Country’s attention deflected from real issues

With the European Championship now over and the Spanish and Italian football teams back home, many will now probably turn their mind to their summer holiday.

Summer half days give a welcome break from routine to thousands of workers in the public service and, as the temperature continues to soar, life in general tends to slow down a bit. However, in contrast to what happened in past summers, political party chiefs are unlikely to take their mind off power politics.

The Nationalist Party, now bleeding, as one minister has put it, from internal troubles, will have to pick up the pieces and see how it can regroup, as it were, in an effort to present a strong opposition to the Labour Party.

On its part, the PL, relishing the fruit of its political manoeuvres to bring down a minister and an ambassador with the help of three disgruntled Nationalist MPs, will do all it can to keep causing political trouble to the Administration in the short time left before the Prime Minister decides to call an election.

Its all-too-evident impatience to get to power is making it resort to opportunistic ploys to trip up the Administration. The dust of the storm caused by the three Nationalist MPs, two of whom voted with Labour on opposition motions, has not yet settled.

What is striking in all that has been happening over the past weeks is that, to all intents and purposes, the island appeared to be completely isolated from the situation in mainland Europe, where financial turmoil dominates the scene.

Malta gives the impression that it is immune to the trouble that has hit so many EU countries. Yet, the island is in recession, a matter that does not seem to be causing any sleepless nights to many. Of course, this does not apply to the ever-growing number of workers being treated badly by firms that are either financially weak or are taking advantage of the labour market situation. Despite rules and regulations in place against abusive and inferior working conditions, there are firms that are deploying all manner of tactics to wriggle out of their legal obligations. Yes, precarious work is on the rise.

As to the economy generally, the government was, of course, not unaware of the buffeting winds coming from across the continent but it was drawn into the vortex of the political trouble which the PL, with the cooperation of three Nationalist MPs, managed to stir up just at a time when the Administration could least afford it.

For what appeare to be a considerable time, the whole country’s attention was taken up by the shenanigans of Franco Debono, who now says he was a sacrificial lamb, and Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando, both of whom have been seen to have acted mainly on personal grounds.

The same can be said of former Cabinet minister Jesmond Mugliett.

They have rocked their own party at a time when it badly needed to start building up its muscles to fight off the challenge for power from Labour, now promising a social revolution and economic growth when it appears to have very little ideas of its own to keep the country on the right course if it is elected to power.

Will the PN have enough time to heal the wounds before the election? If it intends taking further action against its three disgruntled members – there may be more – it has to do it now. Prolonging the quarrel will do no good to its prospects.