It may be the fear of having their names revealed or it may be genuine uncertainty. Whatever the reason, a large number of people still fall into the “undecided” category when asked by pollsters who they intend to vote for in two weeks’ time. Others may have decided to vote for Labour but still have gnawing doubts... surely not all the news about corruption and failing institutions is fake, they may be secretly telling themselves.

The fate of the country is in the hands of these voters. Their choice is stark. They decide whether the seeds of chaos sown by Joseph Muscat – the corruption, abuse of power and breakdown in the rule of law – take deeper root and eventually strangle the country, or whether these very disturbing trends are nipped in the bud by Simon Busuttil.

Two arguments – both false – may be holding them back from making the right choice. The first is economic: “I’m doing well right now,” this line of reasoning goes. “I have a good job/business is booming. Why change the government?”

The truth is that the economy is not on solid ground. The evidence of financial wrongdoing at the heart of government, and the failure to rein it in, has started to take a toll on the financial services sector, a vital part of the economy which depends so much on Malta’s good reputation to thrive.

This is not helped by the flood of negative press about Malta’s tax regime. The worried warnings are coming in thick and fast from financial practitioners, employers and some unions. Ancillary sectors such as real estate, construction, IT, entertainment and transport will bleed badly unless the wound is treated.

The question facing voters is: which of the two parties is more likely to repair the damage being done?

Not Labour. Chief of staff Keith Schembri, who is such a powerful figure in the government and who is facing a slew of money-laundering allegations, would have no interest in effective enforcement. The PN, outraged at what is happening, is far more likely to succeed. It created the financial services sector in the first place, has updated legislation over the years to maintain the country’s reputation and is now the only one pledging serious action to restore it.

Another reason the economic argument is false is that Labour is not the only government that can run an economy. The PN’s credentials have been amply proven in the way it managed to keep this country afloat when the world was hit by severe recession in 2008.

PN administrations also tend to take the long view. They spawned, for example, the successful iGaming, software, pharmaceutical, maritime and aviation industries. The party’s economic proposals brim with ideas for more new sectors. Contrast this with the four years of Labour: GDP growth there may be, but not one new industry has been established yet to offer jobs to our children.

The second argument that some voters are so taken in by is the corruption one. It equates the two parties in terms of their susceptibility to sleaze: “Aren’t they all the same?”

The short and sure answer is no. Eddie Fenech Adami and Lawrence Gonzi had their flaws, but corruptibility was not one of them.

Busuttil has set the bar high with his pledges to clean up government and reform governance, and he would be under great pressure to deliver from his own supporters.

In contrast, Muscat has astounded many by defending Schembri in the face of mounting evidence of financial crime. The two fiddle as Malta burns, seemingly untroubled as they shame its name abroad.

So no, right now the two parties are not the same. Pity the genuine socialists, but it’s time to call a spade a spade: the actions of Muscat and his henchman are far beneath Fenech Adami, Gonzi and Busuttil. The undecided and doubtful need to be honest with themselves and vote wisely and with their conscience on June 3.