It is no wonder that uncommitted voters despair so much at the state of Maltese politics as it careers up and down a course that often leads to confusion and, at times, to meaningless piques and battles that sap the politicians' energy. Take one example of such a bewildering situation: an occasion, such as the widespread acceptance of George Abela as the next President of the Republic, gives rise to a euphoric burst of self-congratulation over the maturity shown in the fact that a well-known Labourite has been chosen by a Nationalist government to take up the post when Eddie Fenech Adami's term expires in April and over the positive way the people reacted to the proposed appointment. But no sooner had the bout of such self-congratulation ended than a procedural motion to regulate the business of the House of Representatives led to sparks and fury, making the Opposition Leader exclaim at one point that the government side could forget all about the possibility of an agreement over pairing.

The Opposition Leader's outburst may have been taken by party supporters as evidence that he was getting well into his stride, as it were, in parliamentary business. But many uncommitted voters must have seen it as yet another indication that, in Maltese politics, the more things change, the more they remain the same. Even though this may not perhaps reflect the true state of Maltese politics as it stands now, the heat expended over the issue has certainly not helped to add any further improvement to the degree of maturity the country was supposed to have reached only a few weeks ago with the announcement of the agreement over Dr Abela's nomination for the Presidency. Mercifully, with the scrapping of the plans for the extension of the underground museum of St John's Co-Cathedral another festering sore has now been eliminated. Opposition and controversy are par for the course in a democracy but an excess of both, as well as pique and hard-headedness, can be very irritating.

As happens in every election, more political heat is naturally expected to be generated before the June 6 European Parliament elections. Already much attention is being focused on one, or two, particular election candidates fielded by the Labour Party (PL) who are known to have been against Malta joining the European Union. Eurosceptics have as much right as others to contest the election but, on the other hand, is it surprising that those who firmly believe in the European project look at such candidates with scepticism?

In accepting such candidates, the PL is no doubt convinced that, if elected, they could give as valid a contribution to the islands as that of others who are staunchly pro-EU. However, the probability is that many, if not the majority, of those who in 2003 twice voted for Malta to become a member of the European Union would not share the party's views, rightly holding that the best contribution could be given by those who believe in the true value of the islands' membership.

Even though, according to the latest Eurobarometer survey, support for the EU has now dropped, 60 per cent still feel that Malta has benefited from membership. Will the people vote for Labour in a general election if they fear, or even perceive, that the party is not as yet totally convinced of the value of membership, not just financially but, equally so, politically?