Hon. Prime Minister,

While speaking at a Labour Party mass meeting in Cospicua on “International Workers’ Day” last Thursday, you were quoted by some news media as asking “the soldiers of steel” (a phrase coined by Dom Mintoff that referred to those Labour Party supporters who had defied the Catholic Church’s interdiction against the Labour Party and voted for Mintoff and the MLP) to prove themselves. This, according to the same news media, was to vote for the Labour Party candidates contesting to become MEPs in the fast approaching European Parliament elections, and to strive to convince others to do the same.

Lest you have forgotten, let me remind you that Mintoff was against Malta joining the EU stating that “this was not in our best interest”. Moreover, Mintoff had referred to the countries of Western Europe as pertaining to “Cain”. You were also opposed to Malta joining EU at that time and had written newspaper articles to this effect.  Had it not been for the blunder of your predecessor (who is currently also contesting for an MEP seat in the European Parliament) to suggest to Labour Party supporters either to vote against joining the EU or not to vote at all, although the result was described as being too close to call, Malta could have remained truly independent and neutral had the confusion which ensued was avoided.

The golden years of the 70s and early 80s when Dom Mintoff was Prime Minister (God bless his soul) and Malta become rich both in assets and social services.  From a state still subservient to the British crown, Malta become a Republic with its own head of state, and prospered to such an extent that it even owned a profitable airline when many (including the Nationalist Party) contended that it would have “wings of lead”. TeleMalta, Sea Malta, EneMalta, Mid-Med Bank, Bank of Valletta, were all parastatal/national companies and although some of them sometimes faced financial difficulties but it was nothing compared to the current disastrous situation whereby under a Nationalist administration these were either liquidated, or sold for a pittance (under the pretext of privatization as instructed by EU). At that time, Malta had minimal foreign and local debt, and held one of the highest per capita foreign reserves in the world, while now, as inherited from a devastating Nationalist Party administration in government for over two decades (while your party’s parliamentarians slumbered on the Opposition seats), Malta’s local debt has reached over 73% of GDP, which amounts to the astronomical sum of over five billion euro. Looking at the situation in the EU, this Europe to which Mintoff had formerly referred to as pertaining to “Cain” is also in shambles, and although eurozone members are technically obliged to maintain their debt-to-GDP ratio 60%, this has been grossly exceeded by Greece, Italy, Portugal, Ireland, Belgium, etc... Youth unemployment in certain EU countries is horrendously over 50% – no wonder such young people are disillusioned and in despair. During the Mintoff era, we did not have to pay 17% VAT on objects we bought, or after eating in restaurants, or on services rendered and hand over this tax to the European Union, and we fared much better.

As my hair is fast turning white, and I am quickly approaching retiring age, I look back on the years that have passed with nostalgic fervour. Although I have been a “labourist” for most of my life, I do not consider myself as such any longer, but prefer to be considered a “Mintoffian”.  Dom Mintoff would never have resorted to selling Maltese nationality to rich foreigners and if he had still been alive, I would willingly die for him. I would be proud to be referred to as a “Soldier of Steel” and would defy any religion that would instruct me not to do his bidding. With regard to your instructions to those who are already set to vote for Labour Party candidates in the forthcoming MEP elections for the European Parliament to strive to convince others to do the same – I will be doing the opposite, encouraging them not to vote at all.

Hon. Prime Minster Joseph Muscat, you are no Dom Mintoff.

Raymond Sammut

Mellieha