The fact that so many disaffected Labourites are returning to the Labour fold since Joseph Muscat took over the leadership of the MLP, seems to be irking PN columnists such as Mr Michael Falzon no end! This became evident in his article ‘Joseph’s Tower of Babel’ (31 August).
Michael Falzon based one of his fallacious arguments on the fact that Dr Alex Sceberras Trigona has been elected as the party’s International Secretary, while Sharon Ellul Bonici will be contesting the European Parliament elections on the MLP ticket. Because both Alex and Sharon have been publicly critical of the EU, Michael Falzon is doubtful “where that leaves the MLP’s position with regards to the EU and its relations with the European Socialists (PES)”.
If anything, the MLP under Joseph Muscat’s leadership is proving to be the natural home of all Labourites, minorities and floating voters who have had more than enough of this deceitful government... as well as those who were conned into voting GonziPN by the endless list of electoral promises, one of which (Nr 258) was described by Michael Falzon as being “a farce” and was impossible to implement.
One does not need to be in agreement with all the decisions taken by a political party in order to militate in it, as long as one accepts that the decision of the majority prevails and becomes the official position of the party. In various European governments and political parties, one finds eurosceptics or eurorealists. The British government has them. So does the British Conservative Opposition: Britain’s future government. In Italy, Berlusconi’s coalition government includes the anti-EU Lega Nord. The same can be found in France, Denmark, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Poland, and so on.
It seems that Michael Falzon is unaware of the harsh criticism that is directed at the European Union by members of various governments and political parties in Europe. Perhaps because criticism of the EU has become taboo here in Malta, we do not really have journalists and opinion formers who are ready and willing to investigate and inform their readers about their findings on what is rotten in the heart of Brussels!
What if we go across the Atlantic, to the United States of America? What did we see happening during the Democratic Party’s campaign to choose the party’s candidate for the forthcoming Presidential election on November 4? Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama sometimes criticised each other harshly, but when the time of reckoning arrived, Clinton gave her full support to Obama in order to achieve party unity.
On the other side of the political spectrum. The Republican Party nominee for the Presidential election, John McCain, chose as his running mate a fairly young mother, Sarah Palin, the governor of the State of Alaska. Her main qualification which, according to John McCain made her the ideal running mate, was her record of being a harsh critic at times of the Republican Party and the Bush administration! John McCain and his strategists considered this as a big plus rather than a minus. And they believe that Sarah Palin’s choice would be their best chance of beating Barack Obama and Joe Biden on November 4! Does this make the Republican Party a “Tower of Babel”? Of course not.
May I just remind Michael Falzon that as soon as Joseph Muscat was elected leader of the Labour Party he said that he did not want to “be surrounded by ‘Yes men’” He is putting into practise what he preached. Hence his rallying call to all those who may have drifted away from the party for one reason or another, thus giving the PN an undeserved victory by a hair’s breadth in March this year by staying away from the polls.
This is creating a dilemma for the PN strategists. They still cannot find an effective way how to dent Joseph’s surging popularity especially among younger voters. The best thing they thought can do the trick is to refer to Joseph Muscat as “Joe” rather than “Joseph”. How ludicrous!

Eddy Privitera
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