Last week’s election results continued the success story that began when Dr Joseph Muscat was elected as Labour leader. Recalling the situation then brings to mind the old saying: “Flying starts from the ground. The more grounded you are, the higher you fly.”
Labour’s landslide victories in the elections for both the European Parliament and Local Councils show that an overwhelming majority of the population is at a turning point in their view on the political issues that matter the most. The results achieved on both levels have practically eliminated the Nationalist Party’s decades-old hold on more than half the population. Half-way through Dr Muscat’s second term, the people have once again given their verdict – Labour Works, Labour Matters and, yes, Labour Delivers – to the extent that a historic majority of Gozitans and Maltese has overwhelmingly given its stamp of approval to 47 out of 68 majority Labour Local Councils and chosen four Labour MEPs out of six to represent it abroad.
Victories and responsibilities
Election victories of such proportions should humble and motivate each and every one of us to keep a level head, work harder and stay grounded. We are, after all the, citizens’ representatives and, as our Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said last Sunday, our responsibilities towards the electorate must be borne with humility and inclusivity for the betterment of society in general and always with Malta and Gozo at heart.
What does Dr Muscat’s message really mean? It means that every individual person involved in public administration should work harder for the betterment of each and every person in our society because not only is it our duty to do so but also because the people have overwhelmingly trusted us to carry on with our endeavours to make Malta the envy of the world.
Post-electoral analysis is a must – both for the losing team but – and equally essentially – for the winners. A winning team such as ours should look into the psyche of the electorate and try to understand the message sent by those who participated in this democratic process and others who either opted not to vote or neutralised their vote in protest. We have to correct any mistakes or omissions we might have made and present ourselves to the public with greater humility and understanding.
Humility is the best tool
An old Indian saying reminds us that “pedestals are not safe – one wrong move and a nasty tumble is sure to follow. Humility is a great grounding tool”. We all need to remind ourselves, perhaps more often, of these wise words and avoid playing macho to impress people. We should be constantly aware that all we have is the trust of the people, which we can lose any time those same people decide otherwise.
With great political power comes great responsibility. Besides evaluating what to deliver and to what standard we realise it, people continuously observe our performance and attitudes, detesting those who behave from those high pedestals, which – as the saying goes – are never safe.
Even though last Sunday’s elections have just been finalised, it is already obvious that the people have changed their attitude towards arrogant politicians. In fact, the Opposition’s tactic of enticing voters by spreading calumnious lies and accusations has clearly backfired. The electorate showed its disapproval by practically wiping them off the map in most of the islands’ towns and villages.
If the various cliques within the Opposition are burying their heads in the sand and are refusing to make changes, then that is their problem. In itself, that is already very sad for our democracy as they have steadily dug a vacuum right where our constitutions expects to have a responsible Opposition. It is indeed frustrating that no one can perceive what the current fragmented Opposition stands for.
On the other hand, we have to stay on track and proceed along the clear mandate that the nation has given us time and time again. While fully aware of being the winning team, we must be careful not to lose sight of Labour’s scope and mission and we must therefore strive to continue our quest to better the lives of Malta’s citizens with fervour, enthusiasm and humility.
The first Gozitan MEP
For the first time ever, Gozo’s own Dr Josianne Cutajar has been elected as a Member of the European Parliament. These elections have been a triumph for Gozitans because Dr Cutajar, notwithstanding massive competition, managed to win the hearts of the electorate both in Malta and in Gozo.
We will have our very own voice in Brussels for the very first time and, through Dr Cutajar, Gozo will be given prominence in the European Parliament and other important fora. I would like to thank all the MEPs who have spoken in favour of Gozo and have backed Gozo’s agenda, and I am convinced that we are now in a better position to strengthen Gozo’s presence in the European fora even more.
It is therefore an honour for me to congratulate Dr Cutajar, the first Gozitan woman in history to win a seat in the European Parliament. I must also congratulate Miriam Dalli and Alfred Sant who have been re-elected as MEPs and Alex Agius Saliba who, like Josianne Cutajar, is a new MEP representing Malta in the European Parliament. As a woman, I am happy to observe that half of Malta’s delegation is women, a fact that should encourage more women to enter politics, if only on a national level.
Democracy in our heart
Democratic elections are important, but public participation in the democratic process should not be limited to voting. In an increasingly complex society, it is the duty of the Government to constantly monitor the democratic process and adjust rules accordingly so that each and every citizen feels secure and included in the democratic process.
Good governance means taking tough decisions, irrespective of how they impinge on popularity at the polls. These decisions must be taken with courage and fortitude because the electorate is knowledgeable and discerning and will judge each and every move made by its elected representatives accordingly.
Unless tainted by stealthy, malicious undercurrents, election results are based on – and reflect – trust, whether personal or collective. Our Prime Minister Joseph Muscat often explains that this trust is what makes a Party electable and that it is something that is earned through good actions over a period of time. That is why we must keep pushing and promoting our vision for a strong economy with determination and hard work. A strong economy allows for better management of our resources and helps distribute the wealth we generate with equity amongst our citizens.
The landslide victories we achieved last week give us the impetus to work harder towards bettering the lives of each and every citizen through more jobs, improved infrastructure, economical growth and, above all, more security and ease of mind for all the Gozitan and Maltese families. This can be achieved by transparency, good governance, humility and feet that are constantly on the ground monitoring, assessing and fixing things that are not quite right, always keeping Gozo and Malta in our hearts and minds.