people – the rent law reform – and which the two major parties have not given too much importance. AD will score points on this, as there are many property owners who are likely to give them support on this issue.

One may agree or disagree with what AD are doing, but what is true is that they have stirred a national debate on a subject that needs to be tackled. The Green Party has managed similar feats in the past.

The problem for AD seems to be that while Nationalists and Labourites show support to the Green Party on different issues, the great majority of them return to the fold when the national election looms. AD must try to find a way to keep them within.