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In a wide-ranging interview former PN Secretary General Victor Ragonesi applies a coherent “true Nationalist” ideology to various issues ranging from the European Constitution to the Qui-Si-Sana car park. Ragonesi does not mince his words in demanding an explanation from the PN’s secretary general, Joe Saliba for the Zejtun and Marsa strategy 
Victor Ragonesi treasures two of George Borg Olivier’s maxims. “We fear nobody but God” and “The more we stay in power the more humble and modest we should become”.
The relevance of these maxims for the Nationalist Party strikes me, but the first thing I note in Victor Ragonesi’s stuffy office is a plaque with “ex secretary general PN” written on it. Talking to the octogenarian former secretary general of the Nationalist Party is like talking to a historical oracle. Yet Ragonesi does not give the impression of being caught in a time warp. He still lives in the present.
Recently in an article Ragonesi urged “all those who really have the Nationalist spirit” to stand up and be counted. I have always been puzzled by what makes so many different and contrasting people Nationalists. What is the ‘Nationalist spirit’ for Ragonesi? What makes a politician a Nationalist?
“A politician is a Nationalist when he takes decisions in his country’s interest without giving consideration to personal interests or the sectoral interests of the party. That was what Fortunato Mizzi preached and the PN has always remained loyal to his principles, putting the country’s interest first.”
Ragonesi, it seems, is still visibly hurt when speaking about the PN’s withdrawal from Zejtun and Marsa.
“The party was never a cowardly one, the party never took flight in the face of adversity. We always faced elections even in the worst circumstances. If we were afraid we would not have contested the 1947 election. At that time I was in charge of the party’s newspaper.
“I remember that back then people used to spit in the face of anyone strolling in Kingsway with the party’s badge attached to his suit. We were even attacked by Labour thugs during a meeting in Casal Poala while Nerik Mizzi was speaking.” According to Ragonesi, internal criticism “is the best thing to happen to a political party because nobody is perfect. Whoever makes a mistake should admit and apologise.”
Should the PN apologise for the Zejtun and Marsa withdrawal? “No we should not apologise but the party still owes us an explanation. The explanations offered so far were not satisfactory. Should the PN’s secretary general assume responsibility for the party’s defeat in the recent elections? “Of course, definitely. He should explain why this happened and not invent excuses. After a serious and full examination of the reason for this defeat we should all try to improve things. If there is someone there who is unable to improve things he should leave.” Should the PN’s secretary general resign? “Yes. If he is unable to find an alternative that is acceptable and approved by the whole executive.”
I ask Ragonesi about feedback he received on the day his article criticising the PN’s decision was published. “So many people stopped to talk to me that I wished that I had stayed at home. I received phone calls till 11 o’clock. I wished there was somebody who expressed disagreement with what I had written. I am not perfect. But not even one single person told me that I was not doing the right thing.” Did anyone from the party contact Ragonesi at least to understand his motivations? “Nobody from the party contacted me to see the reasons behind my criticism. I only criticised the party’s decision because I wanted to help the party.”
Ragonesi does not blame the king for the PN’s woes. He blames the people around him.
How do you interpret the PN’s defeat in local elections?
“I think that the PN government has a lot of problems. The Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi inherited a government full of problems. Gonzi is doing his best. He cannot do miracles. Unfortunately Gonzi has not enough persons around him who can help him. I am sure that Gonzi entered the political field to be of service to his country and not for a political career.”
I point out to Ragonesi that the PN might have a problem because it lacks a battle cry. In the 1960s the PN’s battle cry was independence. In the 1970s and 1980s it carried the banner of democracy. In recent years the battle cry was Europe.
“The party’s battle cry should be that of improving the living standards of the Maltese people. I am sure that this is also Lawrence Gonzi’s battle cry. We should stand up to be counted in the world around us. We are not afraid of the challenges posed by globalisation.”
Although Ragonesi welcomes the challenges posed by globalisation, deep in his heart he remains a “Nationalist” in the wider sense of the word. “The salient moment of my life was independence. In 1962 after winning the general election, Borg Olivier asked me to leave everything in order to accompany him in the negotiations leading to Malta’s independence. I hesitantly accepted. I accompanied Borg Olivier in all the negotiations. Once he left me there alone for three months dealing with the British on my own.
“The greatest difficulty in those negotiations was that the British used to put their interests before those of Malta. I used to tell them that I could not blame them for putting their country’s interests first and foremost but they could not blame us for doing the same.”
Was the decision to join the European Union a wise one? “I was always in favour of joining the EU. Nobody can survive alone in a globalised world. How can an island of 400,000 people remain alone when even the USA has joined Mexico and Canada.
“Yet I have always insisted that regarding certain fundamental principles only the Maltese should decide. In certain matters nobody should interfere.”
What about the European Constitution? “It is too cumbersome, it does not make sense. One cannot have a Constitution of 360 pages. There is no similar Constitution in the world and some of its clauses make no sense.” Do you agree with a referendum on the constitution, I ask Ragonesi. “If the opposition agrees with the Constitution, a referendum does not make sense as the people have already expressed themselves twice.”
Ragonesi is also an exponent of economic nationalism. “I don’t want to see the majority of banks in Malta in the hands of foreigners as they will be able to dictate monetary policies which only serve their interests. I don’t blame them for doing so as everyone seeks to defend his own interest. The Bank of Valletta should remain in Maltese hands. If necessary the government should enact laws to protect the national interest.”
Ragonesi is also very wary of Malta rushing in to the Eurozone “We should be extremely cautious in adopting the euro. We should only adopt it if we conclude that its in our national interest to do so and if we do so we should take all the necessary precautions to safeguard the country from the negative consequences associated with the Euro.
“Look at what happened in Italy, the cost of living went up, wages had to go up and the country became less competitive. Many Italians nowadays regret adopting the euro. Blair is right in saying that in his country’s best interest it is wiser not to adopt the euro at the moment.”
Ragonesi’s brand of nationalism is also sensitive to the concerns of residents. “I don’t agree with those criticising Marsaskala residents for defending their rights. The Labour deputies defending the residents are doing the right thing. If the residents’ rights are being prejudiced they have every right to seek the assistance of their representatives in parliament. Ragonesi regrets that Nationalist MPs elected in Sliema have not shown the same interest in their constituents’ grievances. “The residents of Qui-Si-Sana, most of them Nationalists, are opposing the development of a car park. Nationalist MPs elected from Sliema are not defending those residents. It is positive that the Sliema local council is defending them. If the residents’ case is not justified, the MP’s should explain this to the residents themselves. They should not remain silent”. But are the residents’ grievances justified? “Yes, I think so as the rights of residents should be given priority over the rights of those who would only be using parking spaces temporarily.”
I leave Ragonesi’s office with a clearer idea of what a “true Nationalist” is like. I also leave with a feeling that a new breed is replacing this species, a breed which sometimes for the right, but mostly for the wrong reasons, does not care at all about what constitutes the “Nationalist spirit.”
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