There are good and bad politicians

In a survey for the European Commission, 32 per cent of Maltese respondents out of a scientifically selected sample of 500 persons declared that they see politicians in a negative light. Only 20 per cent of respondents declared that they view politicians favourably. While this is nothing new, given that the public perception of politicians is rather negative in most countries, it is still rather worrying and speaks volumes about how people are becoming disillusioned with Maltese politicians.

It would, therefore, be healthy to initiate a debate on why politicians in general are viewed so negatively by so many people. Let me start by stating that there is a great difference between the public perception of politicians and actual reality.

While some public criticism of politicians is more than justified, there are good politicians and bad ones too. In other words, one cannot generalise.

Let's start with the bad politicians. Yes, it's true that the behaviour of several Maltese politicians is far from edifying. Some have a tendency to be so nice and agreeable when they need your vote but to completely forget you when they do not need you anymore, at least until another general election arrives and they will need your vote once more. This is usually one of the most common criticisms levelled at politicians. Sadly, it's true in many cases but there are also notable exceptions.

I personally know a good number of exemplary politicians who spend all five years, between a general election and another, making themselves available to their constituents and helping them in their daily needs. Others, however, use people for their own ends and discard them like an orange squeezed dry when they no longer need them. These politicians are a disgrace to Maltese politics and give it a bad name.

Then, of course, there is the question of clientelism. Because of the way proportional representation works, with candidates pitted against each other in a cutthroat race, very often it is the candidate who makes most promises to the electorate who gets elected.

This is one of the major scourges of politics in general and several Maltese politicians, unfortunately, are no exception to the rule. Clientelism is already bad in itself but, pushed to its extreme limits in the ruthless competition to win a parliamentary seat, it can also lead to corruption.

Some unscrupulous politicians will promise anything to get elected. How many times have people been promised jobs, career advancement, lucrative state contracts, etc., if so and so is elected to power and his/her political party is successful at the general election? How can a politician retain his/her integrity if, after being elected, hundreds of people are going to ask for the favours promised prior to being elected? It is already very negative when candidates promise favours to electors for their votes; it is even worse when they promise things which they know that they cannot deliver. It is very common to hear people complaining that a politician promised them something before a general election but failed to deliver after being elected.

This shows the depths to which some politicians are ready to descend in their quest for power, reducing politics to something resembling a marketplace, where I buy your vote in return for a service to be rendered as payment for such a vote.

And then we wonder why many idealistic youths are so apathetic towards politics!

Again, however, every cloud has a silver lining. There are also other politicians who are honest with their constituents. I personally know several who will never deceive potential voters. They will do their utmost to help them but when the latter demand unreasonable things, these politicians will be frank with them and inform them that their requests cannot be entertained. Unfortunately, such exemplary politicians often pay a heavy price for their integrity.

How many times have I heard electors state "nivvota lil min jaqdini biss" ("I will only vote for a candidate who grants my request").

Perhaps the most serious charge hurled at politicians is that very few have the moral courage to publicly speak out against their own party when decisions are taken which are not in the public interest. In the context of Maltese politics, to publicly contest your own political party amounts to almost certain political suicide.

It is refreshing to note that, lately, some politicians have had the guts to do so and I will be the first to applaud such actions, irrespective of which political party the politician belongs to. Politicians should seek the national interest first and partisan political interests second. We need courageous persons and not lackeys.

I will conclude by recommending to potential voters to give their confidence only to those politicians who are deserving of it. Reward political integrity.