It is crystal clear to all Maltese citizens that Prime Minister and Nationalist Party Leader Lawrence Gonzi is fighting for his political survival. Otherwise, how can one interpret the actions of a leader who is fast losing the support of the vast majority of Maltese citizens?

Starting with his own political party, there is a lot of anger at the way Dr Gonzi does things. The way he handled the nomination of Dr George Abela for President and the resulting cracks that appeared within the PN Parliamentary Group showed that all is not well in the Nationalist Party.

Dr Gonzi’s popularity is going down on a daily level. Citizens are already angry with the PN government because of the exorbitant utility tariffs which have proved to be too heavy a burden for many families. Then, among other things, there is the inefficiency in the health sector and the terrible state of the roads.

One would expect that a Prime Minister whose power-base rests on a wafer-thin majority would behave with restraint and caution. The opposite is the case as is evidenced by the Nationalist government’s procedural motion to regulate the timetable of the House and its voting procedure, a motion described as “fascist” by Alfred Sant. Labour Leader, Dr Joseph Muscat, was quite right to tell Dr Gonzi to forget about a pairing agreement after this motion was presented. Being progressive and moderate does not translate into being weak in the face of actions which are seen by many as being a threat to democracy.

Furthermore, was the PN Parliamentary Group consulted about the controversial motion presented or was it again Dr Gonzi alone who decided about it?

I was astonished to read that at a Sunday morning political activity, reacting to what he said were incorrect reports about his already having decided alone on the nomination of Malta’s new European Commissioner, Dr Lawrence Gonzi was quoted as saying “Jien il-Prim Ministru, jien il-Gvern” (“I am the Prime Minister, I am the Government”). These words are not worthy of a Prime Minister of a democracy.

If Dr Gonzi continues like this, I believe that his days as Prime Minister and Leader of the Nationalist Party are numbered.