As Greece veers to one extreme or other and Europe trembles, we, on this isle, remain performing reasonably well. We seem to have kept a steady keel. Even if our road map seems to have evaporated into thin air, we manage to keep our neighbours’ plight away from our shores.

Our national pastime remains politics but, at least, unlike many neighbours far and wide, we seem to have kept this well in the centre of the ideology spectrum. So far, the mavericks and loons have been well-leashed and, except for a few in the mainstream parties, there never seems to be much chance for nuts to dictate, or take over, the country’s reins of power.

But we are hardly devoid of strange doings on this happy rock. Take Simon Busuttil and his men and women.

They got battered at the polls and seemed knocked out for eternity. Not only did they not know what hit them, they went on happily hitting their own head against walls, imaginary, perceived and sometimes real.

For a long time they seemed so rudderless that the Labour Party was — and still is — creating its own demons to fight. Labour went on a roll—not just of victory but also of own goals: glorious, wicked and wondrous goals. They presented themselves as guardians of our democracy and meritocracy but feebly turned into standard old politicians who, once in office, forget all and to hell with heralded good governance and transparency.

Then, from the lowest of lows, Busuttil transformed himself into a rocksteady politician, conjuring up thoughts of the other Simon who became Peter back in the time of Christ.

Busuttil’s energy and scope of vision rose – his handling of the Manuel Mallia débacle was uncannily bold and forthright. He fought tooth and nail and not only won a few brownie points but also heads on a platter.

Now is the time for the PN to ditch the name, the blackness of the flag and the bleakness of the anthem

The leader of the Opposition not only exposed the government’s shoddy treatment of just about anyone but also showed enough mettle to anoint a new, vibrant and small, shadow Cabinet.

The man had teeth after all and was delivering. They – his teeth – still need to mature and grow but, at last, goody two-shoes was going, or could go, places.

The Labour leader, long used to taking everyone in with his fakery and smile, was startled and started to worry. Joseph Muscat was not unduly worried, as his electoral base is too huge to be assailed easily, but he sat up and took notice of the new-style PN leader.

However, this growth in strength of the PN leader, while being salutary for our nation’s politics and democracy, is still not making too big a dent in what the voters think. According to the opinion polls, the voters still think Muscat is better suited for the job and that, if the sun don’t shine, that is hardly his fault.

Voters in general rarely think deeply and mostly care about having a stable job, food on their plates and going out for their weekly pizza. The country’s woes don’t bother them much.

It would be even more good news if the PN looks deeply into its soul and see what is wrong – not just with policies but even with its exalted name.

Far-right and right-leaning parties are making headway the world over, especially in Europe. In the near future, they could conceivably turn into a monster feeding heavily on incidents like the Charlie Hebdo one.

In Greece, the far left has teamed up with the far right to form the most unnatural of governments –and what they will spawn only some mad god in Olympus can visualise.

Scenarios which seemed surreally impossible till some time ago are now materialising and the loons in Europe are appearing electable and normal.

Nomenclature is hardly the most important thing in life, especially in politics, but the PN and its leadership should immediately look for a new name.

Its present one conjures up visions of the far-right, xenophobic, anti-anything-foreign parties, which are mushrooming and winning support in Europe.

Partit Nazzjonalista is a name which sounds too closely to Nazi, hate-filled parties. The PN might never have had connections or aspirations to be connected to the far right but that does not mean people, especially abroad, know this.

Now is the time for the PN to ditch the name, the blackness of the flag and the bleakness of the anthem.

They are, to many, a great tie to tradition, to a glorious past. But the past is gone, as should the name.

We are living in precarious times, which can turn from stridently vitriolic to volatile and violent.

The people who need to move this country forward need to be adamant not just on doing what’s right but also on sounding right at home and abroad.

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