Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1257572
7 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 10 JUNE 2020 NEWS ANALYSIS bad faith: strategy backfired a strong-arm tactic, which not only smacked of blackmail but also offended any semblance of human decency. So Abela's aspiration for a Helsinki moment failed mis- erably, and the failure to real- ise this exposes a lack of fore- sight, if not an attempt to use such a tactic to distract the local audience from the uncer- tainties brought about by the pandemic. In this case, Abela simply had no room for ma- noeuvre. Dom Mintoff's forays in international brinkmanship were rooted in Cold War real- ities, where Malta could punch above its weight by threatening to shift its allegiance to the So- viet bloc. Abela's only fallback was Turkey, an international pariah led by an erratic popu- list whose North African am- bitions are themselves seen as a potential cause of instability. The incident has also seri- ously dented Evarist Bartolo's pretentions of being a seasoned veteran who can restore Mal- ta's blighted reputation. His ac- tions over the past days suggest a regression from standards of decency, which even Mus- cat upheld after recanting his pushback strategy. 3. Libya is the only card Abela has left in his sleeve but it remains too unstable to predict any outcome Together with his foreign Minister Evarist Bartolo, Abe- la raised hopes of a solution to the migration crisis by pushing for a deal which would see Lib- ya do the dirty job of keeping migrants from crossing to Eu- rope. While this approach has many supporters in the EU, especially among those who fa- vour a 'Fortress Europe', there are strong doubts not just on the sheer immorality of farm- ing out the policing of borders to a country which has not even signed the Geneva Convention, but also on its long-term sus- tainability. For while Malta has negoti- ated with the legitimate UN recognized government, the Libyan civil war is still ongoing. The Serraj government is itself is an unruly coalition of differ- ent shades of Islamists and mi- litias which could break apart the moment victory is near. Ever since Gaddafi's time, Lib- ya knows that threatening with migration waves is its best asset in its bid to squeeze money and resources from the EU. In short, expecting Libya to act as Europe's enforcer is a recipe for blackmail. By keep- ing thousands of Africans in concentration camps, Liby- an militias have the power to blackmail European countries. Added to this is the sheer im- possibility of policing Libya's enormous and porous desert frontier. 4. Abela may have created a sideshow to distract, but the spectacle may turn nasty One advantage for Abela is that in the current climate of hyped-up nationalism, critics of the government's migration policy are being outed as trai- tors to the nation. In this way voices who are also critical of the government on corruption and environmental degrada- tion, can be neutralized, vili- fied and demonized, or easily associated with the anti-Delia faction in the PN. But by fostering hostility to NGOs and activists in gener- al, Abela may also be burning bridges with a large segment of the intelligentsia, some of which had warmed up to La- bour's socially progressive stance on civil liberties. Al- though Abela's national pop- ulism may be in synch with majority opinion, the large size and diversity of the anti-rac- ist crowd attending a #Black- LivesMatter sit-in organised by Moviment Graffitti on Monday confirms that Maltese society is more nuanced on this issue than Abela thinks. This climate is bound to cre- ate a malaise among a segment of Labour voters who actually identify with liberal and cos- mopolitan values, especially if the extreme right feels further emboldened to push its illiber- al and nasty agenda. So while migration may at first look like the obvious but- ton to push to galvanize public support and manufacture con- sent in a moment of difficulty, by pushing this button Abela may have unleashed forces he is unable to control. As a par- tisan leader, Abela may reap electoral benefits by creating an issue which also contributes to fissures in the PN bloc, and diverts attention from widen- ing social inequalities. But a Prime Minister Abela may be leaving a toxic legacy in a scenario where racism and xenophobia may dig deeper roots in the Maltese psyche.