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In the political dictionary there is this buzzword called reconciliation. In Malta, political leaders from the symbolic post of the President to those with greater political leverage such as PN secretary general Joe Saliba believe Malta has achieved reconciliation. If you argue with them that we have not, they will blame it on Alfred Sant. What they conveniently forget to say is that implementing reconciliation ignores the rule that ‘it takes two to tango’.
During the celebrations this weekend, which I thoroughly enjoyed, there were few Labourites. It is not surprising when in last year’s referendum only 53 per cent voted for Europe whilst the rest voted to stay out of Europe. This was the lowest of all ‘yes’ votes in any referendum for all the accession countries.
As premier, Dr Lawrence Gonzi has a gargantuan task ahead of him to get this nation together on this one. This has nothing to do with conversion to the Nationalist creed, but with convincing Labourites and others that Europe is not for the Nationalists alone, it is for all the Maltese.
One will need to do some serious thinking on this one. Serious thinking is not what happens at Pietà. At Pietà grey cells are utilised solely for spinning and political machinations.
Gonzi will definitely not find the solutions to this equation on reconciliation in the corridors of the Stamperija. The boys at Pietà who are taking control freak tablets without prescription refuse to reconcile the differences between the different factions inside the PN, let alone work out a blueprint to bring about national consensus on the European Union.
Many Labourites were honestly depressed last Friday. They did not feel that they could physically celebrate. And I do believe that the vast majority of those visiting Valletta last Friday were predominantly Nationalists or something to that effect.
Gonzi will have to do more than simply discharge sweet slogans about growing bigger in Europe. Inventing phrases does not bring about peace and trust.
And that is why I think that having MIC former head Simon Busuttil and former IVA activists stand as PN candidates now was grossly premature and far too early. Not because they do not have a right to militate in politics, but simply because what we need at this stage is some sobriety and consistency in what we said and expressed a year ago.
Many Labourites and others who granted them their confidence a year ago, feel cheated.
If he looks around diligently enough, Gonzi has the people who can draw the foundations for this bridging. Joe Saliba is not one of them. This man is capable of winning elections but not of being magnanimous. Politics is not simply about elections, it is also about convincing your adversary that there are matters where common interests converge and finally merge.
Dr Gonzi has discovered that Joe Saliba has not lost any opportunity to effectively work out that European accession equals the Nationalist party. In doing so, he has prolonged the healing process.
As the chosen ones Anthony Borg Barthet, Josef Bonnici and Richard Cachia Caruana find their place in Brussels and Luxembourg, their appointments – based not only on meritocracy but also on political allegiance – confirms that the divide in dire need of bridging does not show any sign of narrowing.
Reconciliation on Europe, is not a minute petty issue that we can settle some time in the future. We have a bright future ahead of us, but let us speed up the end to this mediocre divisiveness.
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