Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1464865
15 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 17 APRIL 2022 NEWS explained why an online com- ment by his ex-wife, alleging that Azzopardi claimed he went to seek contemplation at Christ's tomb to justify his Is- raeli escapade during their mar- ital separation, became a wild- fire meme. And his single-minded role in dethroning Adrian Delia also turned a large segment of Na- tionalists against him, further isolating him. With his habit of using poten- tially explosive information on- line to undermine targets, put- ting his personal crusade before party unity, made it impossible for any party leader, including Bernard Grech, to contain him. In short, it was not Azzopardi's scrutiny of Labour which turned people off (Repubblika-aligned politicians like Mark Anthony Sammut performed very well in the election), but his self-right- eousness, drama and constant habit to jump the gun, naturally expecting people to await a final vindication for his claims. And every time he was partly vindicated, he kept raising the stakes, such as his allegations about Carmelo Abela's role in the HSBC heist – a matter now subject of a defamation case, which kept Azzopardu in the news cycle but penalised his party as it was impossible to contain him. This also explains why even his relationship with Bernard Grech and his team was strained. Still, it is worth noting that two of Azzopardi's more recent tar- gets – Carmelo Abela and Ed- ward Zammit Lewis – were kept out of Robert Abela's Cabinet after the election. Despite his flaws, Azzopardi's legacy sur- vives in a package of anti-mafia and anti-corruption laws he pi- loted before the election, which were shot down by the govern- ment; but if ever endorsed by a future government, they would represent the boldest step in buttressing the State against any future attempt at state capture by a nexus of big business and crime, as probably happened under Joseph Muscat. A new strategy? It remains to be seen whether the new crop of PN MPs will produce someone who is as scathing as Azzopardi in scru- tinising government, but who is less tainted by past inconsisten- cies and is less of a drama queen. However, there is also a strong possibility that unhinged from party obligations, Azzopardi will be more of a loose cannon and a reference point for those in the party who prioritise fight- ing Labour to winning elections. Still, his presence in that crowd will ensure that it will never reach out to Labour (and Delia) voters who detest corruption, but recoil at Jason's antics. It also remains to be seen whether the conservative wing of the party will find a more ar- ticulate voice than Edwin Vas- sallo or whether his legacy will live on outside the Nationalist Party, among true believers who feel politically orphaned. The party's inability to open up to pro-choice liberals sug- gests that while Vassallo is gone, the party is still conditioned by his world view. What is sure is that without Jason and Edwin, the party's parliamentary bench will be less colourful but more functional and easier to align to party strategy if ever there is one. jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt Edwin Vassallo plodded on the conservative path as the country marched in the opposite direction, clashing with Simon Busuttil in his final days as party leader by going on the history books as the only MP to vote against gay marriage Some of Azzopardi's inconsistencies were too glaring and sensational not to notice. One was his Tel Aviv hotel freebie paid by the Tumas Group's Ray Fenech in July 2017. Labour made sure to weaponise this into a pre-election billboard Left: Jason Azzopardi in 2014 hits government hard on the Cafe Premier bailout scandal. It was at this stage that Azzopardi embarked on his role as an anti-corruption crusader against Labour Despite his flaws, Azzopardi's legacy survives in a package of anti-mafia and anti-corruption laws he piloted before the election, which were shot down by the government