Before all the recriminations, arguments and opinions start tumbling out on Facebook and judgements seal the deal, keep in mind that none of it matters. 

All the accusations of the Delia debacle having hurt the party, of the controversial MPs that contested again and the ones labelled as no longer appealing to the public.  Or the campaign strategy not having messaged enough on the younger voters.  The disadvantage against incumbency and the breaking of every rule in the book to gain votes by Abela or the lack of funds and the newly installed leader coming from armchair to podium and doing a good job of it.

Because it is evident that even if the PN can hit the rock and get water out of it for the people, they prefer bottled. 

Behind that is an endemic sense of lack that is satisfied only by tangible, materialistic goods and the need to pour antagonistic, near hatred that has been forged into the mind of the weak onto the enemy.

Nothing less than punishment.  Nothing less than having a place from where to chide and call names to a fictitious opposition, so that you can feel better about yourself and relish the rise it gives you.  A chance to glorify your lack of self-esteem and bully your way back to confidence. 

Many chose not to vote or to invalidate it.  With all that they knew, with all that was at stake, they preferred to stay out of it.   

Anything but PN.  The prejudice against PN has become institutionalized and in many cases entrenched in the minds of those who roam the desert, living a nomadic life and waiting for the manna to fall on their laps.

So, no matter that there wasn’t the kind of entertainment laid on by the PL machine on the back of our taxes.  No matter that not every single household was visited by the PN candidates or that they went there empty-handed except for the electoral programme and their commitment.  The day that it is no longer a competition to win, a chance to get the better of your neighbour, is nowhere near close.  It certainly wasn’t last Saturday. 

It is now for the ones who took pleasure in the shaming of Bernard Grech or of the party’s ability to make a difference in the comfort of numbers for the PL, to live with their choice.  They can forever roam and goad and throw stones.  They will not succeed, however, in converting the courage and integrity of the so-called losers into a drama in three parts. 

Leave the bashing and the disappointment.  Yes, it hurts.  Anyone who takes pleasure out of inflicting a negative reaction out of someone will themselves have a moment of strength from it.  Do not indulge them further.  Get together and simply do your job as elected Representatives of the people.  Sometimes you can do more from the opposition benches than from the government and it certainly looks like it will be needed, from getting off the grey-listing to solving the traffic problems and the cost of living.

We all know that the problems Abela’s government will face are so much more serious than he makes out.  For them it is all a matter of money.  They think that with money they can win every time. 

It is all well and good for Abela to say that he will demonstrate humility and not tolerate arrogance.  After having used every means to grab votes like a starving bear after winter, he can now relax and speak of humility.  Try and shift one little centimetre of the power from him and you will soon see that humility turn into vindictiveness.

Grech must now look at his ESG platform and see where he contradicted himself.  I can start by saying on hunting and on not clear enough on how he intended to curb the excessive construction and its influence in the economy.  The most urgent job now is for the PN to recover financially and morally.  Morals are not just a matter of expediency.  The fight for justice must continue.  If Labour have no limits on the favours they grant and the nepotism and cronyism, then PN should have no subject that is taboo and no holding back on exposing the truth.  With that, the courage to stand up and fight against lobbies that are causing huge damage to the country.  Drop them, do without them if they are a cause for losing you votes.  You haven’t gained anything by appeasement.  If you are a party of principle, stand up and take a side. 

Malta cannot afford any more compromises. Not with the economy, not with its values and especially not with justice. 

People may have wanted to do away with the corruption issue but it will come back to haunt us.  You cannot build on sand.  A woman may choose not to see her husband’s philandering but the marriage will slowly rot and fall apart.  Same with all the corruption that has besieged the PL and the tentative attempt of the PN to look away for the sake of getting elected.  Big fail. 

Michelle Muscat’s “what you see is what you get” works better than turning a blind eye.  The Moviment allows for a never-ending narrative to unfold and drown any prejudices in.  Most of all the rules are chucked out the window and it continues giving as much as it wants.  Like a virus replicating and mutating.  With all the institutions and the state TV in their hands, little room is left for alternatives.

It may be better for the PN to resign itself to the opposition as long as this allows for them to do a good job from there, stop worrying about being elected and stick by their principles without compromise and without fear.  Clarity and consistency, honesty and hard work with a very good ear to the people and their aspirations. 

The aspirations of people are not chosen for them by the political parties.  Labour is good at tapping into those dreams and making them a reality.  PN on the other hand must educate themselves on a daily basis that thousands of people don’t like them and that finding the way to overcome that lies in the humility that Abela was quick to speak of. 

The greatest threat facing the country now is journalism.  Abela avoided it to the maximum thereby subconsciously creating the fake-news syndrome over the media.  Financially the media cannot survive as it is.  If Abela wants to show humility and unity, he should start by creating a fair playing field, allowing himself to be criticized if need be and ensure and sustain a free media.  Just as the PN needed fresh and young candidates, journalism needs free thinkers and writers who can publish without fear for their life.  Publications need to step up too and unite against SLAPP and prejudice.  It is not only the PN who is prejudiced against.  Support of the Church needs to go beyond lighting it up for the festa.  Just see where the Pope’s visit was relegated to.