In one of his memorable sayings, the distinguished French writer and thinker, Andre Maurois, expressed the view that “the most important quality of a leader is that of being acknowledged as such. All leaders whose fitness is questioned are clearly lacking in force”.

Ever since The Times published its editorial lament about “the tinfoil curtain”, and the management of information and the attempted manipulation of the free press by politicians, the local political atmosphere seems to have soured, and the outpouring of public criticism of the government gathered quick momentum.

This newspaper expressed the forthright view that “the way the government is handling the media is precisely the opposite to how things should be done”. It pressed home its argument by declaring: “If the government is, in any way, still hoping to win the public’s approval, which it seems to be losing, surely the way ahead is not to continue doing things as it is doing, let alone allow them to get worse.”

Just in case you think this is strong meat, you should have read the comments of another newspaper editor, Saviour Balzan, that same morning.

Instead of delivering a leading article, Balzan wrote a pagefull in which he thundered his anathemas in his inimitable style. He highlighted many areas where government incompetence is being masked by “gimmicks” specifically designed to alienate public opinion. And he wrote specifically about “an unbelievable muddle of such proportions that continues to prove how completely incompetent this administration is turning out to be”.

Within days, yet another columnist, Dr Austin Sammut, wrote about the “Crisis of Information”. He declared, “The ongoing debate on access to information by the press and the public has caused worrying ripples. Transparency and accountability should be the hallmarks of public office. Those who wield this office have been directly or indirectly put there by the people, the sovereign forces in any democracy.”

“To deny the press the opportunity of knowing and of investigating what is going on in the echelons of the government of the day is to deny the sacred right of the so-called ‘fourth estate’,” he added.

There have been, of course, other loaded comments from political quarters, which I am deliberately setting aside.

The current situation suggests that the stagnant waters of Maltese politics have been disturbed. There is evidence of some sort of awakening.

Focus of criticism

The focus of criticism is the government, which blunders when it fails to act, and does so more grievously when it persuades itself to take some initiative.

We have reached a point where one is not sure what is worse: whether it is when the government stays put, or when the government takes an initiative and puts its foot in it!

The fact remains that the government is coming under criticism, and the criticism is not so much political in nature. Criticism has to do with public dissatisfaction with the arrogance of power, and with the government’s inability to deliver.

The man in the street is beginning to show signs of restlessness, even resentment, because he has been short-changed and living standards are falling visibly under the weight of taxes and rising living costs.

There is growing conviction that Dr Gonzi has failed to impose his personality and assert his leadership, that the PN government is past its sell-by date.

The fact that open criticism is now coming from known Nationalist supporters begins to convey the impression of a senile government in its twilight years.

Old age is far more than wrinkles, but the feeling that it is too late and the game finished, that the stage belongs to the next generation.

The true evil is not physical debility, but the indifference of the soul.

Swing of the pendulum

It is this indifference that is swinging the pendulum.

For many years, Maltese politics were characterised by partisan rivalry and mutual hostility. It was aptly remarked that, at times, Malta resembled the Balkans without the bullets.

Unable or unwilling to comprehend the complexities of government, many voters cast their votes blindly without understanding the larger issues.

Things are changing. There is a growing understanding that the cause of Malta’s present predicament is the direct result of

long years of PN profligacy

and mismanagement, that all citizens are in the same boat, irrespective of their past political affiliations.

More and more people are beginning to share a common interest in survival – and survival depends on getting rid of a senile administration that seems to have lost its soul; one that showed no concern for the degradation of the environment, that did not come into its own when the drain on public finances gathered momentum, and one that exercised unscrupulous power and patronage to pamper its anointed favourites travelling on the gravy train.

This new community of interests is a new factor in Maltese politics.

It offers the promise of a new dawn – one where thinking citizens of all classes and categories will navigate by the star of their well being and living standards, within the context of Malta’s potential for progress, rather than by narrow party political considerations

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