Some say that this political crisis has been coming since the start of the government’s term in office, way back in March 2008. And although there have been several moments in which the government has had to face embarrassment, what we are living through these days is the point of no return.

There are no other ways to describe the prevailing situation.

Matters have come to a head. Following the Cabinet reshuffle last Friday, the gloves came off and Nationalist backbencher Franco Debono snapped into a frenzy of attacks against the Prime Minister and his colleagues. The reshuffle was the straw that broke the Għaxaq lawyer’s back, when his expectations of being given a post – expectations which he always denied, but which were evident to one and all – were not met.

The Prime Minister had, until then, treated Dr Debono with care, trying his best to keep him happy, knowing that his government’s one-seat majority in Parliament did not leave too much room for manoeuvring. Some say that the PN were too nice to Dr Debono, who kept on creating trouble in spite of all the efforts that were made to keep him in line.

But, after Dr Debono’s outburst last Saturday that he had lost confidence in the PM and that he would work under anyone except Lawrence Gonzi, then the PM also understood that there was no way that he could patch up the situation.

And so since then it has been one man against the party, and a party against one man, a situation that does not augur well for a compromise. Franco Debono has never moved from a position he has taken, and this increases the risk that the crisis can only be resolved through an election.

The Nationalist Party has now taken a firm stand against its own MP, and is blaming him in full for the way things have developed. The party’s executive committee will be meeting tomorrow evening to decide on the next step forward.

But there seems to be little to discuss – in the sense that the rest of the party has rallied around Dr Gonzi and is expected to give him full support. The Prime Minister himself has also made it clear that there is no other way forward for Dr Debono than to resign his parliamentary seat. His constituents are turning against him as a petition is being organised in his electoral district to call for his resignation.

Failing to do so will mean that the country will have to face an election at a time when all hands need to be on deck in the prevailing economic difficulties. And there will be only Franco Debono to blame for that.

What is sure is that this crisis needs to be resolved as soon as possible, in the interest of the country’s stability.