The unveiling of Guido de Marco’s monument will undoubtedly remain a milestone in Maltese history. The party in government has openly and publicly honoured a national figure hailing from the other party, now in opposition.
De Marco was a true patriot. I shall never forget when, in the early 1990s, he courageously said that during the last war we Maltese fought alongside the bad (the Imperialists) against the worse (the Nazi-Fascists).
I shall also never forget his gesture of personal friendship when, as former President of the United Nations General Assembly, he wrote the foreword to one of my books, published in England.
In his speech at the unveiling ceremony, human rights expert Giovanni Bonello spoke of de Marco’s bridge-building approach. To me it is clear that Labour in government adheres to the same courageous principle which inspired de Marco.
On one of the occasions I met him on account of the book’s foreword, at L’Orangerie, I noticed de Marco had a poem someone dedicated to him framed and hung to the wall in his study. I can only remember the first verse, or title, in which he’s called “Lion”, because of his courage.
On that occasion, he spoke to me at length and confided he was not afraid of death. Those words resonated with a mysterious beauty, because of their sheer force and the inimitable way he uttered them, punctuated by his mesmerising gaze and smile.
I am proud that a Nationalist national figure is being honoured under a Labour government. It means we’re getting closer to political maturity, where being Maltese is more important than being Labourite or Nationalist.