I belong to the losing generation of Labourites. The general election defeats of 1998, 2003 and 2008 have been bitter pills to swallow but, unfortunately, that is the reality faced by all Labourites today. In the past, I sometimes reflected on how tough it must have been for those Nationalist activists who lived through the years 1971-87, little realising that I myself would eventually go through the same experience! To work hard for your political party and yet taste defeat, again and again, is indeed tough.
I am convinced, however, that the Malta Labour Party can rise from the ashes of three consecutive defeats to win the next general election. To do so will require hard work, sheer determination and the avoidance of mistakes which play into the hands of one's political adversaries. Certain changes are also needed if victory is to become a reality.
Alfred Sant is no longer leading the MLP. Several people blame him for Labour's three consecutive defeats. I believe that this is not true and that Dr Sant will be vindicated by future historians who will view his contribution to Labour's development as very positive.
The past is the past, however, so what about the present and the future? Let me start with the new Labour leader, Joseph Muscat. He is proving to be a great asset to Labour. Youthful, charismatic, an excellent speaker, moderate and realistic in his approach to politics, I am sure that he appeals to many prospective voters, especially the younger generation of Maltese. One has to admit, however, that Dr Muscat's positive qualities by themselves will not be enough to win Labour the next election.
In 2013, Dr Muscat will have to face the same problem that Dr Sant faced in 2008, i.e. the power of incumbency. Let's face it, many Maltese are highly influenced by what they stand to personally gain if a particular political party is elected to power. I recently wrote about this online and I stand by my argument: Yes, many people consider personal gain above all other things when voting. Call it "clientelism" or what you like, this phenomenon is common among supporters of all political parties but the political party in government has an enormous advantage over its adversaries.
What can Dr Muscat do about this? Absolutely nothing! Which means that Labour's task over the next five years is a herculean one but not impossible. It simply boils down to this: The Nationalists can afford a few mistakes and still win because the odds are stacked in their favour but Labour's performance has to be impeccable to even stand a chance of winning.
Furthermore, a characteristic of the last general election defeat has to be avoided like the plague. I am referring to misinterpreting the results of local council elections and even those of the European Parliament elections. Personally, I have always thought that Labour spends too much time and energy on local council matters and reads too much into the results of local council elections.
Let's be frank, many Nationalist voters are ready to vote against the PN as long as a change of the party in government is not on the cards. To a lesser extent, the same applies in the case of the European Parliament elections. I do hope, therefore, that next year we Labourites will not start once again deluding ourselves that we are on our way to Castille if we win the local council and European Parliament elections. To use a soccer analogy, for several years we have mistaken winning some pre-season friendlies to winning the Premier League Championship! A change of psychology is needed to win. What we Labourites think, the speeches we listen to at our own general conferences, what our own columnists write, should be of little importance to us.
We should be concerned, above all, about what the people in the street are saying, what our political adversaries are disseminating as propaganda, what youths and first-time voters are saying about us.
I remember once attending a general conference where the enthusiasm among the delegates was overwhelming: Singing of the party anthem, continuous clapping and standing ovations. Then I returned to everyday life and realised that such occasions are deceptive and illusory. It's what others think and feel about us that counts and not what we Labourites think and feel about ourselves!
I believe that with the reforms in the MLP's structure and organisation that Dr Muscat will be implementing, Labour will go into the next general election at a slight disadvantage compared to the Nationalists. Victory will only be possible with the right frame of mind, the right approach and impeccable campaigning.