Time for a reality check

Now that all the cheering and back-slapping is over, can we get back to our lives? Now that everyone is happy with the local council results for one reason or another (or because they have interpreted the figures to suit their agenda), maybe it’s time for everyone to take a reality check.

Joseph Muscat has learnt a lot since taking over as leader of the PL and becoming PM before the age of 40, just as he had predicted (remember how everyone had guffawed at his audacity?).

The one lesson he seems to have forgotten though is how to be gracious in victory. Despite making all the right noises about being “humbled by the result”, he spoiled it yet again by taking another swipe at his adversary. No matter how tempting it must be, he really needs to try and resist this urge to take digs at his opponent every single time the PL notches up another victory.

Muscat’s snide remark goes down well with the fawning, adoring crowds, but with others it just smacks too much of smugness

“Kontent hu, kontent kulhadd” (“If he’s happy, then we’re all happy”), was Muscat’s glib response to Simon Busuttil saying that he was happy with the result. That kind of snide remark obviously goes down well with the fawning, adoring crowds, for whom Muscat can do no wrong. But with others? Not so much. It just smacks too much of smugness.

When you win with such a wide margin as Muscat has been winning in every single election, you need to take a step back and basically, get over yourself. Yes, it can all be very heady but that is precisely way you need to metaphorically give yourself a good shake and keep your feet on the ground. As they say, pride comes before a fall, and there have been many times in history where this has proven to be true.

When I heard Muscat say during his press conference that the Labour party in government was “the clear and natural choice” for the electorate, my brain screeched to a halt. Hold on a second, what? Where had I heard this before? It was not too long ago that we used to hear Gonzi making this kind of sweeping statement about the PN being “the only natural choice”, a phrase which always used to irritate me hugely.

There is such a patronising undertone when political leaders speak this way; this air of taking us all for granted, as if they are so damn sure we are always going to agree with them, and always going to vote for them, come hell or high water because they have lulled us into accepting the myth that any other alternative is unthinkable. It was, in fact, one of the many reasons why I felt back then (and still do) that it really was time for the PN to take an exit, stage right, because the party had become just too comfortable with always being voted into power no matter what.

So now for Muscat to come along and repeat this same sentiment after just two years, is not something that warms my heart at all. Oh great, I thought, it’s déjà vu all over again. When are politicians ever going to learn that they have to earn and retain our trust on a continuous basis, and never for one second assume that our vote automatically belongs to them?  In fact, rather than spending his time thinking of cutting remarks to direct to Busuttil, perhaps Muscat should sit down and reflect on why so many Labour voters didn’t vote.

Busuttil's reaction reminded me of when our national football team comes back from losing an international match, happy that the score was “only” 2-0.

As for Simon Busuttil, what can I say? He is either in complete denial or living in a world of his own entirely. I can somewhat understand his relief that it wasn’t a complete wipe-out in the council elections, and that some gains were made. But his reaction reminded me of when our national football team used to come back from losing an international match and the coach would be happy that the score was “only” 2-0. The general feeling I got from Busuttil was a sheer (almost pathetically grateful) mopping of the brow that the loss wasn’t much, much worse.

I’m not saying the PN should have been down in the dumps, because it is true that the gap between the two parties has been narrowed, but the celebrations were almost surreal. I saw Chris Said and Mario de Marco forcing themselves to be jovial in front of the One TV cameras and it was almost painful to watch. A lot of it was done, of course, to boost the morale of their own supporters but to everyone else watching it just seemed downright bizarre.

It also wasn’t a very wise choice of words by Simon to say that “Muscat is no longer invincible”, because it is never a good idea to attribute such larger-than-life qualities to your political opponent. Busuttil has basically admitted that up until Saturday’s results, he had considered Muscat invincible. That’s not something he should have ever said aloud and certainly not something he should keep repeating.

And it doesn’t help matters (for the country) that Muscat seems to believe he is invincible too.