Have Muscat's 100 days been a dose of hard labour?

Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici is incensed at Joseph Muscat's decision to bring his party closer to the EU. Alfred Mifsud says the new Labour leader has to take the "real" decisions soon, and Evarist Bartolo believes that changing the MLP is a difficult and complicated process.

When Dr Muscat assumed the reins of the Labour Party on June 6, he promised a veritable earthquake within the party's structures.

While Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi kept a relatively low profile throughout the summer, Dr Muscat put forward a few eyebrow-raising proposals.

Some opinion leaders said his straight talk merely comes across as cocky and reflects the 34-year-old's inexperience. Others believe the outgoing MEP is really what the doctor ordered for a party reeling from three successive electoral defeats.

Former Super One chairman Alfred Mifsud said that so far there is little evidence of Dr Muscat's leadership qualities.

"I did not like him over-promising change which is not yet visible. I would have preferred him under-promising and over-delivering. So far we have seen Joseph as a positive co-ordinator but we still have to see Joseph the leader."

Perhaps it is unfair to judge Dr Muscat on the first 100 days. The Labour leader is still very young and needs to solidify his overall position in control before unfurling his leadership qualities which necessarily involve pleasing some and displeasing others, Mr Mifsud said.

"So far Joseph has tried to please all, but this mode has to change pretty soon as real decisions have to be made to reshape the party before the forces of inertia make change even more difficult," Mr Mifsud said.

He said he admired the Labour leader's initiative to open up the debate for the strengthening of democracy rather than simply discuss pairing.

On the other hand, Mr Mifsud said he disliked Dr Muscat's "standoffish posture" in the election of the general secretary as if a leader has no right to influence the choice of his key executives.

While applauding Dr Muscat's decision to re-embrace the party's lost sheep, Mr Mifsud said the new leader should establish the causes that distanced them from the party in the first place.

Mr Mifsud, who was handed a warning in 2003 after penning a series of critical articles against Alfred Sant, said: "I would find it very difficult to become active again in the party unless the causes for my resignation in September 2003 are removed.

"A general amnesty by the vigilance board is almost insulting in my regard.

"I have done nothing to require an amnesty.

"An apology is more appropriate."

Mr Mifsud openly endorsed George Abela for the leadership post.

Does he still think Dr Abela would have made a better leader?

"Yes," is his answer.

Labour MP Evarist Bartolo, who also contested the top party post last June, described Dr Muscat's start as promising.

"The best way to corrupt your leader is to say that he is perfect and is performing miracles. I do not want to corrupt Joseph.

"I want to help him win the hearts and minds of the majority of our people through our actions and policies, and convince them that we will bring about the necessary changes."

Mr Bartolo said Dr Muscat was doing his utmost to reach out and involve as many as people as possible within the party. However, this was easier said than done as it involved a very complicated operation: the party had to try to keep its traditional voters while attracting new ones who distrusted the MLP.

"To bring this about we need to explore and cultivate the common ground and convergence - we can build with Alternattiva Demokratika and connect with the liberals who feel uncomfortable voting for the PN, which is afraid to bring in progressive social reforms like divorce and full rights for gay people."

Changing the Labour Party is an ongoing, complicated and difficult process, but Mr Bartolo believes the new leader has started this process in an imaginative and bold way.

"Dr Muscat should rid himself of any inferiority complex he might have regarding the Nationalist Party and several of its main opinion leaders.

"He must not feel that he needs their endorsement.

"Politics is not a football friendly and the PN is ready to do everything to hold on to power.

"I do not mind telling Joseph what Michael Moore told Barack Obama a few days ago: 'Do not turn up for a gunfight with a pea shooter.'"

How does the former education minister feel about the fact that Dr Muscat welcomed back members of the old guard?

"I endorse it as long as they move ahead with the party and do not think and behave as if the best way to persuade the majority of our citizens that we are fit to govern is by reverting to what made us lose the 1981, 1987 and 1992 general elections."

Former prime minister and Labour leader Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici believes Dr Muscat has embarked on the wrong route by confirming Labour as a pro-EU party.

"I disagree with the party EU policy he is advocating. It's a priority to revoke the agreement our government has signed with the EU. What's going to happen when our derogations come to a close?" Dr Mifsud Bonnici said, adding that Malta was not free to do as it pleased as an EU member.

Could he identify a single redeeming factor in Dr Muscat's first 100 days as leader?

"How can I identify anything when the EU dominates everything?

"The very ideology of the EU - with its promotion of liberalisation and privatisation - is wrong," Dr Mifsud Bonnici said.

General Workers' Union general secretary Tony Zarb believes Dr Muscat has the necessary leadership qualities to steer the MLP to success.

"We met several times and I can say he is determined to meet his objectives, while always lending an ear. He was very active during the shipyards negotiations. He is a very capable man," Mr Zarb said.

Union Ħaddiema Magħqudin general secretary Gejtu Vella said Dr Muscat had a major task to make the MLP electable and provide a suitable alternative government.

Nevertheless, Mr Vella said that so far Dr Muscat was participating fully in the national debate, not by objecting to every proposal made by the government, but by proposing alternatives where he disagreed.