Gonzi’s best year ever
Lawrence Gonzi, leader of the Nationalist Party, must be heading into the Christmas festivities a satisfied man. Looking back and taking count he can conclude that things went his way where they mattered and are doing so to the end of the year.
What seemed to be his greatest bugbear, the rebellion of Franco Debono, proved two things. Firstly, that, for the sake of his party, Gonzi does not mind losing bucketfuls of dignity. He chased the man from the start, visiting him at his home when he didn’t turn up for a vote. He took him abroad with him; he made him parliamentary assistant.
Still Debono huffed and puffed and eventually brought the house down. But, secondly, see what Gonzi achieved in between and even afterwards. With wily moves and by staying put, he allowed Debono space to bawl and roar but basked safe in the knowledge that he would not (yet) vote him out of office. Gonzi was cynical, certainly, and Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici was a sacrificial lamb. But the Government persevered.
At a time when the Nationalist Party was lagging far behind in the popularity polls, Gonzi was prepared to do everything to stay in office while the party machine was fine tuned to start going after the grumblers, waving the old flag of scaremongering tactics.
An unexpected blow came when his side voted out Richard Cachia Caruana. That humbled Cachia Caruana but did not change Gonzi’s strategy to cling on while the claw back continued. Rather, he put Cachia Caruana to better use.
And the weeks and months rolled by. With everybody predicting Gonzi would have to call an election before the end of 2011 and then shortly after the end of the year, here we are at yet the end of another year, with the odds narrowing – a Labour lead of 12 per cent has been cut to eight per cent, according to yesterday’s MaltaToday.
In the process, more face and dignity were lost. But Gonzi did not care. His priority was to hang on and gain time for a fighting chance to salvage the election. Some developments unexpectedly went his way. He decided to use Simon Busuttil, a young fresh face, as his personal emissary.
Out of the blue, European Commissioner John Dalli had to resign. Gonzi immediately smelled an opportunity. With further cynicism, he kicked his deputy, Tonio Borg, upstairs, opening a key slot for Busuttil.
Luck doesn’t last forever. In the end, Debono did bring the Government down. But not before Gonzi and Tonio Fenech had time to go through the motions of presenting an election Budget to Parliament. And it was now close to the end of the year, time for another wily move.
Gonzi sought agreement with Opposition Leader Joseph Muscat that there would be a peace period up to January 6. Once the Three Kings had delivered their gifts, hostilities could start again.
Gonzi let slip in that would be the date when the Government resigned and became a mere caretaker. Astonishingly, Muscat swallowed that hook, line and sinker. And Gonzi gained still more time to deploy the power of incumbency to his favour.
Fortune favours the brave. The unexpected story of a top judge, who had seemed as above suspicion as Caesar’s wife, broke out, as did an unconnected story regarding another judge. Gonzi expressed shock but did fast calculations how to gain further political advantage for his party. Having been permitted to hang on till January 6 he had clever permutations to work out to try to paint the Opposition uglier still.
And so time passes on. A whole year and a half where Gonzi played cunning leader of the PN and hang his role of Prime Minister and the so-called national interest, other than for a few opportunities in the media limelight abroad.
There is more to the man than had ever fully met the eye. And there is more to come. Even if you are fooled by the silent Yuletide period, the coming election will be one of the dirtiest we have ever witnessed, with the outcome open to the last dirty trick right to the end. Confident Labour has a minefield to cross.
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Anthony Pace Gouder
Dec 19th 2012, 11:04
Cheeky craftiness , arrogance, impertinence and a crude cunning character are Dr. Gonzi's BEST CREDENTIALS ! and.all topped with ,....... a false smile !
Carmel Grima
Dec 18th 2012, 16:02
il-mistoqsija hi Sur Spiter, tahseb li Joseph Muscat ghad jilhaq din l-altezza ta' diplomazija jekk jitla fil-gvern specjalment meta qieghdin fi krizi mondjali bhal ta' issa? Jekk iva, ta' min wiehed jerga jahsibha.
Victor Laiviera
Dec 18th 2012, 15:09
Sadly, I have to say that Lino Spiteri is right. Labour miscalculated the depths to which Lawrence Gonzi is prepared to sink to remain PM as long as possible.
They need a dose of cunning.
A Vella
Dec 18th 2012, 13:06
I thought that Lino Spiteri would include somewhere that despite all the obstacles that the Prime Minister had to evade still managed to keep the economy on track and managed to top the list of the European Union, at the same time when the budget deficit was reduced.
A Farrugia
Dec 18th 2012, 09:36
Gonzi 's best year ever , tghid ghax halla il parlament maghluq ghal xaghrejn shah bis-salarju jibqa ghaddej, best year meta kellu problemi kbar li holqolu certi ministri li kullhadd jaf minn huma, il glied intern li ghadt ghandu, membru parlamentari minn tieghu jiddikjara li se jmur indipendenti, iehor jisfudcjah u jwaqqa il Gvern. Jekk dan kollu hu tajjeb mela il hazin kif ikun allura ??
Ms L Dimech
Dec 18th 2012, 02:43
What a vote of confidence in Dr. Gonzi! Clearly shows the boys from the men and the importance of a seasoned politician contrary to a still-green Dr. Muscat who would not have been able to catch the moment and turn it to his advantage, something which Dr. Gonzi, quietly and consistently, has been doing. All his successes cannot be put down to mere chance!
Hindsight makes us all experts.
James Mifsud
Dec 17th 2012, 17:22
If this was his best year ever, I'd hate to see his worst.
George Calleja
Dec 17th 2012, 16:57
Lino Spiteri could have easily titled his article,' Tassew Par Idejn Sodi '
GL Calleja
Dec 17th 2012, 15:57
Mr Spiteri another fine article. What you say is very true but all Dr Lawrence Gonzi had to do was get rid of Austin Gatt and everything would have been all right. But since Austin Gatt runs the PN it is very hard to get rid of oneself. But as the saying goes" You can fool some of the people some of the time but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time." Too much hot air in the balloon.
Francis Saliba M.D.
Dec 17th 2012, 16:34
@ GL Calleja
Dr Austin Gatt is not contesting the next election and if, according to you, he was the only fly in the ointment you should be voting NP considering Lino's fine article (which I also consider very fine indeed).
Edward Mallia
Dec 17th 2012, 15:47
The PL is consistently outfoxed. The Franco Debono episode: PBS refused to play: FD had no right to intrude into a discussion to which he was not invited. PBS acted differently when JPO - with a fake press card - was allowed to harass Alfred Sant at a PBS press conference. And we all know, some of us WITHOUT hindsight, who was speaking with a forked tongue and who had 'trained' him.
ANTHONY PAVIA
Dec 17th 2012, 16:02
True, and this is where Muscat's inexperience is showing through. A young lamb being rounded on by old foxes. Honestly, I cannot put my finger on whose fault this is. Muscat's tough hold on the rest of the clan's policies? Battle fatigue suffered by the older part of the clan? However, I also sense that Muscat is playing the "keep calm" card too frequently for the country's ultimate good.
Eric Soames
Dec 17th 2012, 16:35
ANTHONY PAVIA: ' ... playing the "keep calm" card ...'. It worked for Obama.
Eddy Privitera
Dec 17th 2012, 17:18
Anthony Pavia: Inspite of Gonzi's inflated " experience", he HAS LOST all his voting encounters with Dr. Muscat
to date - all local council elections, MEP election and divorce referendum ! So I believe Gonzi will lose the next encounter on 9 March !
Alfred Farrugia
Dec 17th 2012, 15:08
Can Mr. Spiteri kindly share with us what was Hon. Dr. Muscat’s alternative? Are we certain that pushing Dr. Busuttil into the deputy leader position was not a blunder judging by the not so brilliant performance last Saturday? I thought that this was the most humiliating year for our Hon. Prime Minister with the least efficient and productive parliamentary session and longest recess.
Mr Andrew Camilleri
Dec 17th 2012, 14:30
Does this truce apply also to PBS? As we saw last Friday, PBS had a ball attacking Labour's silly stance. For me, PBS stoked the fires of partisanship beyond a decent limit. Let's hope PBS will abide by the truce and shove more politics down our throats during the festive season.
Edward Mallia
Dec 17th 2012, 13:29
There is another point: It is by no means clear that the Constitution allows a month's gap between loss of a confidence vote and dissolution of Parliament. The PM has only 3 days between vote and asking President for dissolution. If PM stays put, President can dissolve Parliament himself. So it was not only Dr. Muscat who swallowed the bait, but the Constitution was also bent. Gonzi's last twist.
Alex Ellul
Dec 17th 2012, 13:20
as they say, politics is the art of the possible and Dr. Gonzi mamaged to carry out all that is possible in politics short of a miracle.
John Azzopoardi
Dec 17th 2012, 12:09
Lino, never saw an article on the mark as you explain it. Many people know these kind of political games that are played but the majority don't have the vision to see it due to their closeminedness. But you are on the mark. It is called strategic leadership.
James Grech
Dec 17th 2012, 14:25
You too are on the mark!! It was definitely an exercise in government and party leadership. However at the expense of abusing the system and the interest of the Maltese electorate.
Victor Zammit
Dec 17th 2012, 11:56
Which means that people, including, respectfully Mr Spiteri, are coming round to realize that parliament needed not close down prematurely because a one-seat majority had a disgruntled member. That stability was not prejudiced, rather strengthened at that. This realization is the more note-worthy and valid coming as it does now, not after the election, when everybody is the wiser after the event.
Saviour Cachia
Dec 17th 2012, 10:59
Lino, i just back you up with your assessment that Labour Party Leader, Dr. Joseph Muscat "Astonishingly, Muscat swallowed that hook, line and sinker'. Hope this Christmas truce would not be the rope that hung LP's destiny in the forthcoming election in March 9th. An agreement which all shows is against the interest of the Labour Party. Hope not CMB only finished the sacrificial lamb.
J Cauchi
Dec 17th 2012, 10:41
I agree with some points raised by Mr Spiteri, but I don't with others. I agree that the PL had acted wrongly both in the case of Dalli and the Christmas truce. But I can't understnd how LS failed to mention the fact that these circumstances brought Gonzi's credibility and personality to zero. Whjat worries me is the fact that our constitution had become like a jewing gum.
ANTHONY PAVIA
Dec 17th 2012, 10:37
Yes indeed, so cunning! Such as to paint himself black in the eyes of an electorate so fed up with politics. All you say is true. However, it only proves that politics are only remunerative for its practitioners and hangers on, and not the citizens these persons are supposed to serve. All these care about is their personal bottom line. No wonder politicians are held in such low estime.
Lina Caruana
Dec 17th 2012, 10:33
This proves that there is truly a new way of doing politics on the Nationalists' side. There is more depth than meets the eye. A good prospect for Malta's future.
James Grech
Dec 17th 2012, 11:37
It's more the abusive aspect of the Nationalists' politics that should worry the electorate!! And this old, sleeky approach is not a good prospect at all.
James McIntosh
Dec 17th 2012, 10:20
Political blinkers are obviously well used by you.
Mr Andrew Camilleri
Dec 17th 2012, 14:27
Can you disprove or argue against anything written by Mr Spiteri? Its all facts.
James Grech
Dec 17th 2012, 10:12
Self-dignity does not seem to matter for the PM and he has gone to great lengths to salvage his government and more so his party. Not the same can be said about the state of the country's finances, the huge debt incurred in the last legislation/s and the findings from the auditor's reports highlight huge mismanagement of finances. And what off all the reforms that gov. promised?
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