Last Saturday marked the 100th anniversary of the birth of Ċensu Tabone, eminent statesment and President Emeritus who passed away on March 14 last year.
For this reason I would like to share a few reflections on some of Dr Tabone’s political traits, particulary his political principles which were based on enduring values that must surely enjoy contemporary relevance.
I met Dr Tabone when I was less than six years old. He was my ophthalmologist. No one, least of all myself, could have imagined then that later on our paths would cross several times, albeit in totally different circumstances.
My acquaintance with Dr Tabone the politician began in the latter part of the 1970s, when he was the head of l-Akkademja ghall-Iżvilupp ta’ Ambjent Demokratiku (AŻAD).
Subsequently, in 1982, before I left the island as a penniless student to further pursue my studies, he was considerate enough to put me in contact with one of his colleagues, Senatore Giovanni Bersani, in the hope that he could offer me some part-time position which would help me augment my meagre means while I was studying.
Senator Bersani, a Bolognese Christian democrat, one of the founders of the Movimento Cristiano Lavoratori and a member of the Italian parliament, later senator, was at the time serving as a member of the European Parliament. From there he led several development projects in sub-Saharan Africa, including the establishment of the North-South Foundation.
That Dr Tabone had such strong links with this man is neither surprising nor incidental. Which brings me to the crux of my comments in this piece: Dr Tabone had a strong social commitment, an attachment to values, clarity of ideas and above all leadership qualities that enabled him to shape politics and not the other way round.
My association with him as Minister of Foreign Affairs (1987-89) was brief but sufficiently long to allow me to get an insight into his character and approach.
I formulated this profile of him: Dr Tabone was capable of neatly insulating his public duties from party politics. He favoured transparency and regularly briefed the press on what he was doing.
He sought consensus with the Opposition and pursued continuity with past politics where this was merited and possible. He placed his country above most considerations. Fiercely strong in his convictions he would pursue his point to the utmost, on the basis of principle and not self-interest, but he was also capable of shifting his position when it became untenable.
In office Dr Tabone respected all those who worked for him as long as they pursued the government’s policy line.
One of his most astounding characteristics was his attachment to Catholic values, particularly the family, both in his own life and as a basic unit of society. He was more conservative in his outlook than myself; after all we belonged to different generations. But his strong convictions were mellowed by an even stronger sense of tolerance.
His set of values guided him in most of his choices. Principles and values were not intended merely for public view, applicable only on Sundays and days of obligation. He worked them into his daily routine.
In my first tête-à-tête with him in his office at Palazzo Parisio when he called me to assist him, my first question to him turned on what he expected of me. His curt reply was: “Don’t do anything that you would later regret or be ashamed of.” He added: “We are here because the people want us and for as long as they want us. The door through which we walked through must be kept ajar for the time when we will have to walk out of it again.”
One of the greatest gifts I received from Dr Tabone was the opportunity to see him in action and above all to reflect on my own attitudes and actions. Unlike him I have constantly been afflicted by a tinge of cynicism towards Maltese politics, but then we have been blessed with a few exemplary individuals who notwithstanding their imperfections made a vast contribution to the common good. Dr Tabone was one of them. And this is the only sound reason why we should keep remembering them and their deeds, for they can still guide us.