The answer to all the developments that are taking place around the world is not to turn the clock back, but to get the future right, Prime Minister Robert Abela told the United Nations General Assembly last month.

His focus, in the few minutes he was allotted along with other world leaders, was international affairs. He made reference to the raging war in Ukraine, calling upon Russia to withdraw its forces. He urged a lasting settlement in Libya. He insisted that action to combat climate change must be strong and effective. In his wide-ranging speech, he also addressed security, mental health, technology and other subjects the government felt should be mentioned at such an important world stage.

“We can and we will get the future right,” Abela concluded.

But, aside from delivering sound-bites, Abela should be the first to get the future right with the decisions he takes on national matters. In this respect, he has failed several times.

He did not get the future right when he made light of the driving licences scandal, saying that what happened is part of the system and that Minister Ian Borg was only doing his job. A Prime Minister who laughs in the face of a disgrace is not giving the right example, and is opening the doors for more shameful behaviour.

He did not get the future right when he belittled the disability benefits scam, fomenting the culture of impunity which has plagued the country for the past decade.

He did not get the future right when he downplayed corruption on more than one occasion.

And he did not get the future right when he defended Joseph Muscat, who resigned in shame and was named corrupt man of the year by a consortium of journalists; when he refused to take action on the hospitals’ contract, later annulled by a court of law which described it as fraudulent; and when he did not implement recommendations highlighted in the Daphne Caruana Galizia public inquiry report.

He did not get the future right when he agreed to set up a public inquiry into the death of Jean Paul Sofia only because of public pressure and after having voted against the proposal in Parliament just four days before; when he spoke to a magistrate about court sentencing policy; and when he criticised the publication of a book (Robert Aquilina’s) which deals with the rule of law and justice.

He did not get the future right when he changed the law to secure the appointment of a Standards Commissioner to his liking; when he insisted (and continued to insist) on an economic model which is leading to massive problems related to over-population; and when he admitted that Malta is not a safe country when he said he is afraid to let his daughter walk the streets of Valletta.

He did not get the future right when ministers who messed up were kept in their position; when he performed yet another u-turn on laws regulating journalism; and when he protects institutions that are strong with the weak and weak with the strong.

He did not get the future right when he says that socialist principles are still guiding the Labour Party when, in effect, the PL has never been so distant from its roots; when nepotism has been ingrained in the system and people close to the party are given lucrative jobs while the rest get the crumbs; and when what was once the pride of a nation, Air Malta, is heading towards an embarrassing dissolution.

His supporters will say that these are nothing when compared to the economic progress Malta has made; that our healthcare is still among the best in Europe; that the government dealt with Covid-19 excellently; that the economic blows of the pandemic were absorbed well; that education is on a solid footing; that the environment is being given the attention it deserves; that crime is under control; that tourism has picked up where it left off before the pandemic; that the construction industry is booming and action is being taken to bring in better regulations; that the welfare state is leaving no-one behind; that foreign entrepreneurs still see Malta as the ideal place where to invest their money; that we are close to full-employment with jobs chasing people; that the Maltese have never had it so good and have money to spend; that road construction might be an inconvenience but it will lead to an improve network; and that it is subsidising energy and fuel so as to keep inflation low (although this must end, sooner or later).

But the overall picture is not rosy. The scandals and, most of all, the PM’s attitude towards them are disdainful.  Yet again, this past week, MEPs overwhelmingly said they were “appalled” by Abela’s statement “downplaying institutionalised corruption”. All socialist MEPs, except two from Malta, voted against Abela.

It does not seem to bother Abela.

So one does not expect him to get the future right.