How predictable! The surest sign the head of government finds himself in a tight spot is when he turns round and savages those who question his choice/s and when he has the gall to ask people to suggest alternatives.
Come again.
After presiding over the signing of a preliminary contract to site a foreign-principal university in an ODZ site, Dr Joseph Muscat tells an applauding crowd of supporters that those who do not like the proposed site should now suggest alternatives.
It is as if a person who signs a konvenju or promise of sale, then goes back and asks whether the house he is buying can be changed.
Talk of putting the cart before the horse.
In any other country, Greeks carrying gifts (even if they are Jordanian) are thanked for the offer but it is always made clear that there is a robust verification process to be undergone, along with the Mepa process.
Instead, as if panicked because we may lose this offer, (and what then will happen to the electoral commitment to upgrade the South?), we fall over backwards to accept this offer and give them whatever they ask. Mepa or no Mepa, ODZ or no ODZ and hang the consequences.
And on a bright Sunday morning, with adrenalin flowing because of so many Labour supporters clapping, the head of government goes overboard and cheekily asks those who are protesting to suggest alternatives.
Just as turning on the Archbishop for using the word ‘rape’ and turning tables by mentioning the ODZ sites asked for by church schools shows the underlying anger at all those who dare question.
The prime minister with his rhetorical skills can indeed wind up those who stand and clap to their hearts’ enjoyment but at some point he must stop and ask himself what do those who stand a little way off, those who watch the TV news, the country at large, what do they think of this admittedly bravado performance?
This is no way to run a shop, let alone a country.
Deep down in his heart, for Dr Muscat is an intelligent person, or otherwise he would not be there, he knows this has been born belly-up and that he has practically no wriggle-room.
He now speaks of alternative sites and immediately goes about discounting each and every one of them, and wonderfully finds fault with them all. It must be said that the arguments against these alternative sites are in themselves very inferior to the arguments being brought about by the environmentalist lobby against the Zonqor ODZ site. Does this mean that in his mind the arguments against the Zonqor site are not as strong as those against for instance the old Air Malta offices, etc?
One important aspect to remember is this is ‘just’ a foreign investor, not a foreign government, not a Maltese investor, not even a PPP with Maltese government interest. If the government is so weak when dealing with a foreign investor, what then would be its strength when faced with stronger challenges?
In conclusion, if there is something that is worse than a bad choice, that is sticking by it and refusing to submit to clear reasoning. And being indeed Zonqor-headed to shut one’s eyes to the national interest, the real one that cannot be quantified in euros.
To list the faults and mistakes of preceding administrations is no reason to do as bad as they did.