The call out there is very clear, especially on the side of the Nationalist Party: we want new faces in politics. People yearn for political outsiders that have none of the baggage associated with past administrations. For many, this is seen as a cut with the past, which brings with it feelings of missed opportunity, discrimination or failed expectations.

This call must definitely be heeded, even though it needs to face the peril of tricky definitions. How do you define old and passé? I, for one, find it hard to draw an abstract line.

For it is faces, and people, we are speaking about after all. So an ad hoc examination would become inevitable, if not imperative, to do justice with those concerned. There are mature front liners who at times demonstrate the enthusiasm of a newbie, whereas there may be new comers who come disheartened for the climb of the massive mountain of political electioneering ahead.

You can’t really blame them. Having been there myself as a candidate for the last European Election I must say that local politics is roughly 20% known and 80% unwritten and hidden code which you must mine yourself, through trial and many… many errors.

Politics at the district level in Malta and Gozo is still a matter of direct personal contact for the most part. So while the enthusiasm of youth or the freshness of the professional turned politician to advance the common good, has its allure, that bait will not hook unless it is brought right to the fish’s mouth – at her or his doorstep, in the streets and the villages making up the district.

People want the new faces in politics, but at the end of the day they will vote for who they know best. So while the public call is for new protagonists to take the fore, the setting and the system is such that the newcomers need to invest much more to compete on the same footing with their established colleagues.

So where does that leave us if we want to drive change? I think that first of all we must be careful not to endorse the malicious propaganda peddled by others intent of distracting us from the overall objective. The labour party machinery has a very effective way of releasing ‘news’ at very critical times to dilute public attention from ongoing scandals, by shifting part of the attention on some misdemeanour on the other side of the political spectrum.

The divide between old and new, fresh and mature, can be used and abused with malicious intent by those who want to keep milking public resources for their own good. The truth is that a political venture to lead the country to address the myriad of open wounds that Malta has at present, from the lack of any direction on environmental protection, to promoting the Maltese product to good governance, needs to muster all the energy coming from several sectors of society. From the newcomers who bring the energy, to the protagonists of yesteryear to guide on the pitfalls they know only too well.

To be frank, I would rather support the integrity of the so called dinosaur Edwin Vassallo rather than that the dubious demeanour of Mrs 39k undeclared commission Rosianne Cutajar.

For one or two who came to symbolise the arrogance of power past, there are ten or more who have given sterling service to the country and who either faded in the background trying to rebuild a life from scratch or who would want to continue being of service, sometimes out of the push by those around them who still see the promise of future service to the country.

Secondly, I think political parties should do more to effectively guide the newcomers through the thick and thin on political campaigning. Reaching the masses and convincing a few thousands to trust you with their vote requires massive efforts on different fronts, from social media to printing and distribution of materials, to the organisation of event to the systematic organisation of personal contacts and home visits. All parts of this process require significant investment of human and financial resources.

For my part, I am trying to do my little part in the renewal process by aiding and guiding the candidates who approach me for help or information. Small things can go a long way when you are at the beginning of such a journey. Over the coming weeks, as the anxiety of social distance starts to subside, I shall be joining a few new candidates in home visits across Malta and Gozo. How about you? Do you also think we need fresh faces to come to the fore? What are you willing to do about it?

Peter Agius, MEP candidate

[email protected]