I’m writing this before yesterday’s EP elections, and just before I had my arm placed in a sling following minor surgery to my shoulder.

Over the past few months you are likely to have noticed that for this year’s EP elections I decided to openly endorse Alternattiva Demokratika as my party of choice. 

I’ve voted AD on many occasions, and I’ve very often made my voting decision public through my blogs or social media. This time however, I went one step further by agreeing to endorse Alternattiva Demokratika more publically – which meant appearing in a handful of prime-time TV spots that were aired before the news on PBS.

Here are 10 things I’ve learnt from this eye-opening experience:

1. Way too many people watch local TV; way too few read.

2. Way too many people do not understand the difference between endorsing a party and running on a party’s ticket.

3. If I ever have to explain the difference between these two concepts again, I might pop an artery.

4. The majority of people who saw the advertising spots had something to say about the way I looked, my smile (or lack of), my make-up, the way I spoke, what I wore, how I stood and, on occasion, even about my apparent ‘affair’ with Arnold Cassola!

5. I’m pretty sure that Marco Cremona, who also endorsed AD on TV in the same way that I did, did not receive any such comments.

6. Most of those who understood that the TV spots were an endorsement and that I was not a candidate just shook their heads in disbelief and went on a rant about how I was wasting my vote (yawn).

7.     Their arguments were mostly based on the fact that AD is not in a position to appoint me to boards or other high places (puke).

8. Too many people assumed that I’d be interested in their boring and recycled spiel that stated that this election is strictly between Busuttil and Muscat.

9. Because I base my voting decisions on the issues and individuals in question many, including my own mother, think that I’m disloyal. Many also think that I’m naïve, simply because I think that the whole exercise of EP elections is about choosing individuals, irrespective of their parties, to represent us in the European Parliament.

10.  Whilst you can take some people out of a village, it’s practically impossible to take the village out of some people – the majority of those who took the time to engage in a debate with me could only opine about petty local issues and nothing else.

By the time you read this, the results are likely to have been published, and if the polls were anything to go by, Alternattiva has not done as well as it deserved. I’m hoping I’m wrong and this is why:

The Prime Minister and the Leader of Opposition love to waffle about how every election is a battle between their two parties: sometimes they even make it sound like a battle between the two of them as individuals. Sadly, this usually convinces the majority of the Maltese who, to their own considerable detriment, never consider voting for anyone else if not red or blue.

Whilst the two big parties are usually at loggerheads, there is one thing that they have clearly agreed upon, and that is never to bring Alternattiva Demokratika into the equation. Tactically, they never mention AD’s very valid issues, during debates they never give it its due importance, and when they propose or implement something about which AD has been harping on for years, they never give it credit. They do this consciously and strategically, because both have realised that by referring to AD in any way, whether to agree or disagree with it, they would be throwing a shining light on what they know is a very viable contender.  

This year, Alternattiva Demokratika had a real chance of being elected in The European Parliament elections. In reality this has been a possibility since 2004, but this time, with an additional seat up for grabs and the national quota having been drastically reduced, the chances were even bigger.

If we’ve managed to elect an AD candidate, it also means that we’re now represented in a third political group – the European greens. In practice this means that we have access to, and the potential of influencing, an additional 60 MEPs who, to date, have never had a Maltese member amongst them.

But, just as I said at the beginning, I’m writing this column not knowing what the results are. From where I stand at this point, the only thing that is crystal clear is that both Busuttil and Muscat are aware of Alternattiva’s real chance and are doing their very best to minimise their concern. Surely they would both prefer a 3-3 draw between them because this would be the easiest way to maintain the status quo.

Yesterday we were given a chance to change what has been happening for the past 50 years and bring in a third voice to represent us. I just hope that we took it!