Inside a Nationalist Party stronghold, Sliema, party leader Simon Busuttil on Sunday launched a rallying cry: let’s protect the country’s democracy and people’s freedoms. It was not an appeal to Nationalist supporters but to nationalists in the true sense of the word.
It was an event that showed the changing face of the Nationalist Party. Democratic Party leader Marlene Farrugia was there in a red top, a throwback to her Labour roots, a party she left because she felt betrayed. There was entrepreneur Ivan Bartolo who, speaking just before Dr Busuttil, said he was prepared to put up with much but not with being muzzled.
Something changed that day Economy Minister Chris Cardona asked the court to freeze money in the bank accounts of blogger Daphne Caruana Galizia over a libel case. It was no longer about an alleged rendezvous in a brothel in Germany where Dr Cardona was on government business and which he denies. It was an assault on freedom of speech and this has changed the game because it involves a fundamental human right.
Beyond the unrelenting tirade of reports of abuse of power and corruption under this government, to which some people are clearly prepared to close an eye, Dr Cardona’s move was a grave assault on freedom of expression. It was a warning shot to whoever is willing to speak up and criticise the government.
Dr Cardona crossed a red line and Prime Minister Joseph Muscat did not stop him and that has changed everything. It is like back to the 1980s, with some differences. There are no thugs from Żejtun to terrorise the island. The intimidation is now subtler, but the fear is there, a reality acknowledged by Dr Busuttil. People are still afraid to speak up, they just do not have bloodied noses.
The 1980s, under Labour, were marked by economic stagnation. It was partly a reaction to the obscene electoral result of 1981, which saw Labour governing in defiance of the absolute majority of voters. With democracy snubbed in such an absolute way, people snubbed the government back. When Labour assaulted Church schools, it only met defiance. People stood for what they believed in and ignored the intimidation.
At the moment, the economy is in overload and it is the Labour Party’s saving grace. But will it be enough to pull it through the next election? Many think it is.
Dr Busuttil sees the protection of democracy and the threat to human rights as the Nationalist Party’s raison d’être, all over again. He insists it is no exaggeration and that the threat is real. But will this sell?
He is up against a Labour Party that has won with a landslide victory after successive Nationalist governments left more than a few people with bruises still hurting. He is up against a party that was financially strong and has become financially stronger. He is up against people with a lot to lose and that could make the situation dangerous.
Time and again, the people of this country have proved their worth, stood by their principles and would not be bought. It is unclear if people today feel the threat to democracy in the same way as Dr Busuttil. He says it is a new cause to fight for and plans a protest on Sunday.
Last Sunday may have been the dawn of the new Nationalist, who is slightly more leftist, quite liberal but who still puts the country, human rights, values, social justice and the environment above all else.