The two Nationalist Party candidates elected in Saturday’s European elections were often the target of harsh Labour criticism. They were accused of damaging their country and putting partisan interests before the common good because of the stand they adopted with regard to governance and the rule of law in Malta.
Roberta Metsola polled 38,206 first count votes and her colleague, David Casa, won 20,493 first count votes, notwithstanding the serious drug-related allegations made in his regard, which he “categorically and unreservedly” denied.
There must have been valid reasons why the two candidates, considered ‘demons’ by one side of the political divide, were the chosen ‘angels’ of almost 59,000 voters. Two come readily to mind: recognition of their sustained campaign in Brussels and Strasbourg institutions to highlight the rot of the rule of law under Joseph Muscat’s administration and a form of protest vote against Nationalist Party leader Adrian Delia.
Dr Metsola and Mr Casa were not Dr Delia’s preferred candidates and party supporters wanting to use their vote to express their disagreement – disdain would be a better term – with the way the PN is being run had three options to express it.
They could either vote for candidates belonging to other parties or independent ones, not vote at all or go for those within their party who were not known to be too close to the beleaguered leader.
Dr Delia may choose to ignore the significance of the MEP elections result – we will have to wait until Friday to know what happened in the case of local councils – and not to give weight to the very clear signals being sent. He does so at his own peril though, in this case, he would not only be also doing untold harm to the PN but, more so, to the country and democracy, which need to have a well-functioning Opposition to thrive.
Striving to give the impression it is business as usual and expecting party supporters to be grateful to him only because the PN did not fare worse is both an admission of utter failure and an insult to the electorate, especially those who voted for PN candidates.
But the re-election of Dr Metsola and Mr Casa is also a mandate for them to continue with their work within EU structures, notably the European Parliament. For many, certainly those who voted for them, they are worthy of their role rather than being enemies of the people, as they have repeatedly been branded by the government, the Labour Party, many of its exponents and other quarters too. Those who voted for them rightly argued that conveying the fears and concerns of a good chunk of the Maltese population about the way supposedly independent and autonomous institutions are functioning – or not functioning – is not harming Malta’s interests but, on the contrary, trying to ensure the rule of law, justice and good governance prevail.
This message had to be taken beyond Malta’s shores because the powers-that-be remained idle and toothless in the face of clear cases of wrongdoing and crime. They were not even willing to investigate to establish the truth but simply opted to look the other way.
Dr Metsola and Mr Casa may be demons for wrongdoers and those who fail in their constitutional duties but angels for law-abiding citizens.
This is a Times of Malta print editorial