Whichever way you look at it, the decision announced by Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi last Sunday was a master stroke.

In just one fell swoop, he trapped Franco Debono and his allies, opened up a challenge to anyone interested in taking over his Nationalist Party leadership, confused the Opposition and won over floating voters by showing that he is not attached to power.

He could not have done it any better.

I have criticised Dr Gonzi on many an occasion, such as the position taken on the honoraria and divorce issues, but Sunday’s move pulled the carpet from under everyone’s feet and, more importantly, the likelihood is that – as a result – he will emerge stronger.

Let’s take things bit by bit, and start off with the root of the problem – Franco Debono, the Nationalist backbencher who threw this country into a political crisis after he was left out of a Cabinet reshuffle last month.

Beppe Fenech Adami has said that Dr Debono wanted to become a minister, and also prime minister, exposing what many others knew but were afraid to say. Well, Dr Gonzi is giving the Għaxaq village lawyer, who has denied the claim, the chance to contest the PN leadership. If Dr Debono thinks he can do it better than Dr Gonzi, it’s now or never for him.

But Dr Debono has said he won’t, because he knows that he will hurt. By refusing to take the plunge, he has confirmed that he chickens out whenever he is challenged. He did not vote with the Opposition on the no-confidence motion 10 days ago, and will not contest the PN leadership. Once again, his bluff has been called and he has backed down.

The disgruntled backbencher has already been told to resign from Parliament by the PN executive committee and parliamentary group. A vote from the PN councillors in favour of Dr Gonzi will also indirectly mean yet another call for Dr Debono’s resignation, an even more resounding one now. And, frankly, I see no other way out for him.

The contest is open to everyone in the Nationalist Party, not only Franco Debono. It is open to all those who have stabbed the Prime Minister in the back whenever they had the chance in the last four years or so. As with Franco Debono, Dr Gonzi is telling all of them, if they have the guts, to challenge him for the top post. “Come and get me,” is what his move amounts to.

But they will not try, because they know they will lose more than just a political contest. They will lose the little credibility they have left – if they have any at all – after all they have said about their party leader.

Once they have opted out of the race, their criticism of the PM will not have the same weight as before. They will be told: “You had the chance to try to remove Gonzi and take his place, why didn’t you take it? It’s easy to criticise but when you were challenged, you did not want to contest his leadership. So now just shut up.”

Dr Gonzi caught everyone by surprise, including the Opposition, which was already seeing itself in power, earlier than anticipated. The Labour Party is accusing the Prime Minister of playing for time, of putting on a charade and of creating uncertainly – but this is all it has come up with, which is nothing much, especially considering that the PM’s move is also a way to attack the Opposition’s opportunistic credentials.

What’s worse for the Opposition is that it now knows it will have a harder political opponent to beat in the next general election. Up until last week, Dr Gonzi was seen to be a man who had lost control, who was unable to lead a party in disarray and under whose leadership the party was splintering into fragments.

He was seen as being fragile, but he has now hit back in full force.

Once the internal party process is over and, as expected, Dr Gonzi will retain the mandate to continue leading the party, he will emerge stronger than he was last week. He will have the party behind him, backing him all the way. He will have reunited the party under his wing, bar of course those few who are questioning the way he is running the country but do not have the guts to contest his leadership. He will face the next election in a more powerful position than the one he was put in last week.

Most of all, he has shown that nobody can accuse him of trying to cling to the seat of power at all costs. He has set himself a test that could lead to him relinquishing that power, and he is doing this not because he is at the end of his political career, or because he has lost an election.

This is not something that can be said about the Opposition, desperate as they are – to use the PM’s words – to return to government. The Labour Party has been exposed as a party of political opportunism, one that took the opportunity of an internal squabble and the selfishness of an MP to try to get the upper hand. This will not work in its best interests.

Dr Gonzi has opened up the leadership race and said that he will unconditionally support anyone who is elected in his stead. They are bold words, which to me also mean that, if he is re-elected leader, he expects the same unconditional support.

That it will be a secret vote that determines the PN leadership is another important aspect. It would have been easier, much easier, for his leadership to be confirmed by a show of hands. But the Prime Minister wanted more than this.

Dr Gonzi has taken a risk – but a risk that could work to his benefit if the party councillors vote overwhelmingly in his favour.

It would give the Prime Minister the launch pad he needs, one that will probably lead to an early election. But he will then face it with a much better chance of success.

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