Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1498412
8 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 3 MAY 2023 NEWS NEWS ROBERT Abela and Bernard Grech were in a combative mood in a bid to galvanise enthusiasm among core supporters when addressing them on Workers' Day. Coming a year before MEP elections when polls suggest both parties risk losing ground to apathy and disillusionment, there tone was not surprising. But a difference in style was evident in the pitch made by the two leaders on May Day. In a short 30-minute speech Abela was strategic in focusing on a few 'deliverables' clearly aimed at quelling both inter- nal and wider social discon- tent. On the flipside, Grech was all over the place in his bid to present his party as the on- ly bulwark against the Labour government's excesses. Betraying the parties' fears In many ways Grech's ap- proach in channelling popular anger at some of the govern- ment's decision betrays the party's fear of losing ground to civil society organisations like Repubblika. Abela's focus on housing af- fordability and planning issues coupled with his repeated ref- erence to the party's identity as a workers' party betrays a sense of unease about its direction. Unlike Grech, Abela as prime minister has the advantage of being able to present solutions which can be implemented. His emphasis that tax refund cheques will start being mailed next Monday was an attempt at stoking hope in the face of rising inflation. But while the refund will to some extent ad- dress the shortfall in incomes, this measure has lost novelty and risks becoming perceived as a bonus which people take for granted. Environmental firefighting Moreover, Abela's approach increasingly looks like that of a firefighter who reacts to prob- lems rather than nipping them in the bud. Amidst public criticism of his party's links with big con- struction groups and resig- nations like that of Xaghra mayor Christian Zammit and criticism from Gzira mayor Conrad Borg Manche, Abe- la announced a long overdue tinkering of planning laws to stop works on projects being challenged in appeals. The move is a nod to environ- mental activists but still falls short of an overhaul of policies and local plans which could tilt the balance in favour of envi- ronmental protection. Curiously Abela's strategic approach suggests that rather than corruption which he did not even feel the need to ad- dress in his speech, the main threats facing Labour's hegem- ony are inflation, housing af- fordability and planning issues. No convincing narrative By contrast Grech used his speech to open a broadside on a wide range of issues ranging from Jean Paul Sofia's death and the hospital scandal to the impact of foreign workers, and finally the partiality of public broadcasting. In so doing he lacked focus, tripping from one issue to an- other without presenting them in a convincing and effective narrative. Grech's speech suggests that over the past years the list of issues which can be weap- onised by the Opposition has increased and the PN can no longer be accused of being ob- sessed with the corruption is- sue. However, Grech still struggles to convey a coherent message which prioritises the issues which are more likely to mo- bilise both supporters and lure those who are presently voting with their feet. Grech missed a golden oppor- tunity to reach out to nurses by supporting their demand for higher renumeration and better worki conditions while standing in front of the disused St Luke's Hospital. Moreover, while it is Labour which is now dealing with signs of internal disunity and ideo- logical disorientation manifest- ed in the dissent on planning issues expressed by the Gzira and Xaghra mayors, the PN has rediscovered a sense of uni- ty and purpose. However, to keep the peace Grech remains in debt with Delia whom he had to once again single out for praise after the latter's backers strung up banners thanking Delia for bringing the hospitals by winning the court case. Elephant in the room One consequence of trans- forming Workers' Day into a partisan affair, is that this leaves little space for civil soci- ety and trade unions to ponder on problems facing the work- ing class. Moreover, certain issues which should be central for the day, were either conven- iently thrown under the carpet or weaponised as was the case with the treatment of the for- eign workers issue by Grech and Abela. For sure in 2023 one cannot speak about a Maltese "work- ing class" without referring to the over 50,000 workers im- ported from outside the Euro- pean Union, whose numbers have grown tenfold in the past decade. Their exploitation especially in cases where these workers are recruited by agencies to whom they remain indebted, was the elephant in the room which merited both reflection and action on Workers' Day. They don't vote In his speech Abela went out of his way to affirm his party's credentials as a workers' party. But how can one reconcile the party's identification with the working class with its failure to address the exploitation of On Workers' Day, Robert Abela honed in on a couple of issues troubling Labour's grass roots, while Bernard Grech presented protestors with a litany of grievances to emphasise that the PN is the only shield protecting workers from Labour. JAMES DEBONO reads between the lines of the two speeches Robert 'the firefighter' Abela vs Bernard