Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1513813
9 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 31 DECEMBER 2023 Looking forward 2024 deputy leader ground and thrust him into the big international game. His profile surged in 2023 on the back of Malta's membership of the UN Security Council and its presidency of the OSCE. He will take political credit for the Security Council resolution drafted by Malta, calling for humanitarian pauses in Gaza and for giving the Russian rep- resentative the cold shoulder in February when the Security Council commemorated the first anniversary of the Rus- sian invasion of Ukraine with a minute's silence. Despite his meteoric rise in politics from mayor of a small village to chairing the UNSC and the OSCE, Borg knows well enough that the foreign office has often been the polit- ical deathbed of Maltese politi- cians. He will be 38 in February and if Borg still has the politi- cal oomph in him, he may very well be tempted to run for the number two spot. He will bring with him a can-do attitude tem- pered with the maturity gained while navigating the complex stretch of international waters. But if he does contest the dep- uty leadership, Borg will be sub- jected to further media scru- tiny over the driving licence test scandal that happened on his watch at Transport Malta. Whether this scandal will im- pact party delegates is anoth- er matter altogether, although some may remember Konrad Mizzi's short-lived stint as dep- uty leader party affairs in 2016 when he resigned after just two months as a result of the Pana- ma Papers scandal. Roderick Galdes Roderick Galdes was elevated to housing minister in 2020, when he was entrusted with a key policy plank of the incom- ing Robert Abela. Galdes sur- rounded himself with knowl- edgeable technocrats at the ministry that helped deliver the important reform of pre- 1995 protected rents with- out causing social upheaval. He also delivered on several housing schemes to help first time buyers and set up a foun- dation for affordable housing – a partnership between the government and the church. Galdes, who will be 49 in the new year, is somewhat of a veteran on the Labour bench- es having been first elected to parliament in 2004 when the leader was Alfred Sant. Only four other MPs are more sen- ior than he is in terms of their parliamentary lifespan. Gal- des may not be the exciting choice. He is not one to stand out and will bring little oomph to the second most important post in government. But then again, this is just the number two post and the less its hold- er shines, the more the leader will sparkle. Galdes has never shown any outward ambition to aim higher but he could turn out to be the dark horse in the race if he decides to take the plunge. Clifton Grima The Education Minister had been touted as an interested candidate when the position of deputy leader party affairs became vacant in 2020 after Chris Cardona resigned. Even- tually, the context ended up a one-man race with Daniel Jose Micallef, the then party presi- dent, running on his own. It is unclear whether Grima will be tempted this time around to take the leap and aim for the post that Fearne will vacate. His ambitions will probably depend on who the other con- tenders are – he comes from the world of football and knows that the outcome of a game al- so depends on who the oppo- nent is. Grima, who turns 41 in September, may lack the polit- ical stature to occupy the role but he has no controversies to his name, a quality that may be useful as the Labour gov- ernment enters its 11th year in office. Clyde Caruana The Finance Minister's name will definitely crop up within and outside Labour circles as a possible contender. Howev- er, it is unlikely Clyde Caruana will be interested in the role. A straight talker, the finance min- ister already enjoys a high pro- file and with the nation's purse strings in his hands, he also has influence on government poli- cy and direction. Caruana, who will be 39 in February, may have other ambitions and knows that the number two post is not necessarily a stepping stone for the leadership, if and when it becomes vacant. For the time being he will stay put at Maison Demandols in South Street al- though some delegates will be asking him to consider putting his name in the hat. Clockwise from top left: Miriam Dalli, Silvio Schembri, Ian Borg, Roderick Galdes, Clifton Grima and Clyde Caruana