Converts are accepted with open arms by the receiving side, be it religious or political. They are called traitors by the side that loses them. That is how it has always been and will always remain. As of now, Cyrus Engerer, who, over the weekend, left the Nationalist Party to join the Labour Party, basks in the warmth of Labour welcome and moves under the cold shadow of Nationalist chill and worse.
Above all, this was an individual decision that must have shaken the man who took it to his roots. Moderate though one might be, it is not easy to go against the cradle in which you were born, the house where you were raised, let alone to leave all that. In this particular case, it seems not to have happened overnight. Change of net opinion does not happen at the snap of one’s fingers.
The no vote of the Prime Minister and PN leader on the second reading of the Divorce Bill was the last straw for his erstwhile faithful follower. There was unease before that. There were also close encounters of the familiarisation type with Labour activists during the divorce legislation campaign.
There will now be a period of fundamental adjustment for the convert. It will not be easy. Above all, he must guard against fawning of him in his new home. His best day, the real new start, will be that when he becomes just an ordinary member of his new side, pulling at the oars with the rest of them and, hopefully, speaking out his mind – the best way to strengthen the party he has chosen. His old side did not listen enough to him. He will hope for better luck in his new role.
The move, of course, has ramifications going beyond the personal. The Labour side are cock-a-hoop. They have captured another fruit of the change Joseph Muscat wants to bring about, turning Labour from a party into a movement. Mr Engerer joins various others who announced their conversion out loud, like (before Dr Muscat’s arrival) Marilyn Pulicino Orlando, who went on to win a seat in the House of Representatives at her first attempt with Labour, and Marisa Micallef, another highly articulate former Nationalist candidate.
A 29-year old, Mr Engerer will be seen by the Labour side as proof that it can capture the young, which is essential for anyone that wants to lead the future. Still Labour has to be wary. It is reasonable to celebrate the crossover. Yet, the party must not be distracted from its focus. Mr Engerer can only be an example in the narrative on that focus, which is to become and be seen as a truly alternative government.
The Engerer move has even deeper implications for the PN. Thanks to its stand on the divorce legislation issue, but not just for that, its role as a coalition of liberals and conservatives has come under the spotlight. Many from within the party have been critical of the way the party has been disporting itself, playing about with the structure that had made it the ruling establishment.
Just as important as those who are leaving it is the outspoken challenge to a number of its main policies by a Nationalist stalwart like Michael Falzon, a product of the pre-1987 preparations and, subsequently, minister for a number of years. He will not cross the bridge. His criticism is intended to strengthen the PN by making it realise the error of some of its current ways.
His views are echoed within the PN and heard with glee by the Labour side. What is significant is that they are not at all heeded by the Nationalist establishment. With about two years to go to the election, the political narrative will continue to change. Labour would make a mistake if it thought 2013 victory is in the bag. The Nationalists would blunder if they thought fresh rebranding away from Lawrence Gonzi, the main asset turned into a liability, will see them recover. A 15-round boxing match still has to be fought.
But portends of the outcome, especially Nationalists abandoning their side, will be carefully watched. A leaking ship soon becomes a sinking one.