How many "warnings" and "messages" do the Nationalists in government need to get from the electorate before they start pulling their socks up? Should not winning the last general election by just a whisker (1,500 votes) have been enough to make them stand up and take real notice? Apparently not, as the outcome of the European Parliament election has just shown in a most unmistakable manner. True, they have four more years to go before their time is up again and a general election is called, but surely the government cannot possibly go on letting discontent grow at the rate it has been doing for these past few months, or, to be precise, since the sharp hike in the water and electricity bills.
Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi insists he remains in complete control of the situation, a comment that might have given the impression to foreigners that the political situation in the country is unstable! The point is that, while he feels he remains in control, there are far too many loose threads that he ought to take hold of if he wants his government to make headway and, eventually, start honouring the promises made before the last general election. It is neither here nor there saying, as he said in his first press conference after the elections, that the result was "worse than what the party had hoped for but better than expected", for the message to the government is clear enough - roll up your sleeves and get going.
One problem is that, despite all its many promises, the party appeared to have been quite unprepared as to the course of action it planned to take after winning the last general election. This was clearly shown in the hurried way it tackled the preparations for the privatisation of the shipyards. Many in government appeared to have grown comfortable in office; there has been no shortage of photo opportunities for ministers but, generally speaking, the Administration moved very slowly in matters that really mattered to the people, creating widespread disenchantment with the politicians and with the government in particular.
Dr Gonzi pinpointed four matters which, in his opinion, determined the outcome of the election - illegal immigration, water and electricity bills, the uncertainty in the job market, and public transport. We can add five others - health care; the delay in bringing out the long-promised reform at the Malta Environment and Planning Authority; inflation; the way the shipyards' privatisation was tackled; and the sheer inability to take proper on-going care of the country's upkeep. As it has been remarked so many times already over the past months, there is no question that the country needed to revise the water and electricity rates upwards, but the exercise should have been done gradually.
How long does the country have to wait for the reform of public transport and of Mepa? The public has been taken for a ride over the public transport reform for years on end. Why have so many prices of commodities continued to go up instead of down? Government action is not matching all its political rhetoric, creating a feeling of helplessness in the face of growing problems, particularly following the economic downturn.
The electorate is not satisfied at the way the government is running the country. Yes, it is the Prime Minister's prerogative to decide when to reshuffle his Cabinet, but he can hardly now ignore the significance of the people's warning to it.