Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1201983
11 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 19 JANUARY 2020 OPINION ney General) have not… while even more crucial ones remain squarely on the table: includ- ing criminal action to be taken against everyone implicated in the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia. But there have been other de- velopments in the meantime: some unrelated to the politi- cal crisis chugging along in the background. In his reshuffle, Dr Robert also placed 'envi- ronment' back with 'planning' under the same ministerial portfolio: possibly signalling a review of the 2016 MEPA reform which had originally divorced the two, leading to a glut of ODZ approvals. The Cabinet gesture alone is unlikely to appease any real en- vironmentalist angst – not, at least, without any correspond- ing policy changes – but after the reassurances of 'continu- ity' given to the business class during last Sunday's inaugural speech, it may well be an indi- cation that that, too, was just part of the transformation act. At the very minimum, it rais- es hopes that Dr Robert may already be gaining the upper hand over Mr Abela… at least, on this one issue. In fact, now that I think about it… hardly any trace of Mr Ab- ela has been seen, anywhere at all, since Dr Robert became prime minister seven days ago. It could be, perhaps, because unlike Dr Jekyll before him, Dr Robert had learnt to fully master the effect of the trans- formation potion before ac- tually drinking it; but perhaps also because the forces which originally gave Mr Abela his potency – and which propelled Dr Robert to victory in the first place – haven't had their say in the matter yet. How is this transformation going down, I wonder, with those Labour Party delegates who elected Robert Abela last week, on the basis of a totally different set of expectations? And more to the point: how many more unexpected rever- sals will they 'tolerate' (ahem) in future… before finally taking Dr Robert aside by the ear, and reminding him, in no uncertain terms, that they actually elect- ed Mr Abela instead? Nor is this the only factor en- tirely outside the Prime Minis- ter's control. His apparent appeasement strategy – expected or other- wise – depends largely on the acceptance of the people he is trying to appease. So far there have been mixed reactions from the organisers of recent public protests… but, given the enormity of what they are protesting about, it is high- ly unlikely that they will be so quickly (and easily) placated. After all, the grievances run a lot deeper than a few wreathes and candles here and there. Dr Robert has inherited the reigns of an administration that has a lot to answer for: and so far, we have only really been given as- surances that 'answers will one day be forthcoming': and even then, by only one half of our shapeshifting Prime Minister… who (let's face it) might just as easily transform back into Mr Abela, as instantly and unpre- dictably as he's already done it the other way. In all likelihood, then, or- ganised protests – or at least, public discontent – will con- tinue for a long time to come. And the more concessions Dr Robert makes, without placat- ing his detractors, the more Mr Abela is likely to claw his way back to the surface… until we're all the way back to view- ing protests as 'provocation' once more. Having said all this: it is an analogy that can only be stretched so far. I'm afraid the book doesn't help much when it comes to predicting how things will turn out: ending as it does with the death of Dr Jekyll – and therefore also Mr Hyde – to suggest that the es- sential duality of human nature cannot be sundered, without losing the entire individual in the process (or something like that, anyway). But that was a literary trans- formation; and Robert Abela's is a political one, which will therefore have tangible effects and consequences in the real world. We may be facing a situation whereby Dr Robert and Mr Abela keep simply alternating between roles, indefinitely, de- pending on the circumstanc- es of the day (that's certainly what it looks like so far); but to be fair, we may also be looking at a genuine Jekyll-and-Hyde dilemma taking place beneath the surface. Maybe there really is a high- er commitment to national reconciliation in there some- where, struggling to escape the clutches of our most ba- sic tribal impulses… and who knows? Maybe we really have just witnessed the first signs of its eventual success. Even so, however: something tells me the struggle itself will be a lot longer, and a lot hard- er, than just a week of pleasant surprises. It is indeed 'a strange case' to have two such totally antithetical human beings rolled up into one Prime Minister: a post that now appears split between 'Dr Robert' – who for the moment seems genuinely concerned with reconciling the differences that we all know exist – and 'Mr Abela': who gave the Labour audience precisely wanted it wanted to hear, for as long as it took to get elected… PHOTO BY JAMES BIANCHI Mob: 99862877/99471820 Jinhtiegu nies b'esperjenza biex jaghmlu xoghol ta' armar ta' shutter u benneja