Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi will begin the New Year the way he started the last: Walking a tightrope with Cabinet on one side and members of the rowdy backbench on the other.
... the most efficient way to silence Dr Debono seems to be to appoint him Minister of Justice
Last year, it was Jean Pierre Farrugia who forced him to refund part of the infamous ministers’ pay rise while Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando fought to introduce divorce and won.
This time, Franco Debono is threatening to stop supporting the government the way Dom Mintoff did in 1998 and potentially provoke a snap election. His main gripe is the way the justice system is being handled or, in his opinion, mishandled.
If the past is anything to go by, Dr Gonzi will wiggle his way out of this tight corner but he is not likely to emerge unscathed and his problems are likely to persist.
Dr Debono wants the Justice and Home Affairs Ministry split into two portfolios as the first step in a long overdue reform of the justice system. He claims Dr Gonzi promised him he would do so by the end of the year but then asked for more time, something Dr Debono found unacceptable.
Last month, Dr Debono filed a private parliamentary motion outlining the changes he wants to see in the justice sector, provoking many to accuse the young and successful criminal lawyer of wanting to usurp Minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici. His grievances go beyond the minister.
The backbencher, who only last month also took on Transport Minister Austin Gatt, last week extended his criticism to include the way his party handled an allegation about him which, he said, was spread by a former PN candidate, Herman Schiavone, and caused him “untold harm”.
As he opens fire at much of the establishment, the most efficient way to silence Dr Debono seems to be to appoint him Minister of Justice. That way, Dr Debono would be given a chance to be part of the solution and he would be kept too busy to complain about everyone else’s work, some argue.
But to hardcore Nationalists, who fear this would encourage more internal conflict, such a move would be akin to giving in to the demands of a terrorist, or, at least, a kidnapper who takes the Prime Minister hostage.
One of Dr Gonzi’s options is to remove the Justice Ministry from Dr Mifsud Bonnici but give it to another MP altogether rather than to Dr Debono, though this is only likely to provoke more scrutiny by Dr Debono.
Throughout this legislature, in the spirit of the GonziPN campaign, the Prime Minister has taken problematic areas under his own wing as he did recently with the transport reform. Luckily, Dr Debono happens to work as parliamentary assistant within the Office of the Prime Minister, so one option could be to launch a justice reform and discreetly put Dr Debono on it while keeping him away from Cabinet.
Although Dr Gonzi would appear weak by giving in to Dr Debono’s major demand (particularly if he does so within the strict time frame imposed by the backbencher), it would also show the Prime Minister to be a problem solver and would prevent calling an early election.
But it would raise further questions: Does Dr Gonzi really believe that justice and home affairs do not mix? If so, why wait so long to fix the problem? How would this reflect on Dr Mifsud Bonnici? Is he another minister who despite being given a raise could not keep up with the smaller-Cabinet-super-ministries? Is Dr Gonzi’s talent pool not so limited after all?
Meanwhile, it is not clear whether Dr Debono would accept any role, especially after top PN exponents have painted an image of him as a petulant, insatiable backbencher who just wants to be minister. He may choose not to give them the satisfaction of living up to their prophecy.
Some PN opinion-makers have called on the Prime Minister to take a hard line on Dr Debono to put an end to the constant bickering once and for all, though the government’s one-seat majority makes taking such risks impossibly dangerous.
... Dr Debono may have come to represent a portion of Nationalist voters who are unhappy with the status quo
At the same time, Dr Debono may have come to represent a portion of Nationalist voters who are unhappy with the status quo and who see his antics as a cathartic expression of their own, sometimes unspoken, feelings.
In doing so, he might be galvanising his position at the next election, in which every vote will be crucial. The PN may simply not afford to go without Dr Debono, who proved incredibly popular in his district the last time round, ousting heavyweights Louis Galea and Helen D’Amato.
On the other hand, his persistence has tested the patience even of non-hardcore voters. Not only did he kick up a fuss during Christmas, he also had the audacity to impose a strict deadline on the Prime Minister to exercise what is ultimately his prerogative. Dr Debono gave the Prime Minister till the end of the year to split the present Justice and Home Affairs Ministry into two.
Meanwhile, it is not yet clear how Dr Mifsud Bonnici will react to any changes involving his ministry.
Even if he will, as some expect, see this as a personal blow, he is unlikely to make any grievance public or raise his complaints with the Prime Minister. Unlike most other MPs in his group, Dr Mifsud Bonnici was nurtured in a traditional political family, his father being President Emeritus Ugo Mifsud Bonnici. He therefore has a full understanding of the political game and is a firm believer in party loyalty.
“He sees this as the Prime Minister’s prerogative. His ministry is a privilege he knows can be taken away at any stage. He is open to any decision,” according to a close source.
Dr Mifsud Bonnici has not yet expressed himself on Dr Debono’s idea to divide the Justice and Home Affairs Ministry.
However, sources say Dr Mifsud Bonnici never felt conflicted by the prevailing situation. Malta is not the only country in the EU to have this combined portfolio and meetings at the Council of Ministers related to justice and home affairs are often scheduled back-to-back because of their related functions.
“I think people understand that if justice were to be removed from his portfolio, it would not be because the Prime Minister lost confidence in Dr Mifsud Bonnici,” another source said.
Most of the problems with Dr Mifsud Bonnici’s ministry stem from the justice sector, so if this were to be removed, he would have much less to worry about and more time to spend with his constituents. At 51, and having just gone through major surgery, Dr Mifsud Bonnici may also treat this move as a chance for proper recovery, the sources argue.
With three days left, according to Dr Debono’s time frame, the country awaits quick developments: some with bated breath and others bored to death by yet another backbench revolt during the jolly season.