Joseph Muscat has navigated quite well through local political waters since he became Labour Party leader. Starting with a lot of splash and fun in the shallows, he is moving into the inevitable deeper waters beyond, with a seemingly keen eye for high waves and strong undercurrents. He will still need to recheck some bearings.

The shallows offered an easy start. Muscat did two things, very consciously. The first was to reach out to all and sundry in what was immediately dubbed a Jesus-loves-you style. It may have been somewhat over the top, but his freshness and charisma enabled him to carry it off. It was more than a question of the MLP rank-and-file taking to him immediately. That was expected. Politics too abhors a vacuum. The moment a new leader takes over, party hearts beat out the refrain "The King is dead; long live the King!"

Labourites are no exception. Most were overwhelmed. Some not quite so, but showed a readiness to give Muscat a chance, judge him by unfolding results. The new leader's more striking early achievement has been that people beyond the Labour fold also felt intrigued, rather positively so. That is confirmed by the way the Nationalist Party spinners have already begun to try to undermine Muscat's political persona, trying to project him as immature and indecisive. In doing so, they have no doubt taken into account the second tactic adopted by him.

He began to show himself as a believer in a reasonable degree of pragmatism. He admitted he was wrong about EU membership. He showed himself as approachable and let his warmth come through without any reservation. That offered immediate contrast with his predecessor who came across as cold and ill-at-ease - unfairly so to those who knew him personally, but, as always, perceptions count for a lot.

Beyond the careful or spontaneous fun of the shallows lie the colder political waters. How would Muscat begin to fare in them? That was the question. He is offering a mix of answers. Once again contrasting his predecessor, he insists he is willing to listen to and assist the government where that is necessary in the national interest. He also swept off some unsavoury items left on the table for so long that they were beginning to rot.

Thus, he responded to the Prime Minister's reminder that there was still no reply from the opposition to his proposals on two people to fill the post of Auditor General and his deputy. I could never for the life of me fathom why Alfred Sant did not react to that proposal. The Public Accounts Committee, chaired by an opposition MP, is very dependent on the proper functioning of the National Audit Office. Muscat reacted in the middle of the week without making a big issue of it, not even putting forward alternative suggestions. He accepted the two senior civil servants whose names were proposed by Lawrence Gonzi.

Choosing a political current of his own after a brainstorming session with the Labour MPs, Muscat put on the national political agenda a number of proposals aimed at "strengthening democracy". One of them - to cap revenue from the taxes on fuel - should not have been included. The impact of tariffs on the high import cost of fuel lies in the realm of social justice, not of political democracy.

A shying away from acceding to the government's request for pairing arrangements, restricting the pragmatism to a case-by-case basis, was to be expected from any opposition. The Nationalists refused pairing to the Labour government elected in 1996, with a one-seat majority like that of the present government even though its majority deserved a higher seat margin.

Only the politically naïve would expect otherwise. Clearly, Muscat is not that. Meanwhile, he is developing a style of placing the ball in the government's court - requesting the PM to speak out first - before reacting definitively. That's one way to navigate, though in time a more direct route will be called for.

The stance the new leader is adopting to financial and economic developments could land him on a reef should he get to be prime minister. Labour and its media are following the old route of expecting the government to do that which no government can do. Such rhetoric, if continued, will come to haunt and taunt a restored Labour government.

In the deeper internal waters of the party, the MLP leader was careful with his allocation of speaking responsibilities to Labour MPs.

Some seemed odd, and could leave their holders very challenged. Others were far less bold. The MLP leader left various old faces in the same slot, rather than effecting a total switching of roles, if only to allow new holders to gain early experience.

Muscat's ship is now heading towards the open seas. Once he becomes an MP and opposition leader he will be on a continuous challenge to show his mettle in face-to-face contrasts with Gonzi. It will be interesting to see whether those who are probably egging him on to adopt a more belligerent style will succeed. I think and hope not. Newness and freshness of face will wear off. But a real new style of doing politics should become more distinct and penetrating with time.

There is a lot left of that. It is five long years to the next general election and another Labour attempt to come out of the wilderness. Much will depend on the sharpness in the new leader's eye and the steadiness of his hand on the tiller.

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