Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1354939
WEDNESDAY • 24 MARCH 2021 ACTIONS speak louder than words. And the arrest of former OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri and ten others, including Nexia BT's Brian Tonna and Karl Ci- ni, on money laundering and corruption charges goes a long way in clearing the air from the impunity which characterised Malta under Robert Abela's predeces- sor. But Abela's economy on the political implications of the arrest of his predecessor's closest ally, risks sending a mixed message to Labour supporters who for the past four years have been fed the narrative that Schembri was a victim of the Nationalist establishment. Abela's balancing act The confusion among Labour supporters on Facebook is palpable. A few now openly deride Keith Schembri and express strong doubts on Joseph Muscat. Others have ditched Schembri but still defend the Labour leader, ab- solving him of any blame. The vast majority are shocked at seeing former PN leader Simon Busuttil partly vindi- cated. Faced with the complex dynamics of his own broad church, which ranges from fervent tribalists to floaters seduced by Labour's inclusive 2013 appeal, Robert Abela was understandably careful in his choice of words in re- action to the arrests the previous day. It appeared to be a balancing act between reaping the political dividends from the arrests among M.O.R. voters by taking credit for police action against the alleged culprits, without irk- ing Joseph Muscat's fan base. In the face of the evidence piling up in his face, Abela seems to be reluctantly laying the ground for a reckon- ing with the Muscat loyalist base, possibly by weakening the hold on Labour voters his predecessor with an act of 'salami slicing' without himself coming in the line of fire. It's the same strategy that eroded internal support for former energy minister Konrad Mizzi, who remains expelled from the party. Neither did Abela hide away by delivering a Sunday sermon with the help of in-house journalists; he instead faced questions from the media, fully knowing that he would be asked about Schembri and Muscat. This sug- gests that Abela wants to appropriate for himself credit for arrests triggered by an inquiry instigated by former leader of the opposition Simon Busuttil. Clearly Abela wants to reach out to the independent media, to send a message to M.O.R. voters, whose trust in the institutions is being restored by actions which speak for themselves. Abela knows that his party can on- ly consolidate its support in this category if it distances itself from the impunity characterising the Muscat era. But he cannot spell out such this message clearly, be- cause he is conditioned by the fact that he has inherit- ed his mandate from a Muscat government re-elected Is Abela salami-slicing Robert Abela may have little choice but to give the police the green light to pounce on his predecessor's inner circle. But is he salami-slicing Joseph Muscat's legacy in the process? asks James Debono CONTACT Adriana Farrugia or Erika Arrigo on 21382741 for sponsorship opportunities SCAN THIS CODE USING A QR SCANNER APP TO WATCH THE LATEST EPISODE ON YOUR SMARTPHONE