Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1455666
11 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 27 FEBRUARY 2022 NEWS Labour's 'Malta Flimkien' pales in comparison with 'L-Aq- wa Zmien' in 2017 and 'Malta Taghnna lkoll' in 2013. PN's 'Mieghek ghal Malta' sounds better than its 2017 'Jiena Naghmel Malta' slogan. For Labour it must have been very difficult to come up with a 'better' and more meaningful slogan than those used in 2013 and 2017. Surely while 'Malta Tagħna lkoll' lent itself into a battle cry which supporters could chant, 'Malta Flimkien' lacks the same emotional charge. It lacks the striking optimism conveyed by the 'best of times' motif which suggested that everything can be forgiven as long as people had more money in their pock- ets. But 'Malta Flimkien' could be more in syncw with the present mood, which finds Abela cor- recting some of the excesses of the Muscat era, where even Labour supporters expect solu- tions to problems created by unbridled economic growth. On the other hand the PN's present slogan is meant to convey the impression that Bernard Grech is in tune with the personal aspirations of the common voter, dispelling the idea of a detached and elitist party. And while it has a more personal touch than the clini- cal 'I choose Malta' in 2017, it fails to convey the party's rai- son d'etre in this campaign, as could have been the case had the party added an adjective to at least convey its vision for what kind of Malta it wants. Both slogans lend themselves for presidential campaigns for Robert Abela and Bernard Grech. As was the case with the PN's 'Flimkien Kollox Possibli' in 2008 which accompanied the 'GonziPN' rallying cry, Rob- ert Abela's 'Malta Flimkien' is twinned with the 'Robert Abela 2022' motif. 'Miegħek għal-Malta' is also being ac- companied by an image of Ber- nard Grech. And while 'Robert Abela 2022' is too reminiscent of 'GonziPN' in 2008 and relegates the party to the role of cheerleader for the leader, 'Miegħek għal-Mal- ta' does suggest an interaction between leader and voter, al- beit one which also removes the party from the equation by conveying a direct relationship between the leader and the vot- er. Both parties seem keen on fighting a presidential elec- tion in which Labour starts at an advantage due to Abela's higher trust rating. And while surveys show that Robert Ab- ela is even more popular than his party, Grech is less or just as popular as his party. While such a contest defies the nature of a parliamentary democracy where people vote for parties and MPs, it also reflects the expectations of voters who ex- pect leaders to incarnate their aspirations. The danger of this political evolution is a repeat of what happened under Gonzi when the PN was overtaken by the pace of debate on social issues like divorce, which were never discussed. And while Muscat never felt the need to underline his pres- idential style through a slogan, his towering personality crip- pled debate in his own party, which was unable to put the necessary brakes on its leader, especially after Panamagate, when few stood up to be count- ed to force Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri out. Compared to the bland slogans and branding of both major parties Arnold Cassola's 'We Deserve Better' not only sounds better, but also provides a bat- tle-cry for disenchanted voters Although he is contesting on two districts, independent candidate Arnold Cassola has come up with a competitive brand and a an empowering battlecry: 'we deserve better'. Cassola's slogan can serve as a template for popular expecta- tions which can be easily fitted in speeches like "we deserve better wages", "we deserve bet- ter planning regulations" and "we deserve better reputation" for our country. In this way the independent candidate can in- carnate the aspirations of his target audience – younger and tertiary-educated voters who are presently inclined not to vote but who have high expec- tations for their country. But the success of Cassola's slick branding depends on his ability to convince that he is electable. For otherwise, why bother vote for him instead of staying at home or vote for the 'lesser evil', and have a say not just on which party will govern but also the margin of victory. Cassola has also outwitted his former AD colleagues whose "Green Sweeps Clean" (Xkupa Ħadra Tnaddaf) falls short in touching voters on an emo- tional and aspirational level, and whose 'broom' imagery is more reminiscent of witches exorcising political evil than a rallying cry for voters who feel they deserve a better deal from the political system. And while it does convey a strong mes- sage rooted in the party's long history of militancy for good governance, it does not give it a template which can be used in different contexts and social issues. Still, having been consistently on the right side of history on most issues, AD remains an en- dangered treasure worth pre- serving... While anger remains crucial for motivating activists, the PN seems to have learnt its lesson from 2017 when its effectiveness in mobilising supporters was not matched with any electoral gains