There could still be more upsetting revelations before next Saturday, swinging some straggling voters one way or another. But overall the mood is set. Whichever way you look at it, the story of this election is corruption.

The outcome is still in the air but it is certain that if Joseph Muscat is elected for another five years, this story of corruption will just continue. More chapters, or even volumes, of the same narrative will be written, on and on. More deals will be struck, and more suspicions of corruption will arise.

The mood is so sceptical about the modus operandi of this government, that no deal by this Castille clique will ever seem clean again.

Like so many others, the Federation of Estate Agents has just added their voice to the pack and called for good governance practices to be restored. They rightly noted that the perception of corruption is enough to make Malta an easy target for competitors.

The mood is so sceptical about the modus operandi of this government, that no deal by this Castille clique will ever seem clean again.

Joseph Muscat keeps on calling for proof – but people also understand the importance of reputation, ensuring that the country has the right image to be able to prosper, to attract investment and to inspire confidence.

Muscat is quite mistaken if he imagines that winning the election will change the perception of corruption within his political clique. The story has moved on far enough that an inconclusive inquiry or two will not end it either.

The corruption story is rolling and it will be very hard for Muscat to stop it, even if he wins the election.

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