Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1521709
THERE may be few opportuni- ties for normal folk to be movers and shakers. Voting in Malta is traditionally the one occasion to directly influence change. And with a vote one can either make a brave choice or a very wrong decision in electing people to power. The European Parliament and local council elections held every five years are not game changers, but they can serve to send a very clear message. They can also be a litmus test to measure what the public is thinking and expe- riencing. The parties have not had ex- citing campaigns; on the con- trary they have had very dry slogans and little in the form of new ideas. On the debate lev- el there has been an insistence and persistence by Robert Abe- la to avoid an open debate with Bernard Grech apart from the clinical discussion organised by the Broadcasting Authority. And there is also the ludicrous position by Robert Metsola who states that she is precluded from participating in debates. Additionally, political leaders have been mostly interviewed by admirers and party stalwarts and most debates by MEP can- didates have been carefully cho- reographed. Voters have not been en- thralled by who they have as candidates. Most voters know that the Eu- ropean Parliament has little or no influence on what happens in our backyard and the corridors of power. And this has an influ- ence on why people stay home. The EU and local councils, will not make our politics cleaner and neither will it change our local plans or solve our traffic problems, or set new standards with our political class. The workings in the European Parliament do have a direct im- pact on Malta but many do not feel this really changes their life dramatically. To make matters worse, the six parliamentari- ans who represent Malta hardly have the gravitas to change ma- jor decisions which negatively impact Malta. Yet some MEPs have made amazing inroads, Roberta Met- sola, the Nationalist MEP, per- haps is the best example of someone who has reached the very top and it seems she could very well be reconfirmed as EP president after the election. But then again, the voters who will vote for Metsola will do so because in their heart of hearts they wish for her to come back to sun drenched Malta with one aim in mind - to lead the Nation- alist Party instead of Bernard Grech. One has only to see her last political meeting at Argotti, which dwarfed any meeting held by Grech in the last weeks. This explains why a campaign asset like Metsola was not propelled everywhere by the PN. Those who remain loyal sup- porters of their traditional party on the other hand want to em- phasise how their vote counts. And they will vote for their party without any questions asked. The rest of the eligible voters will do one of two things. They will either vote for a third party as a protest vote or else they will stay home. The latter seems to be the case with just over 30% of the electorate. Considering that the Labour party is expected to win this round of elections once again, it would be useful to remind the Labour top brass at Mile End and Castille that even if they win a majority, the combined representation of the vote for opposition candidates and the non-voters far outnumber the people who have voted for La- bour. The question is why do people want to show their middle finger in the elections. The first reason is very clear. They are so disillusioned with our political class, that they can- not get themselves to vote. To start with, many Labourites or individuals who consider them- selves pale red or even dark red are shocked by the events that have overshadowed Labour's as- cent to power. The Muscat ad- ministration was characterised by an unquestionable yearning by politicians and others to use politics as a means to enrich themselves. This has been a hall- mark of the Muscat administra- tion, and no matter how much he claims to be innocent, the vast majority do not believe him. On the contrary the one thing that surprises them is his ability to look you in the face and say he is innocent. This alone has driven many would be Labourite voters to re- fuse to vote. Those who do decide to vote have for the independent can- didates. But if surveys are to be trusted or believed they still shun the Nationalist party. Not because they would not consider to support the PN, but simply because they cannot get themselves to vote for Bernard Grech who fails to inspire and has lost any of his shine if he ev- er had any. The same cannot be said for Metsola, but she still re- fuses to be clear about her inten- tions. To many she is still seen as too much of a Sliema candidate. But it does not mean she can- not make it. In the younger segment - the new voters - although we hear of several arguments of youth be- ing in favour of abortion and the environment, the truth is that a sizeable percentage, of young people are mostly motivated and impressed by arguments linked to fiscality. And yes, easily im- pressed by freebies and offers. The electorate we should not forget is not complicated and passionate, but in simple words quite fickle and hypocritical. So, next Saturday we will do what we will do. I would like to vote and write a short message, but I know if I did that my vote would be declared invalid. I will not vote for a small party or individual because I want my vote to go to someone who is electable. But on the other hand I want to send a message that I am not happy or better still sad and an- gry. I am hesitant to support a party that embraces those who sought to enrich themselves by using a political party as their bandwagon. But neither do I want to support a party that pi- geon-holed me and scorned me for years for the simple reason that I was an outspoken critic. I am , in other words, one of those 'I do not know' kind of people. Happy voting! maltatoday | SUNDAY • 2 JUNE 2024 OPINION 5 Saviour Balzan Who are you voting for? Saviour Balzan is founder and co-owner of Media Today, publisher of MaltaToday, he is a TV host and pollster Metsola at Argotti Gardens had a political gathering that dwarfed any of Bernard Grech's political events. Yet she still refuses to commit to Malta and the PN, which makes her allure a temporary one