Member of Parliament David Stellini resigned this week and the reason he gave for his resignation was rather, how shall I put it… fluky.

It seems that he has given up his seat because the Maltese people are not “united” and his efforts to change that – despite coming all the way from Brussels – have proven futile. He inferred that it was this lack of “political unity” which made him pack up and head back to his administrative job in the European Parliament.

Obviously, I’d be the last person to berate him for quitting the dark world of politics – but one hopes that there were real, more profound reasons other than a self-sacrifice in the name of “political unity”, if nothing because a resignation half way through a legislature does not exactly show faith in an already ailing leader.

But frankly, if anyone else utters the word ‘unity’ one more time I’ll scream. Why has it become the new speech tic on the block? I understand love, friendship, loyalty, respect, but I don’t get what it is that I have to do to show ‘unity’.

My neighbour round the corner is, in her own words, the most ardent socialist in Malta. Although I don’t share the same political ideology, I respect her as a neighbour, give way when her entourage zooms past, don’t complain when she holds noisy parties into the night and causes traffic havoc in our streets and don’t mind her guests glaring at me like I’d just pulled down their fashion show tutu when they walk past. Now, please tell me, what am I meant to do in the name of ‘political unity’, gatecrash her parties and join in a group hug?

Politics in the age of Muscat has become nothing but a fantasy about national unity and a condemnation of those who don’t get this aspiration. Unfortunately, this orchestrated rhetoric has become mainstream – and everyone has taken to repeating it, without stopping to realise that division does not come out of nowhere. It is something which is sowed and harvested.

I’m not blaming Mr Stellini for falling for this parlance. It could easily be that his long absence from the island prior to his election in 2017 made him oblivious and naïve to the drip-drip hatred propaganda practised by this government.

The mass brainwashing exercise over the years has always had two main aims: a) making everyone believe that the ultimate aim of patriotism is ignoring the ugly stories, holding hands and shouting ‘Malta l-ewwel’ (Malta first) and b) in tandem, consistently dehumanising anyone who dares to flag the ugly stories, by means of repetitive and widespread narratives to instil hate.

In short, the same people who preach for unity through one corner of their mouth, clamour for division through the other corner. Which means, in case Mr Stellini did not realise, that we are being told that political unity comes first by people who pretend to be throwing the seeds of love while knifing non-conformists in the back.

National unity cannot be imposed, but rather, it is the automatic result of a country which harbours one very crucial element: justice.

We are being told that political unity comes first by people who pretend to be throwing the seeds of love while knifing non-conformists in the back

Let me give examples of how this so-called ‘unity’ cannot be achieved unless there is justice:

When my 92-year-old granny was recently urgently taken to hospital she spent 24 hours waiting for a bed, during which time a minister’s neighbour with a mere scratch on her knee was dashed into a single room while telling all and sundry “’l ministru nċempillu u mill-ewwel jaqdini” (I phone the minister and he accommodates me straightaway). Is this what inspires unity?

A family of five known to me is living in Guardamangia crammed in one bedroom, because they cannot afford to pay the rising rents, but the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff and his top minister planned to pocket €5,000 a day from corruption kickbacks. Is this unity?

A journalist has been assassinated in broad daylight at the very moment she was uncovering intricate, web-like corruption stories on the people in power. Is silencing the truth grounds for unity?

The two migrant victims who survived a racist attack which left their friend murdered have still, a month on, not received any help whatsoever – and this after months of both party leaders fanning xenophobic discourse. What unity is this?

The national television station gives a highly selective reading of the news and broadcasting rules allow for lies to be given away as facts; while government sponsored trolls churn lies and threaten people who dare to voice their unease on social media. Does this encourage unity?

We have a Prime Minister who believes that with every election majority he gets, his corruption sins are further absolved safe in the knowledge that the Police Commissioner and the Attorney General are happy to be his puppets. Unity?

We have a Prime Minister who insults MPs and MEPs who fight against corruption as traitors but then chides an audience which boos at the sound of their names. What sort of mass manipulation is this?

And with all this happening are we meant to stick our necks in the sand, pat each other on the back and hug?

Perhaps when he’s back in Brussels with time to reflect on his adventure here, Mr Stellini will understand that “unity” is not just about congratulating your political opponent for being elected. It’s also about having the courage to tell your political opponent that it is shameful that she worked closely with the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff Schembri in Castille, who is under criminal investigation for corruption.

We have to stop hankering for an illusory unity based on a false narrative which asks of us to ignore the past and the present.

If we want to heal the nation’s soul, we can only do so by speaking out the truth so that justice can be served, the wounds start to heal and then we can pave the way for a true sense of unity.

krischetcuti@gmail.com
twitter: @krischetcuti

This is a Times of Malta print opinion piece