The PN’s General Council was unfortunately an exercise in political hatred.
For a number of years it has been the PN’s strategy to throw abuse at their political adversaries and especially trying to politically “assassinate” Alfred Sant.
Sant has been described as a devil, a political villain and a non-starter. PN’s strategists and spin doctors believe that by ridiculing Sant, it would make it difficult for his politics to penetrate the national psyche. Nip him in the bud. However, any person of average intelligence can easily understand that this policy of hatred is not going to win votes for the Nationalists.
The PN’s secretary general delivered a very pathetic speech but I was not surprised. Joe Saliba has long been wearing boots too big for his feet. But I expected better from Austin Gatt. He shouted, yelled and once again spelt out his favourite sport of political betting. What a poor show for one of the leading ministers.
I understand the poor psychology of speakers expecting an applause from the party diehards. Very often the speakers have other aims on their agenda. They try to impress the delegates by their “fighting zeal” so that they would attract their vote for some party post in the future.
The atmosphere of hatred for Sant and for everything that smells Labourite is a shame in the 21st century. I fully understand praise for Gonzi and his government from his party faithful, and there is no harm in that. If Francis Zammit Dimech wanted to make a eulogy for Gonzi in his presence, and for Gonzi to smile and be pleased, that is their business. No one would object to that. But to listen to one delegate (or councillor) after the other spitting venom at their political adversaries is something belonging to the Middle Ages were crusades were a favourite sport.

The tone of the PN’s General Council unfortunately reveals Gonzi’s weakness with his ministers and party diehards. I could not believe my ears. Are these the same people who were scandalised by Jason Micallef’s statement that a Labour Government would also include Labourites? Now I fully understand their objection. Anything smelling of Labour is anathema for Nationalist leaders and followers. Yes, they belong to the Middle Ages where people still believed in anointed and divine Kings. God was invoked in these decisions to the disappointment and resentment of the excluded ones.
For the last 20 years the country has been governed by Nationalists for Nationalists. The country has lost a lot of talent in the process. How can a small country of 400,000 afford to lose half its talents on purely partisan grounds?
Alfred Sant’s short-lived government had started to break the ice and involve a wider spectrum of people, slowly eradicating the element of vendetta so conspicuous in the last PN’s General Council.
However, one person stole the show. He was not the party leader (as it should have been expected). The person who had the guts and the intellectual acumen to challenge the atmosphere of hatred was Mr Musumeci. He explained with calm and conviction that for the PN to win an election, it only needed to explain that policy to the people. There was no room for vindictiveness and for political assassination of political adversaries. But his speech does not seem to have pleased the Presidency of the Council. Mr Musumeci was politely written off and asked to terminate his speech.
If we want to grow up politically we need more people like Mr Musumeci. He is a Nationalist who loves politics but does not hate those who have a different political creed. Mr Musumeci’s stand is not a one off. He also had the courage to censure in a polite manner parliamentary secretary Tony Abela, who asked One journalist Charlon Gouder whether he would emigrate if the MLP lost the next election. Musumeci did not mince his words. He said that persons in authority should be careful in what they say. Gonzi only followed suit.
When I was active in politics, especially during the meetings of the party’s executive (where policy is planned) very often I found that what the majority of members wad thinking was miles away from what the ordinary person expected. I used to intervene and ask: but how will this policy affect the ordinary citizen; is it relevant to the people outside this room? Now that I am no longer active in politics, and am on the receiving end as an ordinary citizen, I can sense better that much of the energy spent by political parties in certain political activities is useless. They do not attract more votes and only serve as cheap propaganda for certain political figures. The latest PN’s General Council was a futile exercise in enhancing the party’s chances of winning the next election.

Floating voters are not attracted by declarations of war on political opponents. They expect an inspiring policy of how this country is to solve its economic and social problems. The Prime Minister’s declarations that our many sacrifices have paid off and the time has come to harvest the fruit are nothing but a propagandist declaration on the eve of elections. In spite of the fact that the Maltese are the most taxed people in Europe, our economy is still very fragile and we have not managed to achieve a competitive edge on our international competitors. We need to increase our exports and receive more tourists. Inflation is on the doorstep.
Having followed the PN’s General Council I am none the wiser how these problems would be solved. Ministers talked to their faithful, to the party diehards. They delivered speeches rich in venom but lacking in creativity, freshness and foresight.
That is why the country badly needs a quick change in government.