Opinion • November 23 2003

Shifting sands

Change is the name of the game and Kurt Sansone concludes that he likes what he sees in the Labour Party

The Labour Party never ceases to amaze. It remains fertile ground for interesting political stories.
After electing new people in all posts but the leadership position, which I still contend is a major drawback, and overcoming the hurdle poised by Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici, the party is now trying to heal the wounds created by the recent selection of its Euro-election candidates.
Maybe the EU issue will continue to be a thorn in Labour’s side, even if a somewhat blunt one, for some time to come.
This endless internal conflict seems to be an affliction that all parties on the left of the political spectrum suffer from.
A cursory look at the Italian scene gives ample credence to the argument. For years now, Italy’s centre-left has tried forming a united block to offer Berlusconi and his allies a credible challenge.
Ever since the defection of Bertinotti’s communists brought down Romano Prodi’s governing Olive tree coalition in the late nineties, the centre–left has been wrought with bickering and disagreement.
A new proposal floated by Romano Prodi to present a united list for the European Parliament elections next year has failed to convince the whole spectrum of the left. The proposal enjoys the support of the two major parties, the Democrats of the Left (former communist party turned social democrats) and Francesco Rutelli’s centrist Margherita. But the Greens and the communists are still doubtful.
Lest I should kid myself, the governing centre-right coalition is not exactly a blooming unitary coalition. But Berlusconi with his charisma and influence has managed to round off the edges and keep together a maverick like Bossi and a devout Christian Democrat like Buttiglione.
Although in the wider democratic sense debate and clashes of ideas are healthy, constant bickering is a sign of weakness. Being in opposition has its merits but it is not enough if a political party wants to actualise its ideals and proposals.
Back in Malta, the Labour Party must work to win over the hearts and minds of those on the political left and those who occupy the middle ground, which has been vacated for too long for the Nationalist Party to have a field day.
The new faces at the helm of the party have injected a positive sense of change, but people alone are not enough to create a new perception of the party among the electorate.
Labour has to steer diligently by drafting policies that cater for the needs, aspirations and fears of the electorate in five to 10 years time. It has to be a futuristic exercise grounded in reality. Drafting policies for the short term may be counter productive because what may seem to be a problem today may not be perceived so in five years time, when elections are due.
The time in opposition has to be used fruitfully and Labour must criticise government on the key policy areas where delivery and administration are weak, but it must also support change in other areas where political consensus is required in the national interest.
And Labour must not trudge the road on its own. It must seek social and political alliances with organisations that have been alienated from it because of the EU issue.
It will take strong leadership, charisma and moderation to reach out beyond the traditional core. As to whether Alfred Sant has those qualities, I am not convinced. The man has burnt too many bridges with his at-times hysterical behaviour. And he has become too predictable for the Nationalist media. The hawks at NET know his weaknesses and manage to exploit them with clinical precision, blowing them up to enormous proportions. It might be unfair, but the guys and gals at Pieta are doing their job, something, which Super One has failed to counter.
Labour does have the energy to confront the challenges ahead, but it must not cease to change. The next few years can be exciting times for the centre-left in Malta and hopefully us journalists will be given a reprieve from focussing on the internal squabbles that have strained the Labour Party for too long.
Till now, I like what I’ve seen happening in Labour but only time will tell whether the process of change is more than a skin deep exercise in cosmetics.