The Prime Minister’s closing speech last Sunday was evidence, if any were needed, that he has always been ready to put everything he does to the democratic test. In putting his leadership in the hands of the party councillors he has given proof that, so unlike what the Labour Party has been attempting to portray, he is ready to do not only what is good for the party but what is good for the country.

Political maturity is a must and this virtue will not fall from the heavens…- David Casa

The Nationalist Party, through its leaders, has given us the only experience we have ever really had in our national history of a properly functioning democracy. This period forged the example that subsequent leaders, including the contemporary ones on both sides of the House, followed with varying degrees of success. But unlike our political adversaries we do not ache for power. We do not crave it at all costs. We seek public office to serve the nation and we work for the opportunity because we believe that we are the best to do so. Our leaders have sought to put Malta on the map, to improve the standard of living in the country and to enable Maltese citizens to aspire for the best.

Nationalist governments have always had a vision for our nation and Nationalist manifestos have always shown a clear direction for the country. It’s the vision that has driven the party. The Labour “coalition”, on the other hand, has neither a vision nor, it seems, the capacity to manufacture one. Joseph Muscat’s preaching that he is ready to govern resonates poorly with the hollow foundations of his party’s electoral ambitions. We have not been given the slightest indication – and I say this as a concerned citizen – of where they want to lead us. This is a dangerous game. If they are returned to power we risk ending up in the same situation as 1996 when for 18 months the country watched as one by one its successive achievements came undone and we were set loose in a directionless policy drift. We have since recovered; but the current climate is now not so different. The new leader of the Labour Party learnt the ropes under Alfred Sant and the risks of him committing the same mistakes as his predecessor are great. This he has already shown us by calling for early elections when it is the last thing that anyone, aside from him and his hangers-on, needs.

True to fashion, Labour has again adopted tactics fuelled by bitterness rather than vision – that is, sabotage. They are attempting to spread the belief that our country is unstable when it is the very opposite that prevails. Any uncertainty that exists is their own doing, caused directly by their own proselytising. Luckily, on this, there are clear facts: the reality is that our country has so far fared better than all but a handful of its European counterparts in terms of employment and economic resilience throughout the crisis.

That is the major difference between the two parties: we are trusted with the governance of the country and, most importantly, we make good on this trust by delivering. Labour, on the other hand, can only solicit our trust. But even then, it is doing little to win anyone over. The fact is that they are offering nothing at all in return for power, believing instead that they are entitled to a turn at the wheel just because they have been in opposition for so long. Indeed, the reverse is probably truer: the fact that they have been in opposition for so long makes it all the more important for them to work to gain the trust of the electorate or, at the very least, come up with a plan.

The Prime Minister has often asked electors to judge him on what his government has delivered. This government has faced many trying situations over the course of its mandate but each time it has succeeded in staying on the right track and delivering what is best for the country. The government has been able to do this not by avoiding the issues but because, as difficult as they were, decisions were always taken in the best interests of the country.

One may have many ambitions in life. The “pratikament Prim Ministru” Joseph Muscat has one for sure, that is to become one of the youngest prime ministers in Europe – an ambition with a fast-approaching expiry date. Unfortunately this singular ambition could not be more divorced from the current interests of the country.

Ambition may sometimes cause us to jump the gun and Dr Muscat, by calling for early elections, has committed this cardinal error. Of course, it is hardly my role to lecture the Leader of the Opposition. But as an elected representative I am duty bound to say things as they are for the benefit of the electorate. Political maturity is a must and this virtue will not fall from the heavens but must be mastered through experience.

We have got to where we are now because successive Nationalist administrations have always put our country first – before personal ambitions and before the party’s own interests. And because there is always room for improvement and always another goal to achieve it is best to put our trust in people who have never let the country down.

Mr Casa is a Nationalist member of the European Parliament.