Meaningful contribution to politics

Sometimes it happens that one politician rises above others to alter the course of a nation. A person that will leave his or her impact on history, an individual that will dedicate his life to fight for an ideal, a goal. To right the wrongs and to give his people a voice, to restore belief and give hope again. Eddie Fenech Adami's contribution to politics was all about this. From the struggle to restore dignity to our nation, lost in the misgivings of a Socialist government, to the promise to give our people work, justice and freedom after years in the wilderness, characterised by pioneer corps, corrupt practices and lack of freedom of speech.

Many would have thought that, after becoming Prime Minister in 1987, he would adopt an eye-for-eye, tooth-for-tooth attitude, but what Dr Fenech Adami wanted was national reconciliation, a process to rehabilitate the country. He inherited a divided Malta, a society based on welfare where corruption was rife, work opportunities few and discrimination the order of the day. He managed to change all this, resorting to dialogue instead of confrontation, the skill and dedication of our workforce and, above all, believing in our people.

It was the beginning of a time of prosperity that Malta had never experienced before. All of a sudden, Malta was attracting investment again. This was no coincidence as the vision of Dr Fenech Adami and his Cabinet was a clear one and the change was tangible: new arterial roads, a new airport terminal, a university open for all.

It was an overall effort to leave no one behind. It was the laying of the foundations that would lead us to that eventful day on April 16, 2004 when, in Athens, the same Dr Fenech Adami signed the treaty of accession for Malta to join the European Union. His goal had been reached. He had gone the whole 360° and transformed a country from a mediocre island with aspirations to be an ally of North Korea and the Eastern bloc dictators to a country that now formed part of a union of states where the good of the citizens was the order of the day and democracy the way forward.

Many might ask why I am writing all this in a December issue of The Times. I feel it is important to remember how we got here. Memory tends to become fickle and everyday life tends to make us forget how we even got here. Last Sunday's launch of the book Inservi acted as a quick reminder for me and I'm sure for many others.

What strikes me most is the fact that Dr Fenech Adami spent 40 years in politics to literally serve his country. He stood for the nation when the sea was rough, when even the most hardened of diehards lost hope, when many thought that the only way to solve the political injustices of the 1970s and 1980s was to resort to violence.

I deem it fit to thank him for all he has done and, even though now he is enjoying a well-earned retirement after 12 years as Leader of the Opposition, 16 years as Prime Minister and an eventful five-year Presidency, his presence still commands respect.

Respect for the vision and the never-faltering belief he had that Malta could be at par with the most advanced nations in Europe.

Furthermore, he has managed to instil his vision in those who succeeded him. Knowing that certain decisions have to be made for the good of the country, even though, in the short term they might prove unpopular, no Nationalist Administration ever shied away from making them, and the end result always proved to justify the means.

I think that the Malta that Dr Fenech Adami took over back in 1987 and the Malta of today can be compared to the rehabilitation of St George's Square, in Valletta, transformed from a car park to a sparkling city centre, a change that is not just a cosmetic one but one that will last for many years to come. We now have a strong base to build on. It is our duty to conserve all the good we have, change what's wrong and always strive to bring our country forward. Dr Fenech Adami's trademark phrase was "is-sewwa jirbaħ żgur", truth shall always prevail, and I have no doubt that Dr Fenech Adami's contribution was fundamental to make it prevail.

Mr Casa is a Nationalist member of the European Parliament.