I refer to Lino Debono’s ‘Maltese quislings’ (November 29).

It was essentially a complaint against European scrutiny of recent political events in Malta triggered by the Panama Papers revelations.

The argument can be countered on two simple points.

First, it’s not only the European “conservatives” who are very sceptical of Malta’s rule of law situation. The European socialists too share this scepticism.

Second, Malta finds itself in this predicament thanks to the Prime Minister’s handling of the situation.

Had he done the right thing and sacked Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri when it was revealed that they had opened secret companies in Panama, nobody would be asking whether there is a rule of law problemin Malta.

That the correspondent cannot work out this simple equation beggars belief.

He is representative of a section of the population which reckons that the Prime Minister is immune to all criticism because of the electoral result he obtained earlier this year. This is utter nonsense.

Success at the polls does not translate into political immunity. If that were the case, we would hold elections only once. We would have an elective monarchy or an elective dictatorship.

And since the correspondent referred to the Nazis, perhaps he should not forget that Adolf Hitler’s was the biggest party in the German Parliament when he was made chancellor.

He then remained in office till the end of his life, having convinced himself and his followers that his initial success at the polls had made him immune to all sort of political responsibility.