It is no secret that there are many politicians who are prima donnas. In order for a politician to succeed he/she has to attract people’s support and capture their attention

It is easy for those who succeed and are elected to be sucked into their own success and believe that they are indispensible and the saviour of their country. To make matters worse, once they reach their posts, they are surrounded by yes men who make very little resistance to their wishes.

The recent events have shown the grotesque side of politics, where we had one politician who held the country’s attention because he believed that his opinion is the only valid one. Such extreme measures have shocked politicians more than anyone else.

I must admit that this whole political crisis has allowed me to take stock of my own participation in politics. We get caught up in planning for the next step, but we forget the fundamental question: Why do we enter politics in the first place and why do we contest elections?

I entered politics because I experienced how politics can affect people’s lives both positively and negatively. My father was a civil servant and suffered injustices both under the Labour and Nationalist administrations. I wanted to do something about it. Under my tenure as mayor of Pietà and president of the region, I tried to work as fairly as possible. I have worked with a strong sense of consciousness that my decisions may affect the livelihood of people.

I have taken decisions that not everyone agrees with; however, since I lived with the effects of injustice I have never been part of such perpetrations. It is this principle that drives me through the thorny path in politics.

Blackmail is never acceptable; however, it would be naive to say it is not used as a political tool. Is it “acceptable” and common for a voter to use his/her or the whole family’s vote in order to obtain a favour or to press an issue? It is up to the politician to use his intelligence and experience to wriggle out of this sticky situation.

If the politician can comply without breaking any rules then let it be; however, the danger lies if what is being asked is illegal or not according to administrative norms. Politicians face these situations very often and in a pre-election period such incidents are a daily event.

However, the other way round is totally unacceptable. It is not correct and surely condemnable by all if a politician blackmails his voters, acting in such a way as to obtain what he deems is important, or else he will create a crisis.

Since the start of the year, this country has been held ransom by one politician. Voters have tuned in to the parliamentary debates not because they are spell bound by innovative political, economic, and environmental solutions. They tuned in to see whether they will be asked to participate in an electoral campaign, a year earlier than expected.

Voters have different priorities. People do not stay awake at night because a politician or another is not elected or not appointed in one position or another. Bread winners stay awake at night if there are rumours at their place of work that they may be made redundant or else are considering whether they should accept an early retirement scheme. The political Punch and Judy shows are entertaining but not the top of one’s hit list.

We are living an out of context reality. In other jurisdictions governments lost votes of confidence because of their austerity measures and mass protests from workers with pay cuts. In essence, it is very difficult to put a finger on the real issue here in Malta. Lambasting the Prime Minister is the Opposition’s job, but if a government’s MP does a more effective job of that, then that MP should ask himself the basic question: Why is he in politics?

Those of us who offer ourselves in politics have a fundamental role to play in our society, that of creating a better society. The target is there, it is for us to reach that result.

Dr Malcolm Mifsud is a Member of the PN Executive Council, a candidate on the First District