Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1489031
13 NEWS maltatoday | SUNDAY • 25 DECEMBER 2022 which even Labour voters can identify. Labour's elusive balance Labour is also finding it in- creasingly difficult to defend its 'laissez faire' attitude on land use with any strong conviction. Its fallback position is to recy- cle old PN mantras on the need to strike an elusive balance be- tween the environment and de- velopment. Energy minister Miriam Dalli did so at the State of the Na- tion conference, during which she brushed aside criticism by Graffitti's Andre Callus by warning him that "extremism gets you nowhere". Yet this is a hard sell in an already unbal- anced situation, long skewed against the environment and communities, and where calls for balance in the past have translated into minor adjust- ments to the 'business as usual' approach. The other fallback is giving critics the silent treatment, all in the hope that people slowly adjust to a new normal, as crit- ics become exhausted and op- position simply fades away. But this clearly does not work with a determined group of people like Graffitti. Graffitti is also persistent and strategic in its choice of battles. This leaves activists exhausted but their militancy keeps giving results. While some of the changes in the past years like the increase of building heights now look ir- reversible and permits are still dished out like cheesecakes, Graffitti's persistence on issues like the petrol station policy, the proposed Marsaskala ma- rina and now Comino, have pushed government to listen to popular demands. Increasingly the government seems intent on testing the waters, measuring the scale of public opposition in reaction to outrageous proposals or prac- tices before announcing the re- treat, depicting it as a sign that it is a government that listens to the people. But this only happens where opposition is relentless and its actions 'extreme'. This is leaving civil society exhausted, constantly occupied in fight- ing battles on different fronts ranging from crowd-funding planning appeals to direct ac- tions. But the ever-growing list of successful campaigns has em- boldened Graffitti, which is constantly refreshed by new re- cruits attracted by its exciting, progressive and winning brand. As things stand, no movement or NGO apart from Graffitti are able to mobilise around 50 people to take direct action like the one undertaken at Comino. The good fight But the main reason why Graf- fitti is considered trustworthy even by a large segment of La- bour voters, is it political inde- pendence. And just as Graffitti is never scared of hitting hard on Labour's connections with big business, the same group has no qualms in supporting Labour on civil liberties and issues like the current debate on the amendment to abortion laws. While Graffitti's princi- pled stance in favour of choice in abortion alienates potential support from conservatives, it also makes it impossible to pigeonhole the group as some anti-Labour outfit. In short Graffitti is fighting for principles and is not waging a holy war against Labour. This is also thanks to the consistent track record of its activists who opposed unsustainable propos- als under both PN and PL-led administrations. This makes it impossible for Labour's media to demonise Graffitti activists in the same way it does with groups like Repubblika. What is sure is that Labour is not keen on direct confron- tation with Graffitti, especially when local communities sup- port its campaigns. But this has not made Graffit- ti any less vocal in its criticism of Labour on matters which impact on people directly. And by resisting the temptation to transform itself into a political party in its own right, Graffitti is not perceived as a threat to deeply-rooted political alle- giances within local communi- ties. But while this approach is suc- cessful especially in mobilising activists to fight for change, the country also needs a crop of principled pragmatists who can bring about change from within the institutions. In this sense Graffitti's success has a pitfall; as it deprives progres- sive third parties from a stock of seasoned activists who can well become political leaders in their own right. The ever-growing list of successful campaigns has emboldened Graffitti, which is constantly refreshed by new recruits attracted by its exciting, progressive and winning brand