Judging by the address made by the leader of the Malta Labour Party at the party's annual reception for the diplomatic corps a few days back, it seems nothing is new. This is good news. It contrasts deeply with Alfred Sant's embarrassing message to embassies accredited to Malta in 1998 in the wake of the election held that year. Dr Sant thought it wise at the time to declare the government illegitimate and asked embassies in Europe accredited to Malta to take note of this "illegitimacy".
In the light of that, and taking at face value what the Leader of the Opposition had to tell his audience, one cannot but applaud the declaration he made to diplomats. A Labour government led by Dr Sant, who was so deeply opposed to Malta's membership of the European Union that he lost a referendum and an election as a result, is now committed to reap more benefits from the EU and to make any disadvantages derived from membership less disadvantageous.
Dogma (ideology?) was out. Instead a "spirit of dynamic realism" would guide his party in office. The problem for many years has been that it has taken Dr Sant so long to embrace this spirit of realism. The deliberate refusal to align his party behind the government on what was arguably the most significant moment in Malta's history since 1964, hampered the national interest. It prevented national unity on the vital topic of membership for years.
His now open advocacy of the EU must be bittersweet music to the government's ears. What a lot of frustrated energy could have been put to better use between 1994 and 2004!
As another example of realism, Dr Sant offered the party's change of judgment on the euro. Once the government persisted in introducing the currency in January of next year, Labour had realistically gone along with it in order not to create "new uncertainties". Ironically, Dr Sant is being accused of an assault on the credibility of the National Statistics Office for no other reason than that this will undermine Malta's efforts to switch to the euro on the target date.
On the foreign front, Dr Sant had nothing to say that could be construed as being different to the policies adopted by the Foreign Ministry - a new future for the Palestinians, the guarantee of Israel's security, standing foursquare behind UN moves to eradicate terrorism and contain nuclear proliferation, calling on the EU to play a larger role in helping Malta and other member states to deal with illegal immigration.
He arrogated to a future Labour government "a deeper and more proactive role in European affairs, focused on social policy and commensurate with our stature". And "Labour was committed to improving Malta's ties with the United States of America, with which we treasure long-standing bonds of sympathy and interest, not only political but also economic and cultural".
How long-standing those bonds have really been, in Labour's book, is another matter, but even here, his intentions run parallel with the government's policies and that is a good thing. It is difficult to see in anything he had to say that would not be said easily and comfortably by Foreign Minister Michael Frendo.
Even on domestic policies, Dr Sant managed to sound like Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi. Only, a Labour government would manage things better. Dr Gonzi's government may disagree with this assertion but it will be pleased that Labour has undergone such a Damascene experience.