Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1497522
9 NEWS maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 19 APRIL 2023 these fears. Moreover, land reclamation is hardly a contro- versial topic when limited to infrastructural works in ports. The problem facing Abela is the perception that land rec- lamation will be another gift to the construction lobby, es- pecially if such projects have a real estate or tourism compo- nent. Curiously it was at a similar juncture in 2005 that Lawrence Gonzi had toyed with land rec- lamation to project himself as a decision maker with a plan, af- ter taking over from the larger- than-life Eddie Fenech Adami. In so doing Abela seems to be forgetting that on environ- mental issues Labour faces op- position from movements and people who are anything but conservative and that com- munity struggles often bring together people from across the political spectrum. More- over, the status quo and the establishment which he railed against also include those lob- bies who hijacked Labour's movement to create a concrete jungle. The curse of the super majority And while like any other poli- tician Abela is keen on winning big, his speech betrays appre- hension on the sustainability of his party's super majorities. He may well be anticipating future losses by depicting the inevitable decline as a backlash against reforms which he will continue to champion. "Don't be afraid of criticism – be afraid only of not taking de- cisions to avoid backlash. The others want to take us there for the whole of Malta to be stagnant," Abela warned. This may well be seen as a sign that the Labour leader 'is not for turning', and he will proceed with his mission to change the country, even if it would mean alienating segments of the elec- torate opposed to change. In so doing he is also project- ing an image of strength and responsibility; two qualities voters expect from leaders. Labour's social reformism Surely the reaction towards several positive social reforms Labour is pushing forward fit in squarely in the narrative of change evoked by Abela. While such reforms may lose him support, they also serve to give Labour activists a sense of mission. For example, the proposed amendment to draconian abor- tion laws, has not only brought out the worms out of the old conservative woodworks but has also aligned Labour with parts of civil society includ- ing many of Labour's left-wing critics, albeit at the cost of al- ienating other influential sec- tors including some respected figures in his own party. While Abela did not refer to this controversial topic, in an earlier speech, his deputy Chris Fearne pledged that the government would not give up on its drive to protect women experiencing complications in their pregnancies, adding that the government will not shy away from the necessary amendments to offer such pro- tection. From party to movement to party again? Still one thing seems missing from Abela's project: a wider movement supporting him. His dig at the Opposition's obses- sion with "books and blogs", al- so betrays the absence of a wid- er cultural space in civil society in Labour's own orbit, which came because of the revulsion of left leaning intellectuals at the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia and Labour's connection with big business. If there is something which Abela can learn from Muscat's playbook is the importance of sustaining a 'movement', which attracts people who do not identify with Labour but who support it on specific issues, thus addressing the growing disconnection between mod- ern political parties and inde- pendent voters. This is already confirmed by surveys showing more people intent on voting with their feet by abstaining. Yet Abela's inward looking mentality and paranoia may well thwart any attempt to reach out to those segments who may well sustain Labour's reformist push in the next years. and tear of power