Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1504697
HOW many more U-turns can Robert Abela stomach? His lat- est overnight rethink on his pro- tracted and stubborn refusal to launch a public inquiry into Jean Paul Sofia's tragic death adds to a growing list of public second thoughts. Calling him Mr U-turn sounds like a reputation well- earned. In a short time, he has a history of often panicked policy changes. It started off in January of 2020 when, after defending his wife's right to tender for government work, he publicly announced that, on second thoughts, the best pol- icy was for her not to tender. A few days later, he made an- other U-turn when, after first nominating disgraced former minister Konrad Mizzi to the OSCE parliamentary assem- bly despite public outrage and advice to the contrary, he revoked that nomination, os- tensibly paying homage to the tenets of good governance. In February of last year, in the face of growing public protests against the Marsaskala yacht marina plans, he rowed back on the controversial plans. Coming to the amendments proposed with respect to the Criminal Code provision mak- ing abortion an offence, it was a major U-turn in so far as it was very clear from the out- set that, in order to minimise electoral collateral damage, he would eventually have to substantially dilute the con- sequences of the original Bill, which he finally, and thankful- ly, did. It is indeed appearing that this particular hallmark of Ab- ela's government is also leav- ing its mark on other ministers and parliamentary secretaries. Take, for example, Justice Min- ister Jonathan Attard's U-turn on the promised reform of the court experts 'racket'. A new system promised by the former minister Owen Bonnici was to include public access to the list of court ex- perts, which is compiled by the justice ministry after it issues public calls for interest. Yet the present minister is refus- ing to make the list public. The reasons behind such a U-turn are anyone else's wild guess. Robert Abela and his Cabinet ministers too often boast how courageous they are in taking timely decisions, in stark con- trast to past Nationalist ad- ministrations. That this gov- ernment quickly decides major issues, all too often without consulting stakeholders, de- spite public consultations launched, and in direct contest with majority opinions, is true, but the common approach has been one of charge-retreat. Could these U-turns be due to nervousness? Could it be that there is a single common de- nominator that runs through too many of the climb downs to be ignored? Why is the gov- ernment showing itself to be prone to making U-turns? Is it the result of bad advice from officials, necessitating their peremptory removal? Or is it the result of a one-man, auto- cratic show? This subject is dominating private discussions among La- bourites, and every politician in Malta has a different the- ory. There is a bigger neural- gia in government: nervous- ness about being outflanked by who knows who. Many of these U-turns by Robert Abe- la's government have been re- luctant, angry, and preceded by repeated denials that they would happen, maddening La- bour MPs that defend the gov- ernment's initial position but are then left floundering when Castille changes its mind. While the public is more for- giving of U-turns than usually imagined, the reversal over the abortion amendment Bill and the Jean Paul Sofia public in- quiry could still be damaging for Robert Abela. Humiliating, screeching, and embarrassing: These were some of the adjec- tives that appeared in local me- dia after those two overnight U-turn decisions were made. In Maltese politics, the phrase 'U-turn' is inevitably followed by the idea that the act of re- versing a policy is nothing short of political hara-kiri. Curiosity is in the air as to what the public thinks about the government changing tack. Do the majority subscribe to the idea that government U-turns are normally a bad sign, showing they are in- competent, weak, or have not thought their policies through properly in advance, or a good sign, showing they are will- ing to listen and change their minds when people complain or situations change? Die-hard Labourites look upon U-turns as a healthy sign of a govern- ment that listens. Older voters are particularly sympathetic, convinced U-turns are on the whole a sign that politicians are responsive rather than reckless. All very well, in theory at least. While Labour support- ers may have had cause to add other adjectives over the last political gaffe, they did not, until today, have much reason to doubt the Prime Minister's determination. The main ob- stacle is that the change will not fully reverse the damage. It is often said that voters have short memories, but the key political issue, Abela's waver- ing governing style, will not go away. Another issue is that the latest U-turn also points not just to a policy weakness but to the fragility of the Labour majority. What this creates is a whiff of panic that is begin- ning to hang over the Rob- ert Abela administration. It is that, rather than the smell of burning rubber created by a screeching U-turn, genuine and right-minded Labour sup- porters are seriously tempted to walk out of the Labour fort. It is fair to say that Abela's premiership hardly ever got off to the smoothest of starts, with widespread criticism of how he mishandled sensitive issues. He has now shown that he is no longer a stranger to a change of heart, and who knows what's more to come from our flip-flopping PM? Robert Abela is prone to mis- steps. He appears to be more like a wobbly shopping trolley. Watch out for more shifts of tone, changes of heart, and all- out U-turns. Abela's premiership hardly ever got off to the smoothest of starts, with widespread criticism of how he mishandled sensitive issues Mark Said is a lawyer 12 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 30 JULY 2023 OPINION Government's screeching and damaging U-turns OPINION Mark Said While the public is more forgiving of U-turns than usually imagined, the reversal over the abortion amendment Bill and the Jean Paul Sofia public inquiry could still be damaging for Robert Abela (pictured)