Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1455666
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 27 FEBRUARY 2022 10 NEWS ELECTION 2022 Positive and inclusive slogans are meant to compensate for the vitriol and bitter aftertaste of negative campaigning that happens all too often in Maltese elections. And after the bitter- ness of the 2017 election, both parties may be more keen on emphasising unifying themes. Both parties have started their electoral campaign by conveying a positive message of inclusion in what could be an acknowledgement that divi- sive politics are increasingly a turn off for a large segment of voters. In fact, one of the greatest challenges that both parties face is disenchantment with 'tit for tat' attacks, which may translate into a higher absten- tion rate – particularly among younger and more educated voters. For the PN, the challenge re- mains how to reconcile a more positive message with chan- neling legitimate anger at the corruption and abuse of power, which plagued Labour in the past years. While anger remains crucial for motivating activists, the PN seems to have learnt its lesson from 2017 when its ef- fectiveness in mobilising sup- porters was not matched with any electoral gains. On the other hand, since 2013 Labour has excelled in project- ing optimism and inclusion in its official message as conveyed by its leaders, while using its media machine and army of sycophants to hit out and di- minish adversaries. Labour's message of 'togetherness' is in synch with a strong sense of party unity and common sense of purpose, and represents an evolution of Robert Abela's constant reference to 'team Malta'. Togetherness in Labour also contrasts with divisions in the PN, which returned to haunt back the PN on the first day of the campaign after three for- mer MPs withdrew their can- didature. The PN's use of 'Miegħek' (with you) is also meant to counter a perception of a de- tached uncaring PN during its last years of power. By focusing on 'Malta' in their slogans, both parties are ap- pealing to a soft nationalism rather than to their ideological values Both slogans tap into a soft nationalism, rather than on a more restricted appeal to cat- egories like workers and busi- nessmen or to values like mer- itocracy, consumer choice or social justice. In this sense both parties are appealing to the least common denominator. And while for Labour the de- fence of national interest could tap into its voters aversion to foreign interference and crit- icism by MEPs on rule of law and citizenship issues, the PN can tap into voters' concern on FATF greylisting, which undermined the country's rep- utation. As Maltese political parties drifted to the political centre, their slogans became blander. Labour's 'Iċ-Ċittadin l-Eww- el' in 1996 had already moved away from working class tropes but still suggested putting the interests of commoners first in a context where the party railed against the 'barons' who were ruining the country. 'Malta Tagħna lkoll' in 2013 appealed for both national pride and a yearning for meri- tocracy and inclusion. The PN also tapped into the social and political malaise of the 1980s in its 'Xogħol, Ġustizzja, Libertà' battlecry in 1987, while in 1992 it banked on greater consumer choice through its 'L-Għażla f'Idejk' slogan in 1992 which accompanied the 'Eddie Fiduċ- ja' slogan. And despite lacking in sub- stance, the 'Flimkien Kollox Possibli' slogan in 2008 which was twinned with 'GonziPN', did provide an aspirational message which banked on the possibilities brought about by EU membership. Cassola's slogan can serve as a template for popular expectations which can be easily fitted in speeches like "we deserve better wages", "we deserve better planning regulations" and "we deserve better reputation" for our country Converging slogans: why PN and PL slogans are so similar 'Malta Flimkien' and 'Miegħek għal-Malta' are very similar: positive, inclusive, mildly patriotic, but bland and hard to chant or place in a speech. What do the choice of slogans reveal about the two main parties? asks James Debono