News • 02 March 2003

J’accuse

There is no room for Alfred Sant’s politics, Saviour Balzan writes

Next week we will know whether the Maltese have chosen the path that will regale us with a future to look forward to or the route that will take all us back to uncertainty and mediocrity.

It is a shame that the 2003 ‘no’ campaign is captained by the Labour party; a political grouping that today stands to the right of politics.

Those who continue to support the MLP are driven by nostalgia rather than ideology.

The Labour party stands on the wrong side of the divide because of one man. Dr Alfred Sant has made it his mission to embark on a campaign that attempts to portray membership as a dead end. One that will turn out to be hardship and disaster for Malta’s economy.

In his campaign he has offered an alternative to membership. That option has turned out to be an unqualified hotchpotch called ‘partnership.’

Very much in the same vein of the Mintoffian years, Alfred Sant has cooked up an original recipe – which replaces his former Swiss in the Med, its flavours are bland, its ingredients expensive and difficult to blend.

Alfred Sant has lashed out at the ‘yes’ campaign basing his tactics on scare machinations

In 1996, Sant successfully moved his party and its followers to the right of the political spectrum, away from the populist politics of Mintoff, autarky and the violence and awfulness of Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici.

Stripping tax reforms, cutting down on public expenditure and promising draconian measures to cut government subsidies he rolled on for 21 months.

When he lost the support from the militant core within the party, he fumbled and stuttered until he ensured him own dethronement. But he stayed on as Labour leader.

Now he believes he can win back the lost sheep by opposing Europe.

Before 1996 Sant appeared reasonable if not attractive to the middle class and moderates, but since his electoral defeat, his obstinate nature has ensured that he has lost touch with the middle ground and with it, the middle class.

Dr Sant is a vociferous scare-monger with a gut hatred for European Union accession. Why, only time will tell.

The only pointer, as some people will remember, were the statements made by Sant after he was comprehensively beaten at the polls in 1998.

Sant declared that, from then on, Labour would not be co-operative in Opposition.

Dr Sant has shed constant doubts about the value of European membership.

He has delivered a misinformation campaign in a relentless and shameful way.

He has falsely informed us that the cost of living will increase based on reports cooked up by anonymous individuals, or so say he says.

He has lied about overtime, declaring that overtime will come to an end with EU membership. And he has said that the pensionable age will change.

He has exaggerated about the invasion of foreigners and foreign students at university and about property that will be sold to foreigners.

He has lied about tax harmonisation, stating, in the past, that VAT will increase to 25%.

He has continued to insist that the Lm81 million from the EU will not be available or utilised.

He has worked on the fears of people, trading silly remarks about missiles passing over our bastions in the event of war.

He has described those who have voiced a pro-European stance as mercenaries.

He has declared that our economy will go to the dogs.

What he has not said is what will happen if Malta opts to stay out.

Surely he knows that missing out on Europe now will make Malta the laughing stock of Europe. He knows that we will send the wrong message to potential investors and shock waves to those who have invested in Malta.

He has taken his party to the cliff’s edge, followed by a regiment of ‘yes’ men who have put him before party direction.

The uglier part of Dr Sant’s politics is his declaration that the referendum is a farce (fazul) and his subsequent refusal (a game) to state that he will interpret the result of the referendum when the result is known on March 9.

Dr Sant’s position is opportunistically vile.

It is rather obvious that Dr Sant plans to manipulate the referendum result.

Using it to his advantage if necessary.

In the run up to the referendum, Alfred Sant has declared that he will only respect an election outcome. Which follows that we should expect him to say nothing on March 9.

But he will do nothing of the sort.

If the referendum result is a clear ‘no’ then there is no beating round the bush, Dr Fenech Adami should resign. If, on the other hand, the Maltese public send an overwhelming message for Europe, Dr Alfred Sant should climb down, call it a day.

The indications are that he will do no such thing.

He will argue that the ‘yes’ campaign was put at an advantage with injections of unfair money and that the referendum cannot be taken seriously.

The number of billboards against EU membership on our streets should be enough evidence that the argument of democratic deficit does not hold water.

Once again, Dr Sant’s train of thought should not be tolerated, it is an affront to the rule of democracy and to the stature of his party.

March 8 is the time for change. And it is not just Malta’s future which is at stake, but that of the Malta Labour Party.