It’s fair to say that 2008 was a year of highs and lows for Prime Minister Dr. Lawrence Gonzi. The introduction of the Euro on New Year’s Day and leading his party to a win, by the narrowest of margins, in the March 8 General Elections was followed by a period of uncertainty within the country, with membership in the controversial Partnership for Peace, the raising of Water and Electricity tariffs, a revision of the Car Registration Tax, and the economic recession hitting our shores. So much so, in a letter to The Times on December 24, Labour MP Leo Brincat claimed that this was ‘the year of the silent PM’. However, if 2008 ended in a negative fashion for Dr. Gonzi, 2009 has surely started on a positive note.

I have to admit, Dr Gonzi’s announcement that he has nominated Dr George Abela as the next President of Malta did come as a bit of a shock to me. To date, it has been unheard of that a President of the country would come from the opposite side of the political spectrum; irrespective of how great Dr Gonzi and Dr Abela’s friendship is, as the tradition has always been to nominate someone – generally from the House of Representatives – who has the same political beliefs as those in Government.

In his statement regarding Dr Abela’s nomination, Dr Gonzi said that this appointment would show a level of political maturity and would tie in with his motto of flimkien kollox possibbli. He also claimed that Dr Abela was a natural choice for President. There’s no doubting that this has been a brave and controversial move by Dr Gonzi, especially considering Malta’s political past, but is this simply the sign of political maturity or is Dr Gonzi looking at the greater scheme of things? And despite reports stating that this is the first time in history (apart from Sir Anthony Mamo being appointed President of the Republic in 1974) that the President’s nomination will receive support from both sides of the House, is this really the case – especially after Alfred Sant, the former PL leader, and George Vella reportedly voiced their concern against Dr. Abela’s appointment?

On the other hand, could it be that Joseph Muscat has started changing the local perception of politics in his short time as leader of the Partit Laburista (PL)? Could Dr Abela’s appointment be seen as a victory for the PL itself when the 60-year old Qormi lawyer takes up the post on April 4, or a sign of what might happen in the future? There’s no doubting that this comes to mind to most PL apologists, and even some PN leaning ones as well. However, this nomination could also be seen from the opposite viewpoint, with Dr. Gonzi and the PN trying to gain popularity and, in turn, some political points among PL voters. It must also be considered that Dr Abela was indeed Dr Gonzi’s choice to be nominated as President, and not Dr Muscat’s.

Some people have also commented that via this appointment, Dr Gonzi has succeeded in fulfilling an important agenda. He has managed to shear the PL of one of the people who was running for the leadership post last June, hence eliminating an important and influential voice within the party. Further to this, Dr. Abela will now no longer be in the position to give the PL any advice come the 2013 General Elections. Over and above that, he has managed to eliminate Dr Abela from the running for the forthcoming June MEP elections, where, if the rumours were correct and Abela was to run for one of Malta’s five seats in the European Parliament, he would have undoubtedly been a leading candidate.

Many have also claimed that Dr Gonzi has nominated Dr Abela as President in exchange for some kind of benefits in the House of Representatives, such as the pairing agreement.

All in all, I believe that this appointment is definitely a step forward for Maltese politics. While there might be underlying benefits for the governing PN, the impression that this gives is that there is really is a desire to move forward together, as a nation. Over and above that, Dr. Abela seems to be a person who is generally liked by most of the public, and hence Malta will have a President that the majority can be proud of. Dr Gonzi’s motto of flimkien kollox possibbli might be coming to fruition at long last.

Matthew Borg is a second year Law student and writes for Insite – the Student Media Organisation