The Roberta Metsola let down

Whenever people stopped me and told me Roberta Metsola would never abandon Brussels to lead the PN because she loves the money and trappings of power, I argued against their suggestion.

I opined that she had political ambitions and saw the validity of leading the PN with a view of becoming prime minister. 

Others would argue that even if she did not climb further up the political ladder in the EU, she would enter the private sector like her husband and continue to make big money. Again, I objected to this characterisation, describing it as a very superficial observation. 

Others went even further, suggesting that if she had to enter the local political arena she would not be able to take heat. I naively shot all three innuendoes down without thinking twice.

Fast forward to last Tuesday when Bernard Grech announced his resignation and what followed was a shitfest with Roberta Metsola and Adrian Delia as the main actors.

It started with MaltaToday’s survey that showed Grech was leading a party with a 39,000-vote deficit when compared to its nemesis, the Labour Party. Grech left two days later.

It was his bravest decision and his statements following the resignation were unequivocal and directed towards Metsola. Grech told her to walk the walk and save the party and the country.

Her decision to stay put let Ray Bezzina, Grech’s right hand man to pen an article in MaltaToday saying: “I was in the room when Bernard asked Roberta to contest the next election as a PN candidate, and no reply was forthcoming. I personally repeatedly engaged with one of her closest aides to inform them that Bernard was ready to perform the ultimate sacrifice, since it was evident that momentum had been built around her prospective candidacy and that she could be in a better position to lead the PN forward at this juncture.  Even there, ambiguity reigned supreme, and no clear reply was forthcoming.”

Metsola has always been publicly evasive about giving up her Brussels job. But in her mind, it transpires, she was always decided that she will stay.

She finally said this in clear terms on Saturday morning, after a Facebook declaration by Adrian Delia that sounded more like a badly written speech.

Her official version is that she will not abandon Brussels at this critical juncture for Europe. But believe me the only thing you abandon in Brussels right now, is Palestinian bashing, treating migrants like rats, appeasing the extreme right, wondering how to deal with Donald Trump and posing with Zelenskyy. More importantly, it has to be remembered that Roberta Metsola also sees her job from a monetary perspective. Her monthly salary without perks is over €21,000 and that does not include the fact that she is also married to one of the best paid top executives in the cruise industry.

So yes, I was probably very wrong when I said or believed that she was not in it for the money. I take that back. Metsola has of course angered many of her voters and I look forward to seeing how this whole episode will reflect on her electoral support. I am curious to see how the Sliema crowd that regurgitate when they hear the world Delia will respond when Metsola comes knocking on their door in some of her well-greased events paid for by EU funds.

Metsola wanted of course to have the cake and eat it. So, she came out with one of the most bizarre marriages of convenience proposals. She would be some president of sorts of the PN and the leader of opposition would be Adrian Delia. In short, she would be in Brussels eating waffles and Delia would be here in Malta leading the charge in his inimitable style.

Delia has already led the cavalry straight into one ambush and then another ambush during his political leadership. He may be popular as a parliamentarian but on a national level, he has been tried and tested. Someone who was your coach and contributed to relegating your team from 2nd division to 5th division, never gets the chance to serve as coach again. But Metsola saw it different.

If Daphne Caruana Galizia were alive, she would be up scribbling until the early hours of the morning, spouting all sort of commentary about this Metsola/Delia pact. It would not have been very nice.

Adrian Delia denies entertaining this idea, but all the people who have talked to me tell me a very different story. What I do know for sure, is that the Metsola ‘plan’ was shot down by most of the people she talked to, including those who thought she was Malta’s saviour. And that included a plethora of PN parliamentarians who saw her as their only saviour.

The Labour Party top brass were tucking into their popcorn and watching this shit show develop over the last few days.

Delia who is tolerated but not loved in the party did believe that he would and could be the saviour of the PN. But the level of revulsion for his return knows no bounds.

Metsola in the meantime underlined the importance of her job in Brussels. From where I stand it very much looks like being apologetic to the Israeli ‘hobby’ of killing women and children and believing that since their ancestors were the victims of genocide, they can exact the same measure of cruelty to their adversaries or threats.

The one thing that is certain now is that the PN leadership has a vacancy and it is abundantly clear that one of the leading contenders in Alex Borg, a 29-year-old lawyer who is very much loved in Gozo.

But love alone will not make you into a good and efficient leader and if Borg is going to be the leader or ‘kap’ then he will need to start realising the implications of his decision.

As things stand, I have little more to add other than that my feeling is that Metsola may have committed her biggest mistake ever in politics. The PN may be entering into a new phase, which could uplift it or send it spiralling down like the houses in Paceville.