Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1513813
8 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 31 DECEMBER 2023 Looking forward 2024 Wanted: Labour Party deputy WITH Chris Fearne becoming Malta's next European Commis- sioner a vacancy will be created in the Labour Party for the post of deputy leader parliamentary affairs. Fearne was elected deputy leader in the summer of 2017 having been the dark horse in a three-way race with Hele- na Dalli and Edward Scicluna for the post vacated by Louis Grech. He unsuccessfully contested the PL leadership in 2020, los- ing to Robert Abela, but stayed on as deputy leader and deputy prime minister. If Fearne does make the Brus- sels grade – there is little that suggests he won't – and be- comes Malta's next European Commissioner, a race for dep- uty leader will open up after the summer. The winner of the race will not only form part of the tri- umvirate leadership but will automatically become Robert Abela's number two in govern- ment. The PL statute states that on- ly MPs can contest the post of deputy leader parliamentary affairs and the vote will be held among delegates of the gener- al conference. The winner will have to obtain 50%+1 of the votes and if none of the con- testants obtains such a result, the top two will take part in a run off. This means that the list of potential names for Fearne's replacement is limited to the 41 Labour MPs (excluding the Prime Minister and Fearne himself). Who will throw their hat in the ring? Who may be eyeing the prize? Will a dark horse emerge? We gaze into the crystal ball to try and find out who will seek Fearne's inheritance and whose name may be floated even if they may not yet be in- terested. Miriam Dalli She planned her return from Brussels in the hope of con- testing the Labour leadership in 2020 but was left out in the cold by internal manoeuvres that sought a one-horse race involving only Chris Fearne. The proposed neat contest was disrupted when Robert Abela decided to throw his hat in the ring. Dalli and other possible contenders were left standing on the side-lines. She eventu- ally returned from Brussels un- der Abela's leadership almost a year later to be given a super ministry comprising the en- vironment, energy and enter- prise. Dalli's ambition for lead- er may have been dampened as a result of the 2020 debacle but she may still want a stronger position within the party. Dal- li, who will be 48 in May, does enjoy support among delegates and party functionaries, having risen through the ranks. She can also bank on the support of an army of women she coached as part of the PL's training pro- gramme for women candidates, LEAD. If elected, she will be the first woman to occupy a leadership post within the PL. Dalli would bring charm, a Eu- ropean perspective, modera- tion and political astuteness to the post. She could also be the antidote to a resurgent PN if Roberta Metsola replaces Ber- nard Grech. But her chances also depend on whether dele- gates perceive her to be com- bative enough in a political system that attaches value to 'tough' politicians. And with the contest happening in the third quarter, she will be hop- ing that summer 2024 will not throw a spanner in the works through a prolonged heatwave that causes the electricity grid to go haywire. Silvio Schembri The Economy Minister is a party boy, who knows how to whip up an audience, some- thing that cannot be under- estimated. He has often been touted as Robert Abela's choice for deputy leader but in Labour tradition the leader's wishes are not necessarily granted by dele- gates, a predicament Schembri will be well aware of. His con- nections to big business – he has a district office rented out from a major developer – may be problematic for an elector- ate that is increasingly growing suspect of politicians but that may be inconsequential for delegates who will ultimately make the choice. Schembri's economy portfolio was snipped when Malta Enterprise was whisked away to Miriam Dalli, forcing him to share the suc- cess of foreign investment with his fellow Cabinet member. Schembri was also the face of Malta's questionable drive to attract crypto firms during the Muscat administration – his photo posing with Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao is less flattering today after the lat- ter pleaded guilty in the US to money laundering charges. The Muscat administration's 'blockchain island' and cryp- to drive may have fallen flat on its face but Schembri does take credit for pioneering reg- ulations governing the fintech sector and pushing for more growth in the esports and vide- ogame development sectors. With Schembri turning 39 in May, his relatively young age may enable him to connect more with younger audiences but if recent history is anything to go by it may also hinder his prospects with delegates. In the Muscat years, Labour delegates made it a habit of choosing a deputy leader for parliamen- tary affairs who was older than the leader – Anglu Farrugia, Louis Grech and Chris Fearne were all Joseph Muscat's sen- ior. Ian Borg After 2017, Ian Borg became the king of roads as he cap- tained the Labour government's flagship €700 million road pro- gramme. He is loved by mo- torists who appreciate the new and better roads and loathed by environmentalists for allowing Infrastructure Malta to bull- doze its way through commu- nity opposition. Nonetheless, Borg's profile grew and in 2020 he also harboured leadership ambitions, which he eventually put aside to back Chris Fearne. After the last election, Borg was appointed foreign minis- ter, a role that took him away from the local political play- The Labour Party will have to prepare itself for a deputy leadership race if Chris Fearne darts off to the Berlaymont in Brussels. KURT SANSONE speculates on the likely contenders aiming to become the next deputy prime minister. Chris Fearne lost the leadership race to Robert Abela in 2020 but stayed on as deputy leader, a post he is expected to relinquish in the second half of 2024 if he becomes Malta's next Europe-an Commissioner.