News • February 8 2004

The end of an era
There come moments when one feels the inevitability of an event taking place yet one finds difficulty coming to terms with it. The resignation of the Prime Minister as head of the Nationalist Party is just one such event. All persons who worked close to the man or who have followed and supported him throughout these last 27 years must be feeling a profound sense of impending loss. His departure seals the end of an era.
Dr Eddie Fenech Adami was much more than just a party man. He started off his leadership of the party so unassumingly yet with such determination and vision to position his party at the centre left of politics, at the very heart of working people’s concerns. He really understood that there are two Maltas and that the weakest sectors of society required the most protection and a robust social safety net. His commitment to a social market economy balancing economic growth with social justice remains his hallmark. He really gave a sense of meaning to the theory of third way politics.
Throughout the late seventies and eighties he was the bulwark of freedom protecting the citizen’s rights at great cost and pain to himself and his family. He suffered endless personal attacks. In spite of the sense of doom and gloom prevailing in the country, he soldiered on believing passionately that truth would prevail. The tougher it got, the greater his determination grew to see it through. He was the very rallying point for all persons irrespective of political background who desperately were thirsty for change (Il-Bidla). The eternal optimist, fortified with a good nose for politics, he quietly and with cold logic chipped away at the Mintoffian edifice. At difficult and dangerous moments rather than resorting to the arm of violence he championed the art of persuasion as the strongest political weapon to defeat the Mintoffian regime. Even at the cost of appearing weak he always offered the hand of friendship which was only accepted by the Labour Government after the death of Raymond Caruana. This was the turning point that would lead to the popular tidal wave that swept the charismatic and much loved Dr Fenech Adami into Auberge de Castille. The clarion call Eddie Eddie was the call of hope for a better Malta dying to live at peace with itself.
His greatest achievement remains the restoration of democracy. There would be no European accession without passing through this democratic gateway. He leaves a formidable legacy. The restoration of democracy, economic growth, pluralism, local councils, a robust social security, an upgraded infrastructure, are but to mention just a few of the many milestones of the Fenech Adami governments.
He remains a gentleman, a statesman, with the common touch, driven by nothing more than wanting to serve his country and most especially the working people. He moved politics up to a higher ethical level.
As history is written there will inevitably be references to a number of errors of judgement on his part. I remain convinced that though errors of judgement they certainly were, his intentions were sincere. He was motivated by the desire to discover the truth and nothing but the truth as to who had knifed his personal assistant. I refer to the granting of the Presidential pardon to Zeppi il-Hafi and the ill-timed announcement that the criminal justice system is to be reformed.
Coupled to this there were lost opportunities. History may yet judge that on being returned to office in 1998 the moment was ripe to form a Government with the widest possible consensus, programmed to introduce the necessary economic and social reforms making the country better placed to enter Europe with a softer landing.
Alas, his errors of judgement and lost opportunities are merely foot notes in his thick book of achievements, culminating in European membership.
His biggest political disappointment must remain the delay in seeing his political project of national reconciliation completed. He can be fortified in the knowledge that although deep divisions remain, the country has a higher sense of national unity than when he came to office in 1987. I remain convinced that more could and would have been achieved if the chemistry between himself and Dr Alfred Sant was better. Both leaders must carry their respective responsibilities. His successor must place this noble goal highest on the political agenda.
Eddie is prized to be choosing his own date of departure. This is an achievement few politicians can lay claim to.
I wish his political successor the best of luck. He has a difficult act to follow.

rdegiorgio@newsworksltd.com
Roger de Giorgio is a co-owner and Managing director of Newsworks Ltd