Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1470876
8 NEWS maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 15 JUNE 2022 Four reasons Labour is at loss when JAMES DEBONO OVER the past few years Graffit- ti's militancy has pushed the La- bour government to retreat on major projects like a proposed yacht marina in Marsaskala and the building of a campus at Zonqor. Their latest direct action, which saw activists re- move deckchairs from the Blue Lagoon, has once again captured the public imagination to the ex- tent that even Labour exponents like MP Rosianne Cutajar and Jason Micallef have endorsed the protest on the social media. This time around, what is in question is not just the govern- ment's failure to clamp down on sun-bed operators, but also limiting the number of tourist arrivals on pleasure boats, as recommended by the manage- ment plan for the Comino Nat- ura 2000 site. Faced by the group's militan- cy, the official fallback position is increasingly characterized by embarrassment and silence, sometimes followed by major positive U-turns. In this case, the tourism minister has announced that sunbeds will no longer be allowed on the sandy beach, claiming the protest took place on the same day Malta Tourism Authority officials were meant to inspect the site. So why is the same Labour, which is so good in deflecting criticism from other quarters, so unsure of itself when faced by Graffitti's militancy? On the environment Labour's populism is contradictory, faced by the conflicting aspira- tions of different segments of its own electorate The powerful 'Malta Tagħna Ikoll' mantra keeps returning to haunt Labour, exposing a contradiction between the con- flicting aspirations of those who understood this as a promise to safeguard public spaces from the fat cats, and those who under- stood this as a promise to widen the circle of beneficiaries beyond the restricted circle which bene- fited under the PN. In short, while some expected Labour to prioritise communi- ties over the profits of the few, others expected Labour to ac- commodate the interests of even more people. It is this ambiva- lence which enables Graffitti to use a discourse with which even Labour voters can identify. So far Labour under both Jo- seph Muscat and Robert Abela has prioritised keeping big busi- ness on board, while promoting a trickle-down model aimed at turning many others in "little rich men and women". Lack of enforcement is one consequence of this mentality. In short Labour's populism is effective as it keeps delivering financial gain to a wider circle, without imposing any pain. And electorally, this model has reaped benefits for Labour, particularly in districts like Gozo where, de- spite Facebook outrage at the is- land's uglification, Labour keeps increasing its majority. One should not forget that Labour also attracts former Na- tionalists previously enthralled by the pro development 'vision' of past PN-led governments. But among another cohort of voters, the occupation of public spaces by private operators and the uglification of our towns and villages, are increasingly felt as a direct threat to their quality of life; something which under- mines their everyday happiness. And had it not been for the shambolic opposition torn apart by its own contradictions, La- bour may well have taken a hit in Graffitti are a tough nut to crack for Labour: it is confused on how to react to direct actions that defend the commons, like the 'reclaim Comino' event