Who is left of Joseph Muscat’s inner circle that has not been tarnished with allegations of corruption or of outrageous behaviour?

If all these were just figments of the Opposition’s frenzied imagination, one could perhaps understand it and smile, the country would take it, but it does not seem like that. Each case, from Konrad Mizzi’s demented investment in Panama to Michelle Muscat’s venture into curtain-making, is amply documented and scandalous in its own way.

Ms Muscat’s ring-banging press conference, hennaed finger and all, was not considered as news by some parts of the media but if some mischief-making evil spirit really had it in for Labour, that is precisely the advice that would have been tendered. The Lady came across as imperious, haughty, and arrogant. If there were any parts going for an Evita or an Imelda Marcos play, she should have been encouraged to audition.

It is clear that she took the decision to reply to The Times story on her own, was not counselled by any media adviser and went ahead with a press conference that has spawned hundreds of soundbites, all negative.

She is not alone in this category. When President George Abela called a press conference on a hot Saturday afternoon (and during a World Cup game) at San Anton Palace about something that could have been said at a State Dinner. When Guido de Marco, then Acting Prime Minister, called a two-hour plus press conference at Palazzo Parisio (the Foreign Ministry) because of a question asked by this paper in its editorial – they were all persons of importance in the State bringing all the State apparatus connected to their position, outraged when they were questioned. The paraphernalia, the trappings, of power came into play – some would say unjustifiably, others would disagree, so as to crush the doubters.

Mrs Muscat’s unfortunate press conference was then, as far as I can see, not accompanied by any defence of her actions. As far as I know, and till the moment of writing, her action was not defended by her own husband, the one who had presented her with the famous (or infamous) Hobbuha ghax thobbkom.

Her over-the-top reaction brought to light two aspects:

• The foundation she set up, the Marigold Foundation was not properly organised, despite the backing of a principal bank, not registered as an NGO, and its work involving female detainees, maybe noble in its conception, ran the risk of being depicted as exploitation of people in a situation of misery.

• The use of Palazzo Francia (the one in Lija, not the one in Valletta) as an almost exclusive palace to be used by Ms Muscat mostly for events such as fashion shows, and so on, of course with some donation worked into the event. Last time I looked, the stately house donated to the State was never conceived as a fashion show location and I would ask if all, or let’s say the established fashion houses, have ever been offered the possibility of staging their shows there.

Anyway, after Michael Falzon, Konrad Mizzi, Keith Schembri, maybe even Toni Abela, another one in Joseph Muscat’s entourage bites the dust. The other ministers, even some like Edward Scicluna who had responsibilities in the issue under discussion (investment in a foreign jurisdiction, unregistered and undeclared), just kept their head down. Others kept doing what they were supposed to do and focused exclusively on their areas of competence. There are a couple of ministers who used to be considered as close to the Prime Minister – Edward Zammit Lewis and Chris Cardona – who except for a shouting match in the case of the latter, have fallen rather silent.

What have however emerged are three relics from the 1980s.

• The use (and abuse) of public broadcasting to cover up what is happening, to give a one-sided, sorry positive, sheen to the news and to skip the bad bits (as l’orizzont did on 15 October 1979 when, as they later said in memoirs, they could hear and smell The Times burning but did not report it at all).

• The development of blogs financed by the Office of the Prime Minister (that is, by your and my taxes) to throw dirt on the Opposition such as about Beppe Fenech Adami’s house, Simon Busuttil’s Albanian friend, and so on. Fair’s fair: those who fight with blogs by blogs are killed. But these blogs are state-financed ones – on the Putin template one could say.

• And finally, some sections of the police force seem to be back to their 1980s tactics. Dr Jason Azzopardi has been hit by a criminal libel case for something he said last year. The applicant is the former Commissioner of Police, ignominiously removed from office. In the well-known tactic known as bazooka, the police have summoned all editors who carried news of Dr Azzopardi’s press conference outside the Law Courts to appear as witnesses on Wednesday.

We are coming to the point where strong nerves are needed and courageous stances required.

 

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