There is nothing remarkable with exchanging gifts at Christmas time... unless it happens on prime time television and the protagonists are the country’s political leaders. That is bound to get the attention of the press. But it didn’t. A shame, really for that gift exchange said a lot about the current political situation, and what lies ahead.
On Xarabank, Adrian Delia gave Joseph Muscat a cookery book. Muscat gave Delia a bold red tie.
But it was the cookery book which won the day. It caught the Prime Minister by surprise – it was written all over his face. Admittedly, he retorted with a clever, "I shall now choose two recipes, and cook Delia, and myself dinner".
The red tie gift to the Nationalist Party leader - well that was boring, and predictable. Admittedly, it is surprising, and out of character coming from the man who has demonstrated, time and again, to be a political maverick. Muscat’s ability to think outside the box was a determining factor of his political success.
Many a times, he caught his political rivals by surprise. Muscat is a far cry from his predecessors. He leaves nothing to chance. Every political move is calculated and publicised through clever PR stunts.
But shall I say, was? For on Xarabank, Muscat was clearly outdone by the new kid on the block – Adrian Delia. Their exchange of gifts was screamingly obvious that, this time round, Muscat was beaten at his own game.
For months now, the Prime Minister harped on the need for the country to ‘come together’. Delia spoke about that too – but what he did on Xarabank demonstrated that he is now the one who’s thinking outside the box. And he did it through a cookery book – accompanied by a letter which said, in not so many words, that food brings people together.
This explains why Muscat’s choice of a bold, red tie to Delia was a silly idea; clearly outdated and dead boring. Delia cleverly retorted that he’ll find the occasion to wear it during the Christmas period; and then seemed to struggle (perhaps, on purpose) to read his counterpart’s hand-written letter.
The letter, from what I gathered, said that the Prime Minister was giving his counterpart a red tie because the latter used a red tie for his official Nationalist Party leader portrait. Yawn.
The lessons drawn from the Xarabank gift exchange is a clear indication of things to come. First, the new Nationalist Party leader is thinking outside the box. He could have given the Prime Minister a book about good governance – which the latter badly needs; but that would have captured no one’s attention, except Delia’s most ardent supporters, perhaps; and then it would have been boring, and predictable.
Instead, he went for a cookery book – regardless of whether he knows a thing, or two about cooking. Through that exchange – and this is only my guess, of course Delia wanted to reach out to middle-of-the-road voters who are sick to the skin of their teeth with the usual political bickering; and the growing political tension of the last months.
They want their political leaders to behave as grown up adults do: civilised, opinionated, but nice to each other – especially at Christmas time. Delia seems to know what makes people tick – understands the importance of symbolism in politics, and is clearly determined to think outside the box.
Not so Joseph Muscat. This time round, at his first outing with Delia, he failed – beaten at his own game. If the red tie idea was that of his political advisors, then Muscat is in deep trouble – for they have, clearly, stopped thinking outside the box.
Maybe after two mammoth electoral victories, they’ve become complacent – underestimating their political rivals. It reminds me how, way back in 2008, when Muscat won the Labour Party leadership, leading exponents of the Nationalist Party rejoiced at its outcome, foolishly thinking that a Muscat leadership would confine Labour to a longer time on the Opposition benches. Muscat was to prove them wrong.
If it was Muscat’s idea, then it’s either the case that he too became complacent or, aware that he’ll soon seek pastures new (pre-election, he announced that he shall not lead Labour at the 2022 polls), he’s not in the mood of thinking outside the box. Whatever is the case, Delia got the upper hand on Xarabank.
And before you accuse me of reading too much in a ‘simple exchange of gifts’, may I beg to disagree – strongly. For political leaders cannot afford to be complacent, never, not even in their choice of Christmas gifts.
Of course, Muscat has ample time to make up for it – or does he? He did say, on Xarabank, that he’s allowing himself the luxury of cooking at home. Running the country leaves you little, if any time to try new recipes; unless you’re on your way out.
In the meantime, Delia waits – hopefully he does not starve himself in anticipation, to Muscat’s invitation to an ‘exquisite dinner’, using Delia’s cookery book gift recipes, as promised by Muscat.
*Frank Psaila is a lawyer and anchors Iswed fuq l-Abjad on NET TV.