History mimics itself in funny ways because human behavior, although evolutionary and dialectical in nature, fundamentally retains some common and basic traits. It’s a common feature in local politics that the Oppoisition is demoralised and believes that it will never be in power again – this was the same feeling of the Opposition during Lawrence Gonzi’s administrations, and yet, the gap was even smaller.
Labour looked invincible under Joseph Muscat and under Robert Abela it retained that projection of itself of being unbeatable. Only that now, Labour is beating itself and it’s Robert Abela himself who has to blame, not the Opposition itself which is in shambles and couldn’t even punch at its level, let alone above its weight. Let’s make it very clear. The only government MPs who have resigned during Robert Abela’s administration were that of Justyne Caruana which was triggered by an investigation requested by Arnold Cassola, and Rosianne Cutajar who resigned over the publication of her chats with Yorgen Fenech. The government is so rife with incompetence and criminality that the Nationalist Party could have chosen to force the whole government to resign, but for some reason its MPs are busier doing other things.
Had there been an organised Opposition with a clear strategic goal that could also unite various parts of the disenfrenchised majority, this could have been a walk in the park. Apparently, the Nationalists seem to have grown accustomed to staying in opposition, preferring instead to keep shooting themselves in the foot by taking stands against abortion, which, mathematically speaking, are electorally self-defeating. It seems like that PN has failed to understand the demographic game behind the political changes in our country, despite some pseudo-demographic experts thinking otherwise.
However, and clearly, today the discussion is being inverted and it’s no longer about the Labour Party dominating the political landscape on a permanent basis, but it’s about who and how it will be replaced. The Nationalist Party don’t have the answer for this question and are unable to provide anything else apart from the long-distant and ephemeral dream that someday and somehow, Roberta Metsola is going to return to Malta and set everything right. Politics however is not based on what could be, but on what is going to happen now and tomorrow and so far PN is failing to deliver this.
In fact, that Nationalist Party risks to get even worse with Alex Borg and Adrian Delia vying to take control of the Party once again whilst, ironically, being the preferred political faction in PN by Joseph Muscat. Those who want the PN to be condemned into the obscurity keep attacking PN’s fight against corruption because that would give it the amoral advantage that the Labour Party has (turning PN into another version of Labour). Politically, the Labour Party is reigning because PN is in shambles, but this situation is not guaranteed to remain either, in the sense, that things for PN can still get worse just as Labour’s can get worse too.
In the medium and long-term things surely don’t look good for Labour and it doesn’t inspire any confidence that it’s the political party for the future. Its MEP candidates are some of the worst it has ever fielded in its history, and there is no comparison with a list that includes Roberta Metsola as a candidate. This is a sign of things to come because MEP candidates were traditionally seen as the cream of the party’s crop. If Labour can’t field good candidates for the European Parliament, imagine how much worse is it going to be in the general election.
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