Politics over a pastizz: The likes and the yikes!

Alex Borg is only the latest politician to scale the likeability index by hobnobbing with common people eating pastizzi at Rabat’s Serkin. 

Borg posted the photo of himself accompanied by PN MP Charles Azzopardi, a former mayor of Rabat, on social media. The photo was captioned: “Coffee, two pastizzi, and a few words among friends.” 

Despite the irresistible smell and comforting crunch of the humble pastizz, the reason for Borg’s visit to Serkin, we suspect, had little to do with his love of puff pastry and milky tea in a glass. 

But Borg knows the power of the pastizz, which apart from being a symbol of Maltese fast-food cuisine, has become a way for politicians to show that they are one with the people. 

It’s a very common practice and images of politicians posing with pastizzi have even become a running joke in the MaltaToday newsroom that has been collecting the images for that unprintable office banter.  

The power of the pastizz was put on full view a few years back when then Prime Minister Joseph Muscat treated a handful of fellow EU leaders to pastizzi at Serkin. 

The occasion turned into a controversial episode that remains embedded in the Maltese psyche—Pastizzigate, if you will. 

In 2017, Muscat and his wife accompanied four European prime ministers and their partners to Serkin during an off day after a summit. The photos taken that day show the European leaders smiling and enjoying the simplicity of the Maltese pastizz in a traditional titotla. And it wasn’t just any other watering hole… it was Serkin, an iconic establishment that rich passport buyers once presented receipts from to show their “genuine links” to Malta. 

But the prime minister’s gesture did not go down well with everyone. 

Enter Ann Fenech, then president of the PN’s executive committee, who was bewildered after seeing Muscat showing the European leaders what a breakfast of champions in Malta looks like. 

In a Facebook post that might as well be included in the Maltese dictionary under the word ‘għoxxata’ (loosely translated as ‘fuckup’), Fenech took issue with Muscat’s choice of venue, calling it “common and crude.”  

The backlash she received wasn’t limited to the usual Labour trolls on social media. People from different walks of life and political beliefs came together in a rare instance of national unity to bash what they called “elitism” and “snobbery”. Her comments were construed as an insult to the ordinary way of life that valorises the pastizz, the tea in a glass and the traditional titotla like Serkin. 

The gravity of her mistake wasn’t lost on Fenech, who later apologised to those who were offended and went on to grace social media with a photo of herself enjoying a pastizz and milky tea straight from the glass at Serkin. 

Speaking to MaltaToday eight years after Pastizzigate, Fenech says that her comment was taken out of context, explaining how she felt Muscat had other venue options to take the foreign leaders out. 

Looking back, she states the episode taught her that when one is in politics, one must be extremely cautious of their words. Addressing those who may still doubt her love for pastizzi, she tells MaltaToday that “of course” she is a fan of the pastizz, so much so that when asked whether she prefers ricotta or pea pastizzi, she replies “both.” 

In the years that followed Pastizzigate, posing with pastizzi and tea has become an easy way for politicians to collect likes and boost their image as a regular person. 

Speaking to MaltaToday outside his shop, Serkin owner Kenneth Ciangura says that, from revellers stumbling their way toward the Crystal Palace Bar—its actual name—after a night out, to celebrities like strongman Eddie Hall, the shop’s walls have seen it all. 

Even during a visit to the Rabat place on a Friday morning, Serkin was serving men in suits ahead of a work day, elderly people who had gone out for some tea in the morning, and friends discussing current events and the latest football transfers. The spectrum of Maltese society was there, united by their love of the pastizz. 

Kenneth says that he is not surprised at all by the number of Maltese and foreign politicians he served at Serkin because, as he simply puts it: “Everyone comes here.” He adds with a smile that he enjoys seeing different people enjoying a pastizz. 

Easily consumed, lacks nutrition 

Trying to decipher the power of pastizzi-eating politicians, MaltaToday turned to sociologist Michael Briguglio. His analysis of this phenomenon is clear. “If posting these kinds of photos didn’t have a positive effect for politicians, they wouldn’t do it,” he tells me. It’s clear as that. 

Briguglio explains that when politicians rely solely on such photo-ops to gain popularity, it results in politics that, much like the humble pastizz, “is easily consumed but lacks nutrition.” 

He notes, however, that this phenomenon is not specific to Malta’s favourite pastry, listing politicians who post photos of themselves cooking as an example.  

Coincidentally, this trend also drew controversy throughout the years, with social media users blasting Silvio Schembri for what they called a sexist comment when he posed for the camera in the kitchen while cooking and saying that his wife “got him working overtime”. It was a faux pas.  

On the bright side, the trend gave us unforgettable pictures of politicians wearing the most unlikely kitchen attire, with Alex Agius Saliba being the most memorable example as he sported a red Tommy Hilfiger jersey while stirring a pot and smiling at the camera. 

These antics, Briguglio says, risk putting sensationalism and likeability over actual politics of substance. He notes that social media itself is partly to blame because it rewards engagement through mediums such as photos and short videos. 

On top of that, while social media can amplify one’s voice to a certain extent through access to audiences, the easy accessibility has given rise to a situation where people have a buffet of sources for information and news. Briguglio says that this leads to reputable sources such as newspapers and established authorities having to compete with conspiracy theorists and people who say what they please without evidence. 

He points to US President Donald Trump’s latest attack on paracetamol as an example of this. 

But back to the politics of pastizzi, Briguglio stresses that although posting photos of themselves sat around a table in a simple Maltese setting will get politicians likes, it is proper dialogue and discussions that truly place politicians close to the people. 

Briguglio’s reflection is a cautionary message. Getting their hands messy with the crumbs and lard of a freshly baked pastizz might propel politicians high on the likeability index but on its own it will never be enough. 

Can we have two pastizzi and a glass of milky tea now, please?