Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1122313
7 NEWS maltatoday | MONDAY • 27 MAY 2019 in local communities. Mus- cat's strong reaction and commitment towards inte- gration in the wake of the racially motivated murder of Lassana Cisse Souley- mane suggests a willingness to confront the problem. In the absence of such a concerted effort and in the context of a very weak Nationalist opposition, the growth of the far right may become a permanent fix- ture in Maltese politics. If this happens, this is bound to further condition the discourse of the established parties. So far support for the far right has been limit- ed to MEP elections. In fact while support for Lowell in MEP elections has grown from 0.7% in 2004, to 1.5% in 2009, to 2.7% in 2014 and more than 4% now. But in general elections these vot- ers have always returned to the fold of the major par- ties. But will this be the case in the future or will to- day's success give traction to the far right? Cami Appelgren gets more votes than party leader Environmental campaign- er Cami Appelgren, who became a household name thanks to her organisation of clean-ups, emerges from these elections as the PD's leading candidate with more than 3,600 votes. Ap- pelgren had been singled out by conservatives for ex- pressing pro-choice views and objecting to a party commitment in favour of the entrenchment of the abortion ban in the consti- tution. This suggests that PD voters have indicated a clear preference for more socially liberal views. But the election has ex- posed the stark reality that the two sitting PD MPs owe their seats to the party's 2017 alliance with the PN. In fact Godfrey Farrugia, who was elected to parlia- ment in alliance with the PN in 2017, only managed to get approximately 2,000 votes in these elections. The PD's 2% score in these elections may be a clearer indication of the party's strength on the first occa- sion in which it is running on its own steam. Moreo- ver the party's strategy to attract PN voters disgrun- tled by Delia may have backfired, as this category ultimately chose either to abstain, vote Cassola or to still vote for PN candidates. Greens fail to capitalise on environmental concerns With its two candidates getting around 2,000 votes AD failed to leave a mark in these elections. This result reflects its failure to regis- ter on the voters' radar. Sig- nificantly it failed to capi- talise on growing concerns on environmental issues. This either suggests that may have found other out- lets to vent their anger on these issues, through com- munity-based campaigns spearheaded by NGOs and resident networks. In fact crowdfunded ap- peals against the approval of mega-projects in Mistra and Pembroke are an indi- cation of growing commit- ment for environmental causes. But this growing concern was not reflected in a willingness to defy the duopoly by voting for the Greens. Yet this discontentment was indeed partly captured by the PD's Cami Appelgren and independent candida- ture of Arnold Cassola who garnered some 2,500 votes. Together, Appelgreen, Cassola, Carmel Cacopardo and Mina Tolu account for nearly 7,500 votes which is very near AD's result in the 2014 MEP elections. It may also be the case that core AD voters remained loyal to the party's former leader and founder, who has con- tested every MEP election since 2004 when he was close to being elected. AD's progressive appeal may also be hitting a brick wall simply because Labour is perceived to be in a bet- ter position to deliver on these issues. Moreover the party failed to send a strik- ing message on any issue apart from environmental protection and a willing- ness to discuss abortion, an issue which cost it one of its candidates who went to contest alone. Moreover even pro- choice voters may consider that Labour, although com- mitted against the intro- duction of abortion, offers a more realistic prospect for such a debate to take place. Truly AD did not even offer a challenge in these elections, focusing its very limited resources on lo- cal elections than on MEP elections held on the same day. The results of these election may well give a better indication on the party's future. balance shifts to the right Lowell's far right vote in MEP elections Vote count % of % of total vote third party vote 2004 1,603 0.7 6.3 2009 3,637 1.5 31.1 2014 6,761 2.7 40.7 2019 9,000-10,000 4-5% 38-42 In the absence of such a concerted effort and in the context of a very weak Nationalist opposition, the growth of the far right may become a permanent fixture in Maltese politics