Apparently, we have 65 martyrs in our House of Parliament.

At least that’s how it appeared during a recent edition of Xarabank when our MPs and ministers were asked about what makes them run for public office. Tales of

waking up at 5am and not getting home until midnight were interspersed with anecdotes about how people are

constantly badgering them for favours. They’re underpaid, overworked, have not

seen their children grow up and have to fork out money out of their own pocket to pay

for presents for the numerous weddings they are invited to.

Oh boo hoo. My heart bleeds.

To hear them whining and complaining you would think that they were being held there with a shotgun to their temples, completely against their will. When asked “so why do you still do it?” Michael Falzon was one of the few who came out with an honest answer “because it’s addictive”.

Yes, power does have that effect on people.

The surveys asking for people’s perceptions were interesting because most of them came out saying that politicians are in it for the money. It was patently obvious that the label of being “corrupt”, which both sides of the House bandy about so easily, has been thrown around once too often, and it has stuck.

The trust in our politicos is at an all time low, and whether it is based on fact, rumour or mudslinging, perception can often be more damning than the truth.

Whether any actual cash passes hands is something only the politicians themselves know for sure. But what is indisputable is that the considerable clout that comes with being elected to office has also contributed to the cynical perception that “they are getting something out of it”.

Even in the largest of countries, “who you know” can open doors wide for employment, advancement, juicy contracts and business deals. In a microscopic society such as ours, the temptation to have someone pull strings is felt on a daily basis. Let’s not beat around the bush. We all know that this is a country which revolves on “favours”, and despite the once much vaunted cry of “mhux pjaciri, drittijiet “ (not favours, but rights), the Nationalist administration (for all its pre-1987 righteousness) has ultimately gone down the same road as its political opponents.

Come election time, door-to-door canvassing brings politicians face to face with the beast they themselves have created as the electorate unabashedly asks the candidate for some kind of “help” in exchange for the promise of their vote. Some people take it in their stride with a pragmatic shrug, and tell you that’s how it all works. Others, who cannot stomach this kind of thing, ultimately leave politics altogether.

Which brings us back to why anyone would want to run for office. Well, I guess for some, the idea that people spring to action just because you make a phone call is quite enticing. And have you ever seen the stir created when a minster arrives at an event? Murmurs of “gie l-Ministru” are followed by a fawning bow of the head for all the world as if the Pope himself has deigned to visit. I almost expect some people to start panting like faithful sheepdogs.

I find it actually funny especially when one considers that former ministers who are now back to being “just one of us” are completely ignored. Not unlike an ageing rock star who is now a has-been.

So no, I don’t buy the argument that politicians do what they do purely for the love of their patria. The days of Nerik Mizzi are long gone.

Being involved in politics translates into power, the heady kind of power which goes beyond mere money – and it is that power that has kept so many of our politicians clinging to their seat for so long, often to the dismay and unhappiness of their own families.