The recent session of the general council of the Nationalist Party anlaysed the result of the last general election. The result undoubtedly provides food for thought to many, particularly political parties and the men and women behind them. The people`s verdict should never be ignored, even though it is not always easy to decipher the message sent by voters; yet, a message is contained in every election result whether we like it or not.
The strongest message is directed to the Malta Labour Party. The blatant arrogance with which Labour speakers officials and opinion makers prophesised a Labour victory was nauseating. It reminded me of a similar mistake committed by Neil Kinnock way back in 1992 where the triumphalist nature of an election rally he addressed in Sheffield surprisingly lost him the election to John Major.
Fifteen years later the local Labour Party imbued its media with sure promises of a new beginning. One Labour regular columnist even colourfully expressed this opinion by stating that it would be easier for Malta's national team to win against Brazil at the legendary Maracana stadium than for the Nationalists to win the 2008 election. The Opposition Leader, replying to EU President Josè Manuel Barroso's address in the House of Representatives last year, arrogantly informed the EU`s Commission chief that the EU would surely deal with a Labour government in a few months' time and, pointing to the government`s benches, told him that his party would soon be sitting on the opposite side of the House.
Voters dislike arrogance and a presumptuous guessing of how they will vote. Certainly, any party contesting a general election enters the fray with a determination to win, whatever the polls say, but organising carcades and open bars while the votes were being counted betrayed a vision of things to come which frightened voters.
Again, the incessant campaign on peccadillos. real and perceived, the apocalyptic nature of any news broadcast by the Labour media gave the impression that the much-publicised "new beginning" was only a figment of the imagination of Labour's spin doctors.
The opposition failed miserably to project new policies. Suffice to say that in its 700-page New Beginning publication no mention was made of justice and home affairs while there was a reference to the doctoring of stray dogs.
The lack of credibility of Labour was evidenced in the electoral campaign. Promises were made shooting from the hip. As time passed, Labour's reaction to the PN's smart presentation of its policies and pledges was always knee-jerk, impulsive, lacking credibility.
Labour lost, even if by a whisker, in spite of the fact that, on paper, everything was in its favour. Rather than the power of incumbency, the government faced, as expected, criticism arising from the fact that it had been practically 20 years in government. The emergence of smaller parties was certainly not in its favour; neither was the hunting issue, voters' abstention and the media's thrust in favour of Alternattiva Demokratika. Yet, voters preferred Premier Lawrence Gonzi's promise of reform within the existing scenario and were lured by the peace of mind which his character and personality diffused.
This is not to say that there are no lessons to be learnt for the party in government. A third chance has been given to the political party which has won six out of the past seven general elections, a feat unrivalled in Malta's constitutional history.
The electoral verdict was clear: voters are worried about the environment and they want an environment-friendly government. They desire a government that should be bold in uprooting anachronisms or glaring injustices for voting purposes, such as the rent laws or social security fraud. It wants action on all fronts not merely economic prosperity. Now that our standard of living has approached` European standards and the big national issues, like preserving the nation's democratic way of life, guaranteeing the existence of Church and private schools and joining the EU, have been comfortably preserved and ensured, voters' aspirations have veered towards more mundane matters, which matter just the same.
These include building regulations, building contractors' arrogance, cleanliness in public spaces, the perceived right to enjoy a view from one's own window, the right to immediate response to any complaint, justified or not, the expectation that the government serves best by acting with humility and prudence, rather than reckless haste or impetuous hurriedness.
For the Alternattiva gurus the lessons are even more ominous. One cannot expect to lure Nationalist voters by stating that, if elected, Alternattiva's deputies would not exclude a coalition with Labour! By anchoring their campaign to a lambasting of anything the Nationalists did, they succeeded in polling less votes than the first time they contested the general election way back in 1992.
More lessons are hidden in the electoral result; they will emerge as time passes by. The developments of the coming days will show whether the lessons till now deduced will be embraced or ignored.
Dr Borg is Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs.