Partit tal-Ajkla leader Nazzareno Bonnici. Photo: Matthew MirabelliTogether they may have only won just a couple of hundred votes but the fringe parties gave the race to Brussels a much needed breath of fresh air.
In an electoral campaign characterized by disputes between the large political parties, the smalltime contenders gave a different tinge to the electoral campaign’s final stretch.
Perhaps the embodiment of the campaign’s tongue-in-cheek undertone, Partit tal-Ajkla leader Nazzareno Bonnici yesterday said he would not give up on his electoral dream.
Instead, Opposition leader Simon Busuttil should bow out of politics, he said as he indulged in a dish of baked pasta on the counting hall steps.
Mr Bonnici had originally claimed to pose a threat to the Labour Party, a claim which yesterday proved to be a red herring as the PL walked away with a strong majority.
Alleanza Liberali frontman Jean-Pierre Sammut on the other hand, claimed to have championed “real European issues” throughout the campaign.
The self-proclaimed liberal told reporters at the counting hall he had high spirits, despite gaining what appeared to be an insignificant number of votes, pinning his hopes on cross-party voting.
The third fringe party, Alleanza Bidla, which campaigned on a Eurosceptic ticket, had a similar performance at the polls.