Politics needs more decency

There is a more than a hint of irony in French presidential hopeful Marine Le Pen’s angry re­sponse to a French court’s decision to ban her from running from office. The person who has consist­ently harped on the need to have tough laws that help bring order to society is suddenly moaning because the court handed down a tough sentence in her regard.

It seems, for Le Pen and her far-right European fan base, the law should be strong but not with them.

The four-year ban on running for office did not simply fall from the sky. Le Pen and other func­tionaries from her political party were found guilty by a French court of embezzling EU funds. European taxpayer money that was meant to be paid to aides of MEPs was diverted to party cof­fers. Had this been anyone else, Le Pen would be on the forefront calling for a sick system to be fixed and for the justice system to come down heavily on abusers.

But alas, when the guns are suddenly pointed towards her, Le Pen argues the justice system is sick. The truth is she still has the right to appeal the ruling.

It reminds us of a not-too-distant episode in Malta when Prime Minister Robert Abela ac­cused a magistrate of “political terrorism” for passing on the findings of a magisterial inquiry on the eve of an election campaign. The irony is that the very same person then goes on making forceful arguments that he will defend members of the judiciary tooth and nail from attacks di­rected towards them by whom he defines as ‘ex­tremists’.

Nonetheless, Le Pen’s reaction is symptomatic of a wider malaise in politics that finds its cul­mination in US President Donald Trump and his histrionics. Politics is being emptied of the com­mon decency required to ensure the tenets of re­spect and justice are safeguarded for all.

This is not just a question of illegal behaviour. Political decisions carry much more weight than what is legally right or wrong, even though this is also being put into question at times. Sometimes it is just about being decent; doing the correct thing.

When the Nationalist Party’s online news plat­form decides to omit any reference to the word ‘freedom’ in its rapportage of Freedom Day, in­stead calling it the ’31 March feast’, it is not wrong but indecent. Why engage in this infantile game of ‘our feast’ and ‘your feast’ when the truth is that Malta’s road to political, social and eco­nomic self-determination was a peaceful evolu­tion that started with Independence in 1964 and culminated in the departure of the British forces in 1979?

When Byron Camilleri opts to stay on as min­ister after drugs were stolen from an army bar­racks, it is not something that is wrong or illegal but it lacks decency. Why not shoulder political responsibility, at least until an administrative in­quiry determines all the facts?

When Karol Aquilina stands up in parliament and accuses the Speaker of being unable to think, it is not illegal but indecent. Why express opposi­tion to a ruling in such denigratory language that foments hate?

When the Prime Minister admits that he has had lunch with Joseph Muscat and is in constant contact with him, it is not illegal, but very inde­cent given that the latter is facing serious crimi­nal proceedings. Why give the impression that all is OK when there is nothing normal about having a former prime minister and several other former government functionaries being charged with corruption?

When Adrian Delia asked parliamentary ques­tions about a public tender without disclosing that he is representing a client contesting the outcome of the procurement process, he did not breach parliament’s code of ethics but it was in­decent.

Shouldn’t MPs be transparent about all their private dealings, especially when they are using their parliamentary platform to query issues in which they may have a financial interest?

Mainstream politicians would do well to com­bat the far-right onslaught on law, order, justice, equality and social harmony by injecting a strong dose of decency in politics. Doing the right thing may be wrongly perceived as weakness. In truth it is liberating.