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2 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 • 8 NOVEMBER 2020 'Trumpism' is not an American invention Editorial AT the time of writing, the final result of the Amer- ican Presidential election is not officially known: though all current indications point towards an imminent victory for the Democratic nominee, Joe Biden. If so, the result would spell an end to what must surely be the most internationally-maligned US Presidencies in history. But while European polls have consistently placed Trump at the lowest rung of 'most trusted world leaders' – lower even than Russia's Vladimir Putin, or Chinese President Xi Jinping – his actual per- formance in the election, now heading for a clas- sic 'photo-finish', suggests that the same Donald Trump is viewed very differently on the other side of the Atlantic. Indeed, it is often the very attributes that make him so detestable to some, that also make him at- tractive to others. This is the paradox that lies at the heart of the term 'Trumpism': it is a combination of macho, strongman politics, and outspoken (often savage) criticism of a perceived 'establishment', that both horrifies his adversaries, and enthuses his own support-base. But while Donald Trump has become an inter- nationally-recognised hallmark of precisely these qualities in contemporary politics, he is hardly the only example worldwide. Though most European countries take a dim view of 'Trumpism', and all it represents, there is not a single European country where similar, if not identical, political forces exist today. Malta is certainly no exception. Back in 2017 – just months after Donald Trump's victory over Hillary Clinton – a MaltaToday survey showed that 68% of the Maltese had a negative impression of the newly elected US president. It also showed that a strong majority in both parties had a negative im- pression of the US President – 74% among PN vot- ers and 58% among PL voters. But over the past four years, Trump also had earned himself a loyal Maltese fan base: especially among a groundswell anti-immigration movement, and a much smaller contingent of religious extrem- ists/militant anti-abortionists, who hail Trump's appointment of conservative judges to the Supreme Court in the hope of overturning Roe v Wade. Unlike the USA, however – or even other Europe- an countries – such enthusiasm does not translate into widespread support for local far fight parties (though this, too, may change in future). Nonetheless, while both major Maltese parties are ideologically far closer to the US Democrats than Republicans, their discourse and antics do some- times carry a Trumpian imprint. Nowhere is this more evident than in Malta's traditional approach to immigration. Where Donald Trump promised to build a physical wall between the USA and Malta, both Nationalist and Labour governments – not just in their discourse, but also in their policies – have always built imaginary 'walls' between migrant communities and the rest of the population. Pushback policies, illegal mass-detentions, the holding of migrants on vessels out at sea: these all amount to a distinctly 'Trumpian' approach, which also they pander to the worst sentiments among those who may be genuinely concerned among the migrant situation. Without denying that the logistical challenge is indeed great, Malta's migration problems cannot be solved merely by stoking racist sentiment for short- term political gain. And this is not the only area where both local parties seem to have adopted a typ- ically Trumpian brand of populism, either. The tendency to lash out at media criticism, for instance, or impolitic references to the lack of trust in the media highlighted in surveys that otherwise show a greater trust of the government, comes straight out of the Trump playbook. The narrative that prioritises economic growth over checks and balances remains a dangerous one. The result was a major scaling-back of bureaucracy, across the board. It was what weakened the role of an already servile party, the bureaucracy and par- liament in holding the Prime Minister's power in check: leading to a rule-of-law crisis, and ultimately to the collapse of the Muscat administration. In this sense, both Joseph Muscat and his suc- cessor have presented themselves as 'strongmen' in synch with popular aspirations, and as intermediar- ies between government and "families and business (who) want decision-makers to hear their real, unfil- tered concerns". However, one aspect of Trumpism in particular – its appeal to the extreme religious right – is tradi- tionally far more applicable to the Nationalist Party than Labour: notably under Lawrence Gonzi, whose 2005 drive to entrench Malta's abortion ban into the Constitution almost foreshadowed the American abortion debate under Trump (and also the situa- tion currently unfolding in Poland). 'Trumpism' is, in fact, very far from being an American invention: so even if he loses this elec- tion, the sad reality is that, in some respects, Donald Trump will still be here to stay. 7 November, 2010 Police question minister's former aide over Montebello 'donations' A former private secretary to Finance Minister Tonio Fenech has been sent for by the Police and reportedly questioned over alleged kick- backs he may have received from developers JPM Brothers, for intervening with governmen- tal departments to have fines waived or reduced on under declared property sales. Noel Borg Hedley, 63 from Gzira – a Mim- col-nominated director to Gozo Channel – ad- mitted to MaltaToday of receiving cheques from JPM Brothers during his time at Tonio Fenech's secretariat. Borg Hedley initially said that he collected money from the Montebellos as donations to the minister's political campaign, but this week admitted that he pocketed some cheques from the Montebellos in return for his intervention with departments that fall under the finance ministry. The investigation kicked off following the revelation last Wednesday in MaltaToday that the former aide had admitted to collecting cheques signed in his name and his wife's, but not the minister's, from JPM Brothers and other donors. The official then said that he cashed the cheques to pay for the minister's electoral cam- paign. The minister, who has since distanced himself from Borg Hedley, immediately referred the case to the Commissioner of Police who initiated investigations. Last Wednesday, Fenech categorically denied knowing of donations from the Montebello brothers for his campaign: "I never ever inter- vened to favour Montebello in any way," he said. Confronted by this newspaper, the former official originally alleged he had been instructed by the minister to collect donations from several contributors. "Amongst them were JPM Broth- ers, and I would go to their office to collect the cheques made in my name. I paid for the elector- al expenses myself," the former official said. Fenech said he did not know of these dona- tions. "In our political system we depend on our helpers to raise money for our activities, but I never received any monies directly from the Montebello brothers," Fenech said. ... Quote of the Week "Half-hearted measures will not work. We need drastic action in the short term so that both our health and the economy will begin to recover in the near future." Mark Formosa, president of the College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists MaltaToday 10 years ago