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9 ANALYSIS maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 22 SEPTEMBER 2021 1. Rich man vs poor man: a tightrope walk Bernard Grech chose to walk a politi- cal tightrope when he pitted his ordinary upbringing with the privileged lifestyle of Robert Abela. The 'rich man vs poor man' argument may have hit home with some, who are feeling the pinch of a higher cost of living and reduced working conditions as a result of the COVID pandemic. But it also risks opening a Pandora's Box that could see Grech having to fend off accusations that he is pandering to the politics of envy. Grech started off Monday's speech re- counting how he met his wife, going on to get married and buying a flat in Birkirkara. The couple later bought a house in Mosta and did it up. The story was intended to portray the PN leader as an ordinary person whose personal and family achievements were obtained by sheer hard work. But he also took it one further and con- trasted his own humble beginnings with Robert Abela's relatively comfortable up- bringing, even taking a dig at his father's presidency in the process. "I understand you because in my life I suffered and worked hard for my achieve- ments. Like you I neither took direct orders nor services from the president's palace. Like you I dirtied my hands with work not bribery," Grech told supporters. And on a more personal level, Grech ac- cused Abela of being a detached rich man unable to understand the struggles of ordi- nary folk and who darts off to Sicily in his yacht at a time of crisis. The intended strategy is to drive a wedge between the Prime Minister and ordinary people who do not own boats and whose wage only just takes them to the end of the month. It is clear that Grech has been ad- vised to try and bridge the wide gap in trust between him and Abela. One way of doing so is to portray Abela as aloof from the troubles of ordinary people and emphasising Grech's understanding of day-to-day problems. By using this strategy, Grech may be try- ing to emulate the post-2008 Labour cam- paign against the €500 salary increase taken by then prime minister Lawrence Gonzi's Cabinet. But there is a crucial difference be- tween then and now. At the time, the ministers' salary increase contrasted with the higher utility bills fam- ilies had to pay and the loss of income from places of work that felt the pinch of the in- ternational economic crunch. Playing the envy card then worked. But it is doubtful whether today's cir- cumstances are comparable. Despite the pressure on incomes created by the pan- demic and the rising cost of living eroding disposable income, the climate is still no- where near that in the 2008-2013 inter- lude. More importantly, government has a budget coming up that could address any shortfalls. Grech's strategy may work with some but it could backfire the moment someone points out the first PN candidate or MP who owns a boat and leads a life of relative luxury. By 'outing' Abela's rich lifestyle and priv- ileged background, Grech is contradicting the PN's own mantra of giving people the opportunity to dream, make money and lead a comfortable life. Grech will need to flash out better why he chose to go down this path and whether his problem is Abela's perceived aloofness, or all those like him who are rich, own boats or live in penthouses. 2. 'You will not lose your job': Allaying fear A concern voiced recently by employer bodies has been that of an extraordinary increase in public sector employment in the run-up to the election. In some eco- nomic sectors, companies are even facing an exodus of workers, they warned. Grech picked on this concern on Monday as he lambasted government for trying to buy votes by dishing out government jobs. However, conscious of the fear such a statement may instil in those who have obtained a government job, Grech did not stop there. He immediately dispelled the idea that to redress this situation a new Nationalist government will resort to lay- offs from the public sector. He promised that these people will not lose their job but a PN government will change direction to ensure the private sec- tor is not negatively impacted by an exo- dus of workers. Grech's move was reminiscent of a similar pledge made by then Opposition leader Ed- die Fenech Adami before the 1987 election. At the time, the Labour administration resorted to employing thousands of people with the public sector, a move criticised by the PN. But in a TV debate with then prime minister Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici on the eve of the 1987 election, Fenech Adami moved to allay fears that an incoming PN government would kick public sector em- ployees out of their jobs. Fenech Adami had told people to take any promotions or job offers made to them by the government of the day, pledging that none will be taken away if the PN was elect- ed to power. But he also reminded them that in the polling booth they would be alone and urged them to do what was right for the country. Grech's pledge may not go down well with employer bodies but is crucial from an electoral point of view since it allays fears, especially when the party is still trying to convince voters to trust it. 3. 'Hold your heads up high': Proud to be PN The narrative surrounding the Nationalist Party has been largely dictated by its polit- ical rival over the past decade. Hammered at the polls and struggling to find a raison d'etre, the PN has allowed the Labour Par- ty to depict it as a 'negative party' focussed solely on corruption and oblivious to bread and butter issues. This narrative was further cemented by the factional infighting that left the PN wounded and unable to present a coherent force. The massive defeats the PN suffered in two general elections and three European Parliament elections left many within the party disillusioned and with a defeatist at- titude. And with the PL miles ahead in the polls, many in the PN are convinced the party will lose the next election as well. This sense of doom does not bode well a few months before a general election and Bernard Grech knows this well. On Mon- day, he tried to chip away at this defeatist attitude by asking supporters to cherish the party's past achievements. He insisted that the party must humbly apologise for the mistakes it did as he reit- erated an apology to the LGBTIQ commu- nity. But he insisted that for every mistake the PN made it had many more achievements to boast about. He urged supporters to hold their heads up high and be proud of their party. His pitch was a page from the Joseph Mus- cat playbook, who upon becoming leader in 2008 apologised for the violence of the 1980s but insisted on recalling the social achievements of the Mintoff administra- tions in the 1970s. Judging from the crowd present on Mon- day, enthusiasm among PN supporters is still lacking, even though new faces have started appearing among the rank and file. It will take much more effort and time for Grech to energise his base but it is something he has to do if the PN is to stand a chance in the election. Bernard Grech The tightrope, a pledge and call to arms The Nationalist Party's mass gathering on the Granaries in Floriana was Bernard Grech's first since becoming leader last year. Kurt Sansone was there to listen to his speech. These are the three things that tickled his fancy