A government is strong neither because it has garnered a comfortable majority nor because it seeks to act so. Staying power comes from the attitude of the government and the people in charge of the governance involved. By way of example, one can cite the case of the Dom Mintoff government in 1971 as against the Alfred Sant government in 1996 and the Lawrence Gonzi government in 2008.

In all three cases there are different interpretations to make. The sure thing is that surviving a one-seat majority is never easy. Mintoff’s 1971 administration had held on regardless of the very difficult situation it found itself in after inheriting a bankrupt nation. Ironically, Sant finally had to throw in the towel due to an internal crisis involving Mintoff himself, while the Gonzi administration, elected by a relative majority of even less than a quota of votes, was soon exposed for what it was – a lame excuse for a government.

Staying power, for any government, has to be an innate attribute. Granted, the difference in the number of seats does make a difference to its general psyche, but in the long run it is how it is managed and propelled, what message it sends to those who helped elect it, and where it sees itself at the end of a five-year term that determine both its durability and success.

Joseph Muscat’s Labour government is the result of an electoral victory of historic dimensions, which makes its work even more explicit. The bigger the success, the bigger the burden as a lot more people are now scrutinising and evaluating its performance, particularly with reference to the electoral promises they were enticed into voting for. After just one year of the new legislature, it can be safely said the Muscat government has not only shown it is up to it, but has gone further than that.

The number of electoral pledges already kept by the Labour government in its first year is a clear signal it is ready to stick to its manifesto, and so justifying its appeal to people from all walks of life and voters of all political inclinations who had shown they wanted a change of mentality. There is every possibility that Malta will finally have – for the first time ever – a government that has covered all, even possibly more, of its electoral promises for the five years it was elected.

Staying power has to come from deeds rather than just perceptions. Reaching out to all sectors of society by means of a strategy that takes into account the hopes, ambitions and aspirations of the people involved is a priority. People, however, are not mere numbers. They need to feel that they are being consulted and invited to participate through regular first-hand-contact sessions, open dialogue and genuine transparency.

The “Gvern li jisma” (A government that listens) series of public gatherings with ministers and the Prime Minister himself are only a part of the government’s access to the hearts and views of the people. At all levels of society, this contact has to channel its way to other forms of communication with non-governmental organisations and others, from the boy scouts and the festa committees to the sports, history, culture, environment and hobby associations in our towns and villages.

The PN government that lost so heavily in the March 2013 general election could have possibly, albeit remotely, found the required staying power, but it had for far too long been the victim of its own internal ploys, cut off as it hopelessly was from the people. In contrast, Joseph Muscat’s government has shown it will not fall into the same trap. Its first year in office is testament to that. A government needs trust a lot more than it needs seats, however pliable these can make an administration.

Showing it has faith in its staying power, as recent developments have shown, a government can look forward to doing more than it projected itself to do. Then the record will speak for itself.

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Joseph Cuschieri is Head of the Labour delegation in the European Parliament