As his first topic for his new programme Inkontri on One TV, prodigal son Joe Grima chose to explore whether national reconciliation has ever been achieved.

I groaned inwardly and wondered why partisan politics continue to be at the centre of every discussion, even those that purport to be “innovative”. I was at least hoping for a different take on the subject, but this was not possible when the guests he chose had themselves been in the thick of things as political adversaries. It would have been nice to see someone objective like a sociologist or an expert in political history involved in the debate.

Although he is a good broadcaster, try as he might to take on the mantle of the neutral presenter, Mr Grima cannot shake off his own political baggage, because others are constantly reminding him of it. And even as the predictable, timeworn arguments started being lobbed back and forth, no one seemed to notice the irony of the politicians on the panel speaking in terms of “you” and “us”.

Inevitably, because this programme was being aired on the Labour party station, the SMS text messages, which scrolled at the bottom of the screen, were replete with harsh criticism against Fr Peter Serracino Inglott and Michael Falzon (the former Nationalist minister). Viewers did not allow them to forget that while former Prime Minister Eddie Fenech Adami was the one who first called for national reconciliation, he was also the one who came out with that infamous taunt “Fejn huma l-Laburisti?!” (“Where are the Labour supporters?”)

This was generally the gist of the programme. Everyone was very busy reminding everyone else of things they said and events that happened, and it was all very much the same old, same old. There were the occasional glimpses of what could have been a mature, enlightened discussion, but these were mere patches of sunlight on an otherwise bleak landscape of more-of-the-sameness.

It is probably safe to say that the idea of national reconciliation is now a moot point, not because it didn’t happen but because, let’s face it, it’s not in the interests of either the Labour or the Nationalist parties for it to happen. What this programme proved was that, as far as our politicos are concerned, the two tribes mentality will never disappear, because if it does, how will the respective parties manage to whip up enough enthusiasm among the electorate for them to actually leave the house and vote?

What I have noticed over the years, however, and especially since the last election, is that your average Joe no longer gets so hotheaded about politics. Here I am not referring to the canvassers, the party fanatics, and the assorted hangers-on who stand to gain, depending on who is in Castille. Nor am I referring to those who watch Net and One TV religiously and call “their” radio stations, ready to pounce on anything political. This, I’m starting to feel, is a very small, diminishing faction.

As I talk to people and try to keep tabs on what everyone is “talking about”, I become more convinced that those under 35 really, and honestly, just don’t give a damn. As for the under 25s, their biggest concern is: when’s the next party? Who can blame them? There is a certain age bracket in particular, between 25 and 35, which is simply too busy getting married, riding high on their career, planning a family and generally just trying to juggle their lives.

It is an interesting cut off point as an age group goes, seeing that 35 is the age of the Opposition leader. Whether this will be to Joseph Muscat’s advantage is anyone’s guess – when people are so busy with their personal lives, they don’t have time to go into issues in depth and often react on their gut instincts as to whether they like a politician or not.

And, as we know, it is easy to make snap judgements based on what in Maltese we call “simpatija” (or conversely, “antipatija”) only to regret it later. And, as we also know, liking/disliking someone on a personal level does not necessarily mean that the person will or won’t make a good prime minister.

Whose side are you on?

When political tensions were at their height several decades ago, which party one voted for was never far from people’s minds. It became almost normal to use a person’s political beliefs as an adjective, just as much as blonde or brunette is used to describe a woman’s colouring.

If you joined a new school, a new firm or were introduced to a new crowd, it was quite common to be bluntly asked: “Which party do you support?” I always found this question to be an unbelievable invasion of privacy and downright rude, but at the time (I guess) it was considered acceptable.

Can you imagine doing that now? Can you imagine parents forbidding their children from marrying someone who is not “maghna” (with us)?

In this respect, I feel, ‘reconciliation’ of the type that Joe Grima had in mind, has been reached.

But where I feel the greatest strides have been made is that more and more people do not “have” a party. I remember a time when, if you said you didn’t particularly support either party, you were regarded with downright suspicion. You’d be branded as devious and sly and not to be trusted because, the assumption was, you could go either way, depending on the way the wind was blowing. Ambivalence made people decidedly uncomfortable. “How can you not support anyone? You have to choose!” (Plus you were making life pretty difficult for all those data collectors down at party headquarters who love nothing better than to pigeonhole people into neat little boxes marked “red” and “blue”.)

Well, after many long years, a good chunk of people have woken up to the realisation that no, actually, you don’t have to “belong” to a party from cradle to grave.

There have been other minor breakthroughs: there are many Nationalist voters openly criticising this government (rather than furtively whispering their dissent as in the past).

And Labour voters will cheerfully tell you how exasperated they are by their party, which still cannot seem to get its act together long enough to get elected.

The furious intensity about politics has (for the most part) disappeared, and the only ones who still get hot under the collar are those who have a lot to lose.

There is now a healthy scepticism towards politicians in general, and voters have become more demanding, more questioning and simply more aware of their rights.

Neither the Prime Minister nor the Leader of the Opposition is considered an untouchable ‘god’ any more, which means they can no longer take us (or our votes) for granted.

All of this is bad news for politicians, of course, who would have preferred the good old days of constant reverence and bootlicking.

Sorry, folks but those days are over – and that fills me with immense relief.

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