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18 maltatoday EXECUTIVE EDITOR Matthew Vella MANAGING EDITOR Saviour Balzan Letters to the Editor, MaltaToday, Vjal ir-Rihan, San Gwann SGN 9016 E-mail: dailynews@mediatoday.com.mt Letters must be concise, no pen names accepted, include full name and address maltatoday | SUNDAY • 2 JUNE 2019 1 June, 2009 Pullicino Orlando fires broadside at Busuttil NATIONALIST MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando hit back at MEP Simon Busuttil's comment that a party he organised last Saturday on his land in Mistra – the controversial site that nearly cost the PN the elections in 2008 – had been "in bad taste". "It is the epitome of bad taste, and bad form, to unjustly criticise a colleague who is sim- ply exercising his right to legitimately use his property," Pullicino Orlando said when asked by MaltaToday to comment on Busuttil's suc- cinct observation, carried in an interview in yesterday's edition. Some 600 guests attended Pullicino Or- lando's party in honour of MEP candidate Alex Perici Calascione on Saturday night. But Perici Calascione himself was not among them, after being hospitalised for a minor ailment. The property in question had been the scan- dal of the 2008 general election when Labour leader Alfred Sant revealed in the final TVM debate that Pullicino Orlando was about to lease the area to be used as an open-air disco. Pullicino Orlando has been in defiance mode ever since, and on Saturday morning he put in an appearance at a press conference by Altern- attiva Demokratika – who protested the issue of a permit for the party – by standing on his land behind the boundary wall, sipping from a cup of tea. Yesterday, the outspoken backbencher was clear in his appraisal of Busuttil's opinion: "It is in even greater bad taste when the criticism is levelled by someone who, by his own admis- sion, puts his personal interests before those of his party." He was referring to Busuttil's refusal to ac- cept the post of PN secretary-general when asked by Lawrence Gonzi. "I refuse to be judged by others whose primary concerns when it comes to their political involvement are manifested by their behaviour. Dr Busuttil himself admitted publicly, a few months ago, that he snubbed our Prime Minister, Dr Law- rence Gonzi, when he offered him the post of secretary-general and chose instead to retain the lucrative position of MEP." Pullicino Orlando, who has been distanced from the party since 2008's events, and has meanwhile taken bold stands on immigration and the controversial Cathedral project in Val- letta, said he was "proud to consider myself a loyal footsoldier of the Nationalist Party." "My main political concern over the 30 odd years I have been serving my party, first in the youth section of MZPN, then as a local coun- cillor and, for the past 13 years, as a backbench MP has been to give my contribution to my party, my constituents and my country to the best of my ability." MaltaToday 10 years ago Quote of the Week Good intentions are not enough Editorial "The PN must make its changes. We must not be arrogant… we do not have a God-given right to govern" Opposition leader Adrian Delia on Dissett on TVM LAST weekend's election was a European elec- tion – though it may not always have looked that way – and as such, the results must also be seen in the context of shifting political patterns across the other 27 member states. Despite variations in several countries, results from the rest of Europe yielded dis- tinctive patterns. Almost everywhere, main- stream parties suffered. Contrary to expecta- tion, however, it was not just the far-right that benefitted from the fall-out. The Liberal Democrats made substantial gains, as – to a lesser extent – did the European Greens. The far-right, on the other hand, registered successes in specific countries; but this mo- mentum was not replicated across the board. This stands in stark contrast with Malta, where the mainstream parties performed entirely as expected: the Labour Party (unlike many of its socialist counterparts in Europe) improving on its nationwide majority; and the PN suffering a heavy defeat, for reasons that cannot realistically be compared to the same forces that cost the EPP support else- where. Clearly, this was not a case of disillusion- ment with mainstream parties (in which case, Labour would have suffered, too). The dy- namics at work are considerably different. But it is the performance of smaller parties that differs most drastically. Norman Low- ell's far-right Imperium Europa improved on its vote count – though not perhaps by as much as anticipated – while those parties that should be providing a decent critique of mainstream and centrist politics, can all be seen to have floundered. A proper post-election analysis would have to take these factors into account. In part, the failure of both AD and PD may be down to the message itself: to stand on the fringes of the mainstream, without the ideological muscle to hit out at the mainstream, can only weaken these parties. Nor did it help that the PD, in particular, sent mixed messages about its own identity: trying to be 'liberal with the liberals', and 'conservative with the conserva- tives'. Conversely, the far-right – despite the ugli- ness of its message – poses a direct affront to the establishment politics by offering a simple, uncomplicated message to blame the 'other' – usually asylum seekers and foreign workers – and homes in precisely (if exploit- atively) on the source of popular discontent. Without adopting the same message, small parties outside the political mainstream must also understand that theirs is a populist mis- sion, too; that unless their critique of the system is incisive and radical, they will only serve as a parking space for mainstream vot- ers in elections where governments are not at stake. Marketing is also key. PD candidate Cami Appelgren had long been a clean-up cam- paigner. Her simple message of dedicated initiative falls short of the real 'Green poli- tics' that demand radical reforms of a system that perpetuates inequalities and dependence on fossil fuels. Yet it was the optics of Ap- pelgren's clean-up campaigns and her lib- eral stand on issues – especially gender and reproductive rights – that made her more popular than her own leader at the European elections. Despite the showings of the far-right, La- bour's big tent party remains a force to be reckoned with, and it is statements by Joseph Muscat in the aftermath of the Lassane Cisse Souleymane murder that must be the guar- antee with which society keeps in check the far-right: by committing Muscat to the fight against racism. But we also have to understand those seg- ments of the population, including working- class voters and low-income workers, whose class identity is weakened by insecure, low- paid jobs and a lack of unionisation. When the 'cosmopolitanism' of Malta's economic growth starts punishing low-income workers who are priced out of the property market, it is natural that some people might respond with a 'cultural backlash' that seeks to restore values that symbolise a tradition of security – something rooted in the past, usually tied with notions of nationalism and native pride, and almost always antagonistic to foreign workers and poor refugees who depend on the State for protection. People want fairness, nothing more, noth- ing less. They want equity, and demand that the market does not rule every aspect of their life. They want intervention from the State when the market is unfairly robbing them of a decent lifestyle. The solution cannot just take the form of benefits to help them eke out a basic living. They want a decent living wage. They want regeneration in their towns, solutions to parking problems, they want open spaces and green urban areas for their children, they want the construction madness to be reined in, they want police on the beat, and they want good neighbourliness. This is why political candidates must own more than just a political idea. They must have roots in their community. Their activ- ism has to be backed by a committed record. Their message has to be simple, profound and penetrating. And they have to be backed by the right kind of marketing. In brief: the smaller parties must pull their socks up, and understand that support will not just gravitate towards them on its own. People need a reason to vote for a political party; good (but ineffectual) intentions are not enough.