Lawrence Gonzi’s upbeat tempo of Independence Day melted into puddles of nothingness over the weekend at the former Eden Ice Arena.
Gonzi lost all the glitz of a fortnight ago when he spoke at the Granaries eclipsing Opposition leader Alfred Sant, perhaps showing he is not as good at remaining on the crest of a wave when he is on one.
However, he is expected to stoke up the party councillors when he closes the conference this morning.
It was a typical council of platitudes; two and a half hours of self-congratulation to the backdrop of a photoshopped landscape affixed behind the main stage.
The theme was supposed to revolve around the party’s vision for the next eight years, but significantly Gonzi and all the speakers spoke more about the past than about how Malta will be by 2015.
“The sun did not rise three and a half years ago,” Gonzi said. “I salute all the politicians who gave their contribution before me … I’m seeing John Dalli here … these people gave a great contribution to our country.”
Interestingly, the reference to Dalli was totally left out of the otherwise faithful report on the PN’s newspaper In-Nazzjon.
Gonzi expressed his satisfaction at a brand new record: having eight cruise liners berthed in Grand Harbour in one day.
“By 2015, there will be 15 cruise liners everyday!” he exclaimed.
Then he referred to what he called “the best of all Labour U-turns”: from speaking of a leaking drain pipe at Mater Dei, Sant is now calling the hospital state of the art. If that is Sant’s best U-turn, recognising Dalli’s “valid contributions” to the country would be just as remarkable, although observers were quick to remark it was a smart way to neutralise the former finance minister before he speaks this morning.
The speeches after Gonzi were interrupted by short documentaries of people opening up their hearts about a successful heart bypass operation or the marvels of IT, like brief intervals from Tista’ Tkun Int.
The Home Affairs Minister and PN deputy leader Tonio Borg concluded the Friday night session, referring to the detention policy.
He seemed also ecstatic about the fact that Malta is about to enter the Schengen area. Departing Maltese citizens will no longer be stopped at Europe’s frontiers, he announced.