Most of us must be thinking the same thing: Are we moving closer to an early, unnecessary election dictated by recent almost surreal political events? And, should this election become unavoidable, what eventual scenario will the country be facing in terms of growth and development and given the prevailing economic situation in Europe?

What type of strategies will be endorsed by the opposing parties in such an abrupt and highly-uncalled for electoral campaign? Will campaigning be cautious and responsible and take into account the difficulties European governments are facing? Or will we see political strategies degenerate into that unfortunate abyss of desperate rallying designed only to satisfy an immediate and populist victory while ignoring the long-term sustainability of the country?

We are all human and, as such, prone to emotions, including fear of change. From childhood through to adulthood we form our comfort zones and fear any threat to these parameters.

Adulthood, of course, brings with it all forms of responsibilities and decisions sometimes even leading to personal crisis in our lives. All of these help us to develop, mature and better understand the choices that need to be made to safeguard what we believe in.

In a political context, one could argue that change is good; change should provide space for fresh, innovative ideas. However, the reason why the majority of us Maltese have consistently feared change in politics is because, deep in our hearts, we believe that change for change’s sake would only damage the core of our society. Change is only good when we are convinced that this is for the better and our political history has always proven us correct on this note.

At this juncture of the legislature we fear change. We fear change primarily for two reasons.

First of all, it is blatantly obvious that we can longer consider our country out of the EU context. With this in mind, it is with trepidation that we watch the economic future of neighbouring countries unfold.

We may be small and almost insignificant to this sprawling European economy but we should be rightly proud to have weathered the storm so well. Where others have failed and floundered, we have flourished and nurtured a promising future for our families in an otherwise bleak economic climate.

And, so, we rightly fear that all this may be threatened at this crucial time and wrong decisions taken at a wrong time could possibly reverse the state of our economy, a most unfortunate scenario that could take 10 or 15 years for our country to come to terms with.

Our second fear is that the alternative to a Nationalist government is, of course, a Labour government.

The Malta Labour Party has now been on the opposition benches for many years and has had time to rally its troops, change its leader, force in new strategies and has made countless, often unsuccessful, facelifts.

However, despite all these changes, it has been disappointing to observe that change after change has rendered the PL the same predictable party. This is why many fear change so much at this stage!

This is no longer about whether the Nationalist Party or the PL win the next election, whenever that may be, but about which political party can promise the much-needed stability our country needs in order to face the economic headwinds approaching in 2012.

To make their decision, the electorate will weigh what the PN has delivered against all odds and what the PL is, with great difficulty, promising to deliver if elected to government.

It is no wonder either that we fear this change because we have experienced PL in government and we are running scared of the harm that will be inflicted to our country should Joseph Muscat be elected to office in this year of economic crossroads.

This is no time for boy scouts to experiment with their skills! Our families’ future is at stake and we fear change not because we are not open to it but, rather, because we understand the negative implications of such a change at a time when the country is walking an increasingly shaky tight rope.

Our fears are not unfounded but based on past history, experience and a profound realisation of the present economic climate. Our fear is that, in the light of the economic challenges ahead, a Labour government could dismantle what has been laboriously pieced together in the past years.

We fear this change not simply because of our political convictions but because we aspire to hand over to our children a stable country with a promising future for their education and eventual fulfilment.

We fear change because many have worked tirelessly to see this country transform and prosper and we are unwilling to sit by and see it all go to the dogs.

We are fearful of this change because our children’s future depends on the decisions we make today and we have never, ever abdicated our responsibility to safeguard the future of our children.

This is no time for change for change’s sake! This is a time when we must rally together as a nation to consolidate our position on the global stage and work together to secure more successes for our little island!

Together, yes, we can!

info@carolinegalea.com