Games without frontiers

Many games are afoot right now. Some strategic and others tactical. While mind games are not to be excluded either.

… the parallels between (Nicolas) Sarkozy and Lawrence Gonzi are endless- Leo Brincat

While I am in total agreement with all those – The Times’ editorialist included – who argue that we have long been in an election mode, and that whoever denies that, must be living in a state of denial, I must qualify such a statement in the sense that there are three types of election modes.

Those traditionally fomented by Opposition parties worldwide, that might be busy speculating and sowing expectations of early polls. Those hinted at by design or default by the government of the day as a result of politically charged speeches and statements made.

As well as the most intriguing of all election modes: That based on a state of mind and state of play that may be easily confirmed through a particular government’s own actions and behaviour.

In my humble opinion, Malta right now happens to fall in the third category.

We have been in this mode since the Independence Day festivities came to an end last September, but the increased momentum was patently evident in the last few weeks or so. Ministers have not only been taking up most of the airtime during TVM news items but have also been literally lining up one after the other to take their cue on TVAM – a breakfast show that practically tends to make Net TV redundant. The PM himself leaves little to the imagination too as a result of his relentless stage-managed media events.

Concurrently certain ministers have been pitching mainly for their own constituencies with a number of “attractive” projects on plan, much to the frustration of lesser mortals in their own parliamentary group.

The recent presidential elections in France were not only heavily played down by the local state-controlled media, but we also had one of the PN’s chief spin doctors, Simon Busuttil, ironically lecturing the French President elect François Hollande that he must forget gimmicks.

Ignoring for a moment the different life styles, the parallels between Mr Sarkozy and Lawrence Gonzi are endless.

From the streaks of arrogance to the whiffs of perceived corruption within the ranks; the increased social gaps with the selected rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer; the aura of political infallibility; the detachment from present day realities; the late in the day “awareness” of people’s concerns; the empty posturing; the failure to deliver on most of their respective manifesto pledges; rampant cronyism; political insensitivity towards the needs and aspirations of the ordinary citizen, as well as the distinctly wrong priorities.

Until recently the government was trying to dupe us into believing that the moment certain mega projects come on stream the political tide will turn its way. Now the government has suddenly realised that the moment such a worthless project like the new Parliament building is launched, it will only have a boomerang political effect.

If one reads the recent The Times’ report of Minister Austin Gatt’s annual report, while much play is made of the fact that City Gate and the open-roofed theatre are to be ready ahead of schedule, references to Parliament itself were significantly downplayed. It does not take a rocket scientist to realise that it could turn out to be a political albatross after all.

The same can be said for Smart City. While the claim was made that the building of the hi-tech village was on target, one could not say the same about the long promised job creation.

Meanwhile, while policy documents continue to be published, albeit in draft form, with hardly any datelines, timelines or benchmarks, others end up as mere wish lists or even worse – just as a draft set of objectives. With hardly any action plans in sight. In the meantime the government continues to buck certain important issues.

The full unabridged Eco Gozo policy document continues to languish in the offices of the Gozitan Ministry without having yet been presented to Parliament. The Freedom of Information Act remains in its incubation process. Not a word has been heard of political party financing while the minister responsible for piloting it was literally lost for words when asked in Committee why the Whistleblower Act had not been pushed forward for a Second Reading in the House.

The House still has many important votes to take, but regardless of how things will work out there is one certainty: that uncertainty will continue to prevail.

Blaming Joseph Muscat for it all, simply because he has not yet published his manifesto, is an insult to one’s intelligence.

That the Prime Minister thrives on hype has long been common knowledge.

The worst aspect of it all is that he now seems to have fallen victim to his own hype. This proved to be Mr Sarkozy’s undoing. Alas, the Louis XIV syndrome does not seem to be limited to the outgoing French President.

Brincat.leo@gmail.com

www.leobrincat.com

The author, an MP, is the Labour Party’s spokesman on the environment, sustainable development and climate change.