Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1085429
11 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 24 FEBRUARY 2019 NEWS major parties, they also realise that they may have more influence in their role as coalition builders bringing to- gether Labour and Nationalist coun- cillors against mega projects than as candidates with very little chance of electoral success. Yet some may al- ways be tempted with a direct inter- vention in politics, especially if this is done through new forms of political engagement. The electoral system is what it is. The Greens have to learn working within it With little chances of the two big parties changing the electoral system, which is skewed against third parties, the Greens' only relevance in a general election is that of acting as standard- bearer of certain ideas and values. In fact, AD achieved its best results in the general election when it was ideologically coherent and radical as was the case in 2013. This is because its catchment pool in these elections is restricted to voters who do not care which of the two main parties is elected to power. Moreover, even among this category AD faces com- petition in an increasingly crowded field which includes the centrist PD and the far right. The PD did manage to elect candidates on the PN ticket but the aftermath of the last general election makes it extremely unlikely that this experience is repeated in the future. One possible alternative is in- vesting all resources in an attempt to get elected from one district. But that depends on the kind of mobilisation which requires the support of social movements and activists from out- side AD's restricted cadre of activists. Small parties should have a stronger chance of getting elected at local level and at European level where the gov- ernment of the country is not at stake. But with the exception of Cassola's near miss in 2004 voters have been reluctant to vote for third parties in MEP elections. AD has been more successful in electing candidates at lo- cal level and these have generally left a positive impact. But instead of build- ing on these success stories AD has always prioritised national elections. Change the rules of political engagement The rules of political engagement are changing on a global level. A pro- gressive outfit can explore different avenues apart from direct participa- tion in elections, including support- ing progressive candidates across the board. The advent of activist groups like Momentum in the UK and the Bernie Sanders campaign in the US have showed that grass root activism can tilt the balance in deeply bipartisan systems in favour of more progres- sive candidates. The election of Alex- andria Ocacio Cortez, a self-declared democratic socialist elected within the Democratic Party is part of this new wave of politics. Supporting pro- gressive and pro-environment candi- dates fielded by other parties, could be an option worth exploring, especially in local elections where the greens are absent from the ballot list. This may also be a more attractive option for activist groups seeking tangible changes than supporting a third party with very little chance of making it into parliament. Pale blue conservative voters have other options. Time to consider Labour voters The Democratic Party has emerged as an option for disgruntled National- ists, especially those who shun Adrian Delia. It remains to be seen whether it will be successful in this bid. For most of its existence AD which was also born as a reaction to old Labour had focused its attention on pale blue voters. But in reality, with the excep- tion of the 2004 MEP elections, dis- gruntled Nationalists found it easier to cross to Labour directly instead of parking themselves in AD. Yet with Labour becoming in its own right a big tent party holding a diversity of views, some of which in complete dis- sonance with socialist values, a new party on the left may become an at- tractive prospect for some Labour voters. This may be even more the case in MEP and local elections where the government of the country is not at stake. But to get there such a party needs a more Labour-friendly brand. Give politics a dose of progressive populism The environment and anti-corrup- tion – the two issues which AD cham- pioned since 1989, remain important. But the added value of having a Green Party is that it can propose alterna- tives. Surveys show that concern over the environment and land use issues is growing. But people have other ave- nues to express their dissent on these issues. The corruption issue has taken new relevance following panamagate, but has been largely taken up by the plethora of activist groups which came in to existence after Caruana Galizia's murder that mainly focus on Labour's corruption. Yet there is plenty of space for those who consider corruption as a symptom of an economic model dom- inated by big business interests rather than simply a symptom of Labour's moral decadence. A Green Party can offer something different in the shape of critique of the economic model and an alternative blue print for a post growth society. But this risks being seen as an academic exercise. This can only be avoided through a progressive populism which challenges the eco- nomic status quo with innovative and radical ideas on themes like the living wage, property taxes and a new green deal, which also makes a difference on bread and butter issues. For a principled progressive party offering little prospect of career advancement in the shape of political appointments, the pool of potential recruits is limited to activists who see politics as a way to bring about change