Joseph Muscat’s reshuffle elicited a mixed reaction on social media yesterday that fluctuated between disbelief and adulation.
The Prime Minister was described as a decisive person by Labour sympathisers on Facebook after stripping Konrad Mizzi of his portfolios but retaining him as a Cabinet member with an undefined role.
But the decision also had strong detractors, who felt this was a non-decision since Dr Mizzi was retained as minister and Keith Schembri remained untouched in his role as chief of staff at the Office of the Prime Minister.
While the full length and breadth of the reshuffle still had to sink in, civil society activists insisted the protest on May 7 calling for the resignations of Dr Mizzi and Mr Schembri, would still go ahead.
In a tweet shortly after news of the reshuffle started filtering out, Alternattiva Demokratika councillor Michael Briguglio described the decision as “even worse than half-baked”.
“Civil society will not be fooled by this farce,” Dr Briguglio said, expressing the sentiment of many who were expecting the Prime Minister to kick Dr Mizzi and Mr Schembri out of office.
Political observer Godfrey Grima said the decision was “the best the Prime Minister could do under the circumstances to keep his team together”.
However, he noted there was still a credibility gap that had yet to be bridged. “The Prime Minister has to work seriously hard at winning back credibility.”
Academic Carmen Sammut described the decision as a balancing act the Prime Minister had to make as a result of the public outcry on the Panama affair.
“While seemingly sticking to his word that he would wait for the outcome of the audit, the Prime Minister tried to respond to public sentiment by taking away the minister’s portfolios but still keeping him on board,” she said.
Whether the Prime Minister’s decision would placate discontent that had been brewing since the Panama affair being public knowledge last February could be too early to judge.
The decision could have been taken earlier, she added, noting however, that Dr Mizzi’s resignation as deputy leader of the Labour Party should not be underestimated.
“A decision like that is likely to have an impact with the grassroots, whichever way they felt about the controversy,” she said.
Nationalist Party MEP Roberta Metsola said the reshuffle was “an absolute farce” because the Prime Minister’s two most trusted men were retained in their posts despite being “caught out” in the Panama Papers.
“Joseph Muscat is taking us all for fools. People’s anger will not disappear,” she said on Facebook.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, former PN mayor turned Muscat sympathiser, Robert Musumeci tweeted: “this government needs Konrad Mizzi”.