Whatever one might think of Eddie Fenech Adami the politician, one has to hand it to him for having been the most successful electorally, having managed to trounce three Prime Ministers when it came to securing a majority of votes cast in 1981, 1987, 1992, 1998 and 2003. To deny that would be a perversion of history. But that is where the buck stops.

No matter how many might wax lyrical about the ‘quiet revolution’ he led during his premiership days, he is and remains arguably perceived as one of the most divisive political figures to have graced the political scene, especially due to the way he is known to have allowed Labourites to be treated during his ‘glory days’; his unpardonable promotion of dubious and questionable Presidential pardons involving such unsavoury characters like Zeppi il-Hafi; his still echoing promise of a statement that he would have solved the killings of Raymond Caruana and Karen Grech, as well as his mock resignation – which was reversed within 24 hours – after he had been found guilty of breaching a key government official’s constitutional rights. Compounded with this is another act of ‘reconciliation’ when on leaving the law courts together with a couple of body guards he was heard ‘sound on film’ asking ‘Fejn Huma l-Laburisti?’

He will also go down in history as the only political figure who moved overnight from Premiership to Presidency, allegedly – but still remaining somewhat unconfirmed – as part of a package deal that helped Lawrence Gonzi secure the leadership of the PN, to ensure that the PN would never fall astray and become the secular, liberal party many level headed Nationalists were hoping to see it evolve into.

One might ask – why pick on Eddie Fenech Adami at this particular juncture? Is it meant to coincide with the publication of the collection of contributions on his long political life? Called Inservi and recently launched in one of the most partisan of manners – for a President Emeritus who not so long ago was still occupying the Presidency of the Republic. A launch carried out at the Nationalist Party HQ where according to reporters present the party went several years back in time when its guests gave a standing ovation to him and many shouted ‘Eddie, Eddie’ as its former leader returned to the podium which he occupied for many years.

It all reminded me of a bizarre, weird sort of way of the 1985 science fiction Robert Zemeckis adventure film Back To The Future which told the story of Marty McFly, a teenager who is accidentally sent back in time from 1985 to 1955.

One might argue that Fenech Adami was not such a controversial figure after all during his Presidency. I would rather limit myself to the description of a lacklustre Presidency rather than a non-controversial one, since although he did refrain from making any hot or daring statements or else break any new ground, I found it unacceptable that during most national day receptions I attended hosted by foreign embassies, he used to find it very hard to refrain from drawing on his premiership and leadership experiences in his speeches, rather than projecting the unifying Presidential attributes that one would expect from such a figure.

Ugo Mifsud Bonnici and Guido de Marco both had a colourful and engaging political career behind them when they assumed the Presidency but they both carried out their roles with admirable efficiency and a strong sense of balance, even though one might question some rather strong political undertones and overtones in the otherwise excellent and intriguing de Marco memoirs. When Prof de Marco launched his memoirs I felt honoured to attend and had no regrets about doing so afterwards. EFA did not even have the decency to choose a neutral ground for the launch of Inservi, preferring the company of party activists after months of being at the helm of the nation!

One must recall that Ugo Mifsud Bonnici was President of the Republic during the short lived Labour government between 1996-1998 and from what I knew and could tell he had performed in the most commendable manner in spite of hailing from a party with a different political orientation.

The problem with the EFA presidency is that it is something which should have either not happened at all or else at best not happened the way it did... literally overnight, at the end of his premiership.

No wonder that he has gone down as the only President whose choice was openly criticised by some of his own former colleagues and MPs as well as by a couple of media anchormen known for their public support of the PN.

I must confess that although I have often been critical of the EFA premiership, his leadership qualities were always strong, although he must have come a long way from the days when he needed much grooming – from what I know through foreign expertise and know how – until he mastered his skills and briefs the way he did commendably.

If I had to single out his main achievements apart from his consistently strong European credentials, I would mention his sense of purpose, strong hold on party and government and the liberalisation of the Maltese economy, which explains why his first five years in office must have been his most successful in terms of achievements and the transformational process that ensued.

But the problem is that although he is now enjoying his retirement – which I sincerely hope that he will, as I harbour no personal sentiments against the man – it would be the grossest of understatements to claim as an eminent reporter recently remarked that although he may have retired he has not disappeared from the political scene.

He is conveniently finding himself re-positioned by the party machine to make up for Lawrence Gonzi’s fast waning popular support, by giving the PN’s rank and file and grass roots something to cling to anew, even at the expense of merely going down an unrewarding path – down memory lane.

This was evident from the morrow EFA’s Presidency came to an end, when his photos were plastered in poster form across virtually all PN clubs across the island, with the euro elections only months away.

This was a clear signal that the same way that he had crossed the Rubicon overnight to become President from Prime Minister, the moment his term as president ended he was back to the party fold, even if not in an official capacity... but still dispensing ‘lessons’ in the art of political leadership which I am sure he is well versed in.

I was once rapped for using the word ‘political animal’ to describe someone who was consulting for government way beyond his brief. Anyone who reads Jeremy Paxman’s The Political Animal: An Anatomy, one of the best books of the decade will realise that this is really no insult. I consider myself to be one too. But in EFA’s case, Presidency or no Presidency, he was, is and seems predestined to remain a fully fledged political animal, particularly now that the PN is trying to revive or kick start anew the euphoria he used to generate and whip up in his time, as well as to polish Gonzi’s tarnished image throughout the process.

My gut instinct is that at the end of the day it will rub Gonzi the wrong way since he will ultimately end the net loser. A dilemma the PL experienced after the larger than life dominant leadership and premiership role of Dom Mintoff.

A recent Sunday interview with EFA showed that there is no restraint on his part when commenting on the evolving situation within ‘his’ own party. He tried to squash all talk of internal dissidence in the PN by claiming that this is merely a sign of a party that is very much alive while remarking that what is going on within the PN is perfectly normal since it happens in any political party. Cautious as these words might ostensibly sound, they show that as a commentator remarked, although it is almost a year since he bowed out of the public scene he remains very much present on the political radar.

Although I missed a recent Bondi+ episode, where three former Nationalist Presidents were featured together, whether by design or default, it seems to fit with what is going on within the PN: A last ditch exercise to put a finger in the dike by trying to come up with a strange cocktail that brings together elements previously supportive of the EFA-de Marco-Mifsud Bonnici factions.

They might have been three wise men, all representative of a political class that might no longer exist in Parliament but to merely accept that as an explanation would be tantamount to missing the wood for the trees.

I accept EFA’s statement that he does not regularly contact ministers or MPs and does not hold direct discussions with them in the sense of being a Dalli-like father confessor, but there is no doubt that he is doing his utmost to shore up Gonzi because he no doubt is aware that the latter’s performance so far is no patch on his own premiership. No wonder he lamented that Gonzi is over stretching himself, is sometimes unfairly criticised, and can do more if there is more open and active assent towards his government’s policies.

Regardless of what one might say, history will always be the best judge of any politician. Particularly those who have been at the helm for a long period like EFA and Dom Mintoff.

It is my strictly personal opinion that had he opted for retirement at the end of his premiership, he would have gone down as a political figure who might have gained added gravitas even among those that he might have alienated during his premiership days. The same way criticised American Presidents gained new respect once they moved into the shadows!

The fact that he strode right through the Presidency overnight and is now back giving free lessons in the art of political leadership, primarily to ‘his’ party, is likely to take off any sheen that at the end of the day he might have been entitled to, after his years of service – controversial or not – at the helm of his party and government.

In true Back To The Future fashion everyone will no doubt agree that the Eddie that we were once asked to officially refer to as Edward for a short while, is back to being Eddie in more ways than one!

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Leo Brincat is the Main Opposition Spokesperson for the Environment, Sustainable Development and Climate Change