There is a dire need for humility in Maltese politics. It is only humble leadership that can restore trust. As Maltese politicians continue to divide themselves into two disparate parties, those humble among them who can admit fault are key to uniting a nation and restoring trust in our government and institutions.
It has been said that those who choose to seek the high road of humility in politics will never run into a traffic jam. There is more than a little truth in that statement. Some time ago, I read somewhere that politics was for people who wanted to be in show business but didn't have the looks. There might be a little truth there, too.
Politics undoubtedly attracts more than its fair share of oversized egos. Some of that is due to the filtering process of being a candidate. After all, it takes a certain amount of confidence to run for office. You open yourself to the comments and critiques of anyone who cares to weigh in.
If you're really unlucky, you will also have an opponent who chooses to spend a lot of money on television to let everyone know that you are too liberal, too conservative, crooked, a puppet, inexperienced and that you are to be completely mistrusted. Being in the political realm requires having the confidence to do your job in front of an audience, many of whom are hoping you will fail.
This is the time when the elements of pride start taking shape, as the process of running for office means that you are saying, "I am the one who can solve some, if not all, of these problems." Once elected, the temptation towards pride only increases.
We see our political leaders from both sides of the House in place once they have been elected, with their Sunday morning speeches getting more interesting and their jokes funnier. The sense of self-importance swells as the list of people who want to meet with them grows. They make themselves more and more exposed to their respective party's media outlets and dodge insidious questions put by journalists from independent media houses. They have drivers ready to take them whenever and wherever they wish. When they are introduced for a speech, the whole room rises as one to applaud the wisdom that is sure to follow.
As you might imagine, it is easy to start thinking you are a big deal when you keep getting treated like you are a big deal. Whether you are the Leader of the Opposition or the Prime Minister of Malta, being elected to office means being treated special. From there, the walk from being treated special to thinking you are special turns out to be only a few short steps.
More problematic than thinking you are special is the next short step of thinking you are always right.
Most of our politicians, office seekers or not, come into the public square because they have convictions about the answers to certain problems. Perhaps it is the desire to provide better health care or equal access to quality education. Maybe they are driven by their perception of the deteriorating culture of our country, a fear of a warming planet or a growing budget deficit.
The issues that drive them and the passion of their convictions are the fuel that pushes them to try and solve problems. They think they have the answer, or they would not be there. The passion to be a part of the solution should be at the heart of all the good reasons they step forward. Passion, combined with humility, provides great soil for a fruitful entry into the public square. On the other hand, misplaced passion can lead them to crash into the public square in harmful ways.
When politicians, rightly or wrongly, are convinced that they have the right answer, it is frustrating that others cannot see it their way. Becoming overzealous often brings out the worst in them.
Leading politicians, party leaders, ministers and parliamentary secretaries must always concede and consider that their counterparts might be right.
This is not an argument to always find the middle spot or to find a compromise position that allows you to move on from the sticky problem. If we do not hold certain convictions, things we know to be true or right regardless of circumstance, there is no reason to be engaged in public policy. We do not need any more elected officials who do not have any convictions beyond getting reelected.
Instead, it is an argument for remembering why they came into the public square. They are there because they think good government matters for the quality of life in our communities and our country. They believe that good government can truly impact the lives of the people they serve. They also believe that getting to the right answer is more important than just getting to their answer.
While humility has never been easy, it seems to be even harder today when humility has gone out of style in politics. Pride and protecting one's pride are, however, very much in fashion. All politicians want to be right in every argument and look good in every situation. Yet, great leaders always recognise that they don't always get it right.
Think how exceedingly rare it is for a leader today to say, "I am sorry, I did not get that one right." And think how much better served we would be by politicians who have the humility to want to get to the best answer, not just their answer.