What will happen if…? We are always imagining how society could end up if things go a certain way. What if we had too many immigrants, too many buildings, a bad government, a different prime minister, gay marriage, the ‘morning after’ pill, or no law on the vilification of religion? Paradise or doomsday scenarios are imagined and debated.

Political decisions affect our everyday lives yet many people feel disengaged from mainstream politics, even openly stating that it does not concern or interest them. Then, as we have seen in recent elections and referendums everywhere, swathes of people suddenly rear up and throw in a protest vote. How does that happen?

Large numbers of people give politicians a free rein most of the time. They shrug their shoulders and say little, even in the face of potential corruption or abuse of power. Under the surface, however, they may feel disconnected or disillusioned, and ready for any other leader so long as it is someone different. They vote for change, for change’s sake, whatever that will bring.

This negative sentiment is used by politicians promising to overthrow the established structures. Unfortunately, they may be driven by undesirable agendas like the far-right parties currently dominating the news. If voters are too disengaged or uninformed, they are prone to manipulation. This is worrying, as politics is not just a side show.

A huge mass of information is available through the media, especially the internet. There is so much that it is hard to follow. Who can possibly keep up with so many news stories? People are busy, with limited time. Many have a short attention span for politics.

Voters in established democracies may feel safe that, if they make a bad choice in the election booth, the checks and balances of the political structures will clean up the mess and sort things out. It will be alright on the night. But this relaxed and hands-off approach has no safeguard. There is no guarantee that politicians will act for the right reasons, and will not instead exploit positions of power for their own benefit.

It is not good that so many people veer away from mainstream politics. On the other hand, they are participating more in interest groups

We are generally so complacent in the idea that democracy is the best system, that we cannot even imagine a true failure of our political structures. It is not always possible to look back in history to predict the way forward. Monarchies, communism or fascism do not provide all answers. Each political reality emerges in specific economic and cultural circumstances. No system is repeated in an identical way in another place or time.

We do not watch films or read novels about realistic, alternative and better political systems in societies much like our own, because we cannot even imagine them. In films and fiction, failed political systems are often portrayed as countries torn apart by the unrest, violence and chaos of civil war. Or by an apocalyptic event, perhaps involving creatures from outer space who land on earth and take over.

Writers such as George Orwell and Aldous Huxley imagined totalitarian states and dystopias. Fantasy fiction, like Game of Thrones, recreates medieval-style communities with monarchies, tyrants and autocratic rulers.

In science fiction, cities and worlds are invented or destroyed, and governments may disintegrate entirely. But none of these present a realistic, alternative and better reality. For that we turn nervously to our living, real politicians. And then switch off and disconnect.

It is not good that so many people veer away from mainstream politics. On the other hand, they are participating more in interest groups. We increasingly hear about ‘civil society activism’ or even ‘citizen politics’. There have never been so many non-governmental organisations in Malta as today, in all sectors.

There are currently over 1,000 registered voluntary organisations in Malta. This includes a spectrum of sizes, from tiny three-man bands to larger, international networks. There are groups interested in education, women’s issues, health, social and community work, the arts, cultural heritage, the environment, animal welfare, youths, children and the promotion of human rights. The list also includes band clubs, sports clubs and religious groups.

Some are clubs catering for the hobbies of their members, but many also provide services to the community or engage in lobbying or advocacy on wider causes. They can play a role in swaying public opinion, and political parties nowadays do pay attention to them.

The internet makes it easy to join civil society groups. It is not difficult to set up networks on social media and attract some followers with similar concerns. But this type of online engagement and ‘internet activism’ can be quite superficial. Due to their focus on special interests, the reach of individual NGOs is also relatively narrow.

Yet public trust in voluntary groups is often high, and they are a factor to be reckoned with on the broader political scene. In debates on controversial issues, and in all those imaginary scenarios exploring the ‘what if…?’ questions that we face, civil society groups occupy an important space.

People may feel disengaged from mainstream politics, but their growing and varied engagement in non-governmental interest groups tells a different story. The shape of widespread political participation may be shifting, but it has not gone away.

petracdingli@gmail.com