|
Julian Manduca shared a bite with Malta’s future Prime Minister and notes some observations from the no nonsense discussion It was a sprightly Lawrence Gonzi that met the editors of the Sunday newspapers. Thursday. Arriving, unlike the man whose place he is about to take, fifteen minutes late, Gonzi had a firm handshake for the editors and fielded a question about the last time he played football, before decisively leading the way to the hotel restaurant.
Unlike Prime Minister Eddie Fenech Adami, the Prime Minister in waiting has all the social airs and graces and ability to excel at small talk in social gatherings and, sitting round the table, wants to be “one of the lads.” Of course the editors present were pleased to avoid silences and sit back and listen, because Gonzi, unlike Eddie at these occasions, talks. And talks, and if there is anything uncomfortable about his talking it may be that he is trying a bit too hard.
The editors were, understandably, all ears hoping for pointers to drop from Gonzi’s lips. The food went in and also, why not, a couple of glasses of wine; pointers there were a few, but no big secrets given away – not that anyone was expecting any on these occasions.
Gonzi’s meeting with Alfred Sant, instigated by the latter soon after his election, offered hope of a more reconciliatory way of doing politics and Gonzi continued the trend by inviting the editors of both Kulhadd and it-Torca, considered enemy press and usually left out at these occasions in the past.
Gonzi did say the environment was going to be a major issue and although not the most suitable subjects for luncheons, a discussion on waste and landfills dominated much of the talk.
But it was not all rubbish that the ‘influential’ men could spout about – and men they were – once again Malta embarrassingly confirming its inability to include women in the upper echelons.
Public transport was touched upon and Lawrence Gonzi agreed that the name was a misnomer, and while his one experience on a bus in the last ten years was positive, he agreed that the public must be offered a service that suits it rather than the bus owners.
Weightier subjects were touched on and not only Joe Saliba and Lawence Gonzi’s respective waistlines, with Saliba making it a point to state that Gonzi’s sporty figure was a little more plumpy than his own skinny frame.
The future President of Malta was discussed, and at that point all the editors pricked up their ears. Gonzi assured one and all that the idea of a non party-political President is being considered but added that it was very difficult to find a Maltese man – what else? – outside the Party spheres that has all the talents that are expected of a person in the highest office.
While Dr Fenech Adami, for all his merits, is the front runner, he certainly does not enjoy all the characteristics that one would hope a President should have: he does not have the respect of the entire population, indeed many do not appreciate his record in office. But Maltese politics being what it is and keeping in mind that Gonzi owes ‘something’ to Eddie, read my lips, the next president of Malta will be Eddie Fenech Adami.
The million-dollar question was thrown up: “what about the new Cabinet,” somebody asked not expecting a straight answer. Well Gonzi was not letting anything out of the magic bag, but Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando’s name was mentioned, although he is unlikely to get Ninu Zammit’s seat to allow him to turn around the decision on the temple landfills. And for those that do enjoy the occasional discussion on waste, judging by what Lawrence Gonzi has had to say on the matter so far, expect that the landfills will indeed grace a space three hundred metres or so from the World Heritage sites that are the Neolitic temples of Hagar Qim and Mnajdra.
Another weighty subject was unemployment and the point was made that, while the situation is worrying, it was not true that more people had been employed in the public sector than left. The editors were told that the net effect of changes in the number of employed in the public service over the past year or so, was at least 2,000 less.
Gonzi did give some indication of what he was planning to do to reduce unemployment stating that it was important to introduce incentives for the creation of new small employers.
If Gonzi’s decision to involve Labour more is a new way of doing politics, then we can only conclude that it is welcome. But one asks would it not also be better to remove much of the cult of the leader and not continue with the large pictures of the ‘Kap’ at all the Nationalist Party clubs and start to treat our elected officials with the respect, but no more, than they deserve?
|
