Life is full of ironies. Political life no less so. John Dalli was one of the Nationalist politicians most fiercely attacked by the Labour Party. The reason was easy to see. Far from personal, it recognised his potential as a Nationalist Party heavyweight, a probable future leader of the PN.
The Labour Prime Minister is preferring to build on John Dalli’s talents, unlike the PN which brusquely turned its back on him
His enemies in the PN saw to it that the likelihood would not happen. It remains a brutal truism that one’s enemies – not just adversaries – in one’s own party are much harder to handle than honest, blunt and frank opposition from the other side.
The hounding of Dalli by the PN continued after his leadership defeat. The main causes were one, the obvious – you cannot keep a good man down; two – what follows from it – my best enemy is a dead one. Various attempts were made on John’s political life. The latest one is the least clear, at least so far.
Perhaps we shall never know what happened exactly in the Swedish Match/Brussels snus affair.The artificial cigarette and those behind it lit a fire which saw Dalli’s EU commissioner role summarily ended, but following which it would not go out.
It is not unlikely that the political clown at its centre, Giovanni Kessler, will also hit the dust over it.
His clowning has not hidden his deficiencies. More might surface. Or might not.
Fact is that the Police Commissioner, after consulting the Attorney General, has concluded that Dalli should not be prosecuted. Following on the Brussels conclusion that he was not sacked for illegal actions, that rounds off the case in his regard.
Dalli’s response was smart. He would continue with his counter action in Europe, where various MEPs have taken up his cause. But meanwhile he was ready to offer his services in Malta to those who wanted them. His own party remained silent. The Prime Minister smartly stepped in.
He recognised Dalli’s qualities as an administrator and a negotiator. As an administrator he will help out at Mater Dei, particularly with the emergency services and medicine stocks.
His talents would also be used to attempt to attract direct foreign investment.
Dalli had already started to try to overhaul Mater Dei when he was health minister in 2009, before he was kicked upstairs and out of the way as EU commissioner.
His investment credentials were proven when, with Labour’s help, he refined the financial services infrastructure and set in motion further infrastructure in electronic gaming and IT.
He made his mistakes. Who hasn’t? But the Labour Prime Minister is preferring to build on his talents, unlike the PN which brusquely turned its back on him.
What will come out of all this? I hope the answer will not be further controversies. Labour has created some with a few ill-judged appointments. This is not one of them.
This is a shrewd move which shows that Prime Minister Muscat’s grey matter is far more seasoned than his youthful appearance.
Dom Mintoff made a similar move when he utilised Edgar Mizzi’s invaluable services in 1971. This could be an equivalent decision.