Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1534344
6 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 27 MARCH 2022 OPINION 2 maltatoday EXECUTIVE EDITOR KURT SANSONE ksansone@mediatoday.com.mt Letters to the Editor, MaltaToday, Vjal ir-Rihan, San Gwann SGN 9016 E-mail: dailynews@mediatoday.com.mt Letters must be concise, no pen names accepted, include full name and address maltatoday | SUNDAY • 13 APRIL 2025 Forget the theatrics and embrace criticism Editorial THERE is no doubt that Alex Borg is a rising star in the Nationalist Party. His first electoral perfor- mance in the 2022 general election was a major success. He obtained 6,108 votes to secure his seat on the first count with only Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri scoring more votes. Borg is one of the young faces in the PN and someone who is pretty much in tune with his Gozo constituency. Nonetheless, it is absurd that Borg should get so hot under the collar simply because columnist Kevin Cassar chose to describe him as a Trojan Horse for Labour and criticise his admiration for Donald Trump. It is even more absurd that Borg suddenly found himself at the centre of a 'solidarity campaign' mounted by some PN MPs and other party func- tionaries, who condemned the author and reiter- ated support for Borg. Cassar's piece presented an unflattering inter- pretation of statements made by Borg and passed harsh judgement on the Gozitan MPs character. But irrespective of whether one agrees with Cas- sar or not, the reaction by Borg and his friends was disproportionate. Cassar, who had contested the 2017 general elec- tion on a PN ticket, today represents no one but himself. Like everyone else, he is entitled to voice his opinion, harsh and offensive as it may be. After all, the criticism was directed towards an elected official, who can expect a higher level of scrutiny. Borg should have the confidence to take such criticism on the chin and move on without the need to engage in infantile theatrics on social media such as the video, complete with cutaway shots and music, in which he thanked supporters for showing solidarity. Borg could have easily rebutted Cassar's argu- ments in the same medium where the latter wrote if he felt so aggrieved by what was written. In- stead, Borg chose to use his social media account to describe Cassar's piece as a "personal attack" and accused him of "sowing the seeds of division" in the Nationalist Party. It was unwarranted. If, on the other hand, Borg's outburst was in- tended as an indirect rebuttal towards some with- in the PN who rubbed their hands in glee at Cas- sar's opinion, he should not have done so publicly. The optics are simply not right. The last thing the PN needs at this stage is to pick a fight with critical columnists or appear as if it is trying to stifle free speech. This leader does not believe Alex Borg is a Tro- jan Horse of sorts. If anything, he pretty much practices the type of chummy politics that en- dears him to people of all political hues. Chummy politics may lead to electoral success and can be an important tool to understand ordinary people's needs, aspirations and concerns. But it also breeds familiarity that exposes the politician to the risk of illegitimate requests and corrupt practices. Borg should be aware of this because not everyone has genuine intentions – and by this we do not mean critics like Cassar but ordinary people who expect politicians to satisfy their every request, even if this is unjustified and sometimes outright illegal. Moreover, Borg can hardly be taken aback by criticism over his defence of the transfer of own- ership at Fort Chambray and the atrocity that is about to happen, where developers want to dis- mantle a British era building and relocate it else- where. Criticism and not flattery keeps people in power accountable. Borg should embrace criticism rath- er than pour scorn on it. Furthermore, Borg is not a lone ranger. He forms part of a political party aspiring to be in govern- ment. Politics in Malta posits a complex dynamic between party and individual; the national stage and district considerations. Navigating these complexities is not easy and in a duopolistic sce- nario, any dissent or contrary opinion is automat- ically perceived as disloyalty. Within this scenario the PN needs individuals who can be team players. We do not advocate for blind loyalty because that is problematic and sti- fles diversity of thought. But a team player knows when it is appropriate to outwardly express diver- gence and more importantly how to do so without needlessly undermining the rest of the team. The PN needs a healthy dose of autocriticism to ensure it remains in touch with people's aspira- tions. The PN needs to assert itself as a distinct political force from Repubblika. The PN needs people like Alex Borg, who can connect with peo- ple. But what the PN does not need is prima don- nas who overshadow the party and its message, or undermine their own colleagues. Quote of the Week "The results add a thousand years to Maltese prehistory and force a re-evaluation of the seafaring abilities of Europe's last hunter- gatherers, as well as their connections and ecological impact." Prof. Eleanor Scerri on the discovery of human and animal remains in Mellieha that pointed towards a much earlier arrival of humans in Malta than originally believed. The ground-breaking study was carried out by Scerri and Prof. Nicholas Vella. MaltaToday 10 years ago 12 April 2015 No retains seven-point lead THE last MaltaToday survey before next week's referendum confirms the No camp's sevenpoint lead, already registered in two previous surveys, one held in February and another held last month. The latest survey had a sample of 1,100, up from 600 in the three previous surveys. The greater sample lowers the margin of error from +/4 to +/-3 points. Although the No to spring hunting cam- paign has retained its solid seven-point lead over the yes camp, the outcome of the referendum remains unclear as 17% of re- spondents remain undecided. The survey also shows that female voters are more un- decided. Labour voters also tend to be more undecided than PN voters. The survey sees both camps retaining the same level of support as two weeks ago. While support for the no camp decreased by half a point, from 40.2 to 39.7, support for the Yes camp declined by 0.1% from 33.5% to 33.4%. Undecided voters have increased by 1.2% and non-voters by 0.4%. Non-respondents have decreased by one point. This means that the No camp is now lead- ing by 6.5 percentage points, down from 6.7 points a fortnight ago. The survey shows that 55% of PL voters will be voting 'yes', while 67% of PN voters will be voting no. The survey also shows the Yes camp gain- ing only one point among Labour voters despite Joseph Muscat's pro-spring hunting declaration in Gozo two weeks ago. But the survey shows a sixpoint drop in support for the No camp among National- ist voters, which is corresponded by an in- crease in non-voters.