It is sad that our country is so radically polarised, that we are denied the most basic level of critical thinking. It's true, conceding defeat in the Vitals and Steward saga would have spelt serious political damage for the Labour Party, at such close proximity to the general election. So, it is not surprising that the Prime Minister together with his long list of apologists is doing their best to pull the wool over the eyes of the electorate.

Macchiavelli's playbook has been in overdrive over the past few days, and things are not looking to get any better any time soon. We deserve a better brand of politics.

The electorate is not stupid, and even the most avid Labour party supporters are starting to see through the ruse. Because it is really as clear as day.

The International Chamber of Commerce's 200-page ruling doesn't mince its words and openly declares the Maltese people as the sole victims of the whole saga in its opening statement. How the Prime Minister thought he could spin that one and say with a straight face that he had obtained any sort of victory for the country is anyone's guess.

Unfortunately, it is abundantly evident now that the Prime Minister is in it to his neck, and he just cannot do much about it. He has found himself defending the indefensible, coming up with excuses for mistakes and ill-deeds which he gave his word he would cover for, tooth and nail.

How can he contradict what is clearly stated in the ruling, including the numbers of how much the Maltese government has paid the concessionaires. It turns out that it wasn't even €400 million, but closer to €900 million!

That's right, the Labour government has forked out just under one billion euro to Vitals and Steward in various tranches, of which it has not managed to recover one single shiny cent.

The Maltese electorate is no idiot, and they can clearly see that neither Vitals nor Steward have invested a single penny into the infrastructure of our healthcare system as they were supposed to. The derelict St Luke's Hospital, the pitiful Karin Grech Hospital and the non-existent new Gozo Hospital are there for all to see (or not see). They are proof enough of the profound lie the Prime Minister and his lackies are trying to weave.

But the moneys were spent on wages, we are told, with a straight face. Were they though? One billion euro? How can they expect to be taken seriously? If they are so certain about their claims, why don't they publish full audited accounts to put everyone's minds at rest? Why don't we see a comparison of what the government would have spent on exactly the same deliverables when compared to what it paid to Vitals and Steward, so we'll be able to see for ourselves, the great value they obtained from this deal?

Obviously, government cannot and will not do it. The Prime Minister is compromised, and he is dragging the entire country through this ordeal to try to save his skin. With every new detail we learn about this scandal, it becomes increasingly evident what the pact with the devil was about. The only problem is that the price of this pact is being paid by none other than the Maltese and Gozitan people.