So the man who vehemently campaigned to keep Malta out of Europe, wanted to deprive Malta of the benefits of European Union membership, and was part of the machine that claimed “partnership won” in the 2003 national referendum is now heading the same organisation he despised.

Joseph Muscat, he who had strongly fought against EU membership, going as far as to urge other countries not to follow Malta’s example, is now technically leading the Europe he opposed. He who wanted to keep us out, but then opportunistically was the first one in after Malta rejected Labour’s stand and the first European Parliament elections were held, is now on the frontline of the same institution he thought would devour Malta like a small fish (remember the ‘makku?’).

Joseph Muscat, he who says will never be part of the so-called establishment, is now heading an organisation which is the epitome of the establishment. 

And the political party, now in government, which fought so hard against Malta forming part of the EU, working tirelessly to instil a sense of fear and trying to make the people believe – and 46% of them blindly did – that Malta will only get Lm1.5 million from membership is now boasting of leading the organisation it described as a monster that would kill Malta’s sovereignty.

Labour has been gloating since it won the 2013 election that Malta would be holding the presidency of the same body it used to call names, said it would cause an AIDS plague and lead to an invasion of Sicilians. It’s making such a fuss that anyone coming over from Space would think that Malta is the first country to have the privilege to hold such a post when, as we all know, it’s simply Malta’s turn in a rotating system set up as a token to the member states.

And the Cabinet of Ministers, many of whom were already working in Labour’s fold against the Nationalist Party’s vision of Malta as an EU member, are making the most of this membership and, now, the presidency. Their Road to Damascus moment has seen them bounce from being anti-EU to promoters of all that is European, and using millions of euros – which, we must remember, were brought in by Lawrence Gonzi – to make Malta better. My guess is that it’s just a façade because, in their heart of hearts, they have not changed their mind about the EU.

Talk about political irony. Talk about political hypocrisy. Talk about political opportunism.

Labour is the only entity making a big deal out of this presidency. In their haste to look pompous and important they overlooked a glaring mistake that a six-year-old would have picked up, the now famous billboard with the word government written without the first ‘n’ that exposed what a bunch of amateurs they are.

The major foreign news media did not bother to give it a mention. They know it’s not a big thing after all. But, in my humble view, they should have picked up on the fact that for the next six months the EU will be piloted by a prime minister and political party which were so adamant that Malta should not form part of the bloc and had only words of disdain about the EU prior to Malta’s membership.