Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1545062
IF the first few weeks of the campaign were characterised by Robert Abela and Alex Borg throwing cash at the plebs from their respective balconies like it was confetti, this third week has shifted into a differ- ent gear. 18 years later, and we've learned nothing The week started with the first official debate between the leaders of all the parties, including ADPD, Momentum and Aħwa Maltin, organised by the Malta University Debating Union. Unfortunately, not much has changed since the infamous rowdy 2008 university debate between Alfred Sant and Law- rence Gonzi. 18 years and another gener- ation later, polarised students are still being used by the main parties to chant and jeer, rather than thinking for themselves. It is a crying shame. Both the PL and the PN had rustled up their most fervent young supporters who broke into chants of "Vi- va l-Labour" and "Ole, Ole, Ole Nazzjonalisti" like their parents and grandparents before them, right on cue at regular inter- vals. Instead of holding these politicians who want their vote to account, they were more in- terested in beating the tribal drums and turning the debate into a mass meeting. For me, Arnold Cassola (Mo- mentum) was the best speaker by far, as his decades of po- litical experience and ability to make his points succinctly shone through. He cut to the chase and zeroed in on the crux of each issue rather than repeating the usual rhetoric from the podium. However, the unseemly behaviour in the au- dience by one of Momentum's candidates, Pierre Schembri Wismayer, who lost his tem- per and gave the finger to the students, put a dent on that party's image. He apologised for his behaviour but still, the damage, however minor, was done. Nonetheless, Momentum ap- pears to still be gaining mo- mentum and its proposal to re- duce traffic is the first time I've read something, which is im- mediately do-able, and doesn't require digging up the whole island. The most touching moment came from Sandra Gauci (AD- PD) who paid tribute to her father and his humble back- ground, perhaps to remind the Labour Party that its core vot- ing base are working class peo- ple, not businessmen. While she may not be as polished as the other speakers, there is no doubt that she speaks from the heart and is a strong voice for the environment and good gov- ernance. The other star of the debate was the very patient moderator Chloe Cauchi who vainly tried to keep the crowd in order. Next time I suggest that the students should be told that all partisan chanting would be banned and anyone uttering as much as a 'Viva' or an 'Ole' would be thrown out. The elephant in the room It has not gone unnoticed that this time round, the election won't be lost or won over any diametrically opposing views between the two main parties. Whereas in the past we had such hot button issues as pro- EU vs anti-EU and pro-divorce vs anti-divorce, this time round both parties seem reluctant to bring up the elephant in the room, even though it domi- nates the national conversa- tion—over-reliance on a for- eign workforce. In fact, the one-time Alex Borg mentioned it, proposing a national authority that will be responsible for controlling the country's population levels, de- termine what the labour mar- ket needs and whether the na- tional infrastructure can cope, he was accused of being a fas- cist by former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat. Despite his belief that every- one still loves him, what I no- ticed under Muscat's Facebook post were the number of com- ments which directly blamed him for introducing this eco- nomic model in the first place. On other issues, Borg and Abela seem eager to be on the same page. When they both denounced the idea of another mosque, it was the only time the audience erupted in wild applause for them equally. This show of approval came from a young demographic, let alone if the audience were older. It was a clear move to pander and respond to public sentiment which is growing increasingly hostile towards Muslims. Another topic on which both have agreed is to hold a ref- erendum on euthanasia. A ref- erendum, of course, absolves any government from being 'blamed' for introducing high- ly controversial legislation, but it is a questionable decision to put such a very delicate issue to a public vote. We are speaking here of personal bodily autono- my and the right of a person to choose to avoid pain and suf- fering rather than to prolong their life. On the other hand, there are the ethical considera- tions of the right to life and the concerns of possible abuse. Just as a matter of interest, it seems only New Zealand has intro- duced assisted dying through a referendum—everywhere else where it has been legalised it was done through a parliamen- tary process or court ruling. Unfortunately, if the divorce referendum is anything to go by, I predict there will be a lot of hysteria and very little ra- tional debate. Let's not start with the muckraking This campaign seemed to be progressing in quite a 'gen- tlemanly' way with very little mud-slinging or name-calling, but this week, election fever seems to have taken hold. When Conrad Borg Man- che, who was previously a La- bour candidate, and then an independent, announced that he was switching to the PN, it opened up a can of worms. He was harangued over very personal family issues, which I will not get into. All I will say is that, historically, in Maltese elections, those who are at- tacked in such a personal way usually end up winning sympa- thy votes, so all this muckrak- ing might ultimately backfire. Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando, Alfred Sant, Rosianne Cutajar and even Konrad Mizzi, just to name a few, were all elect- ed time and again, no matter how much mud was thrown at them. It's something in our psyche perhaps which propels Maltese people to deliberately vote for politicians who are tar- geted, in order not to give the other side the satisfaction of ruining them. I suppose we can describe it as 'spiteful voting'. Which way will the wind blow? Purely from an observational point of view, it seems to me that Robert Abela is worried that voters will abstain, other- wise why mention it during the mass rally in Mosta? Deputy Prime Minister Ian Borg also made a point of saying that this is no time for protest votes. For a party which is so far ahead in the polls and trying to project such a confident image, they keep sending mixed signals. In the meantime, I wonder whether this election will sig- nal the resurgence of the PN. I have noticed a renewed verve within the party which was sorely missing for the last few years. Neither Adrian Delia nor Bernard Grech was able to fire up the core vote, and more significantly the youth vote, as much as Alex Borg is doing. There have been a few mishaps, most notably the chatbot fail that generated in- accurate images in answer to readers' questions, which re- inforces my belief that relying too much on AI and ChatGPT is no match for real human be- ings. The party's fiscal calcula- tions when it came to their tax and housing proposals were also criticised for being flawed. However, these gaffes do not seem to have dampened the enthusiasm I am seeing among PN supporters who had lost all hope following so many leader- ship battles and internal strife. Alex Borg is studiously avoid- ing a negative campaign by not harping on Labour's long list of scandals. With all these direct orders which keep being grant- ed right under our nose, so very shamelessly, it is like vot- ers have given up, feeling there is nothing they can do against the onslaught of this moun- tain of sludge. Being reminded of the wrongdoing will simply contribute to more corruption fatigue. For others, as long as it doesn't affect them personally, and as long as they are making money in the process, corrup- tion does not seem to be an election issue. The single transferable vote I remember only learning how the single transferable vote actually works in prac- tice during a university lecture. Since then, it has been clear that it is in the interest of the two main parties to keep peo- ple ignorant on how their vote can best be used to elect the best people from every party, including the smaller parties, while still choosing the party of your choice. The STV is also the best way to ensure a third much needed voice to repre- sent us in parliament. So, it was a welcome, long overdue, surprise to see a new website vot.mt which is an easy-to-understand explainer in both Maltese and English. If you want to make an informed opinion before you vote, I sug- gest you check it out. 3 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 24 MAY 2026 OPINION Josanne Cassar She has worked in the field of communications and journalism for the last 30 years Notes from the election campaign Unfortunately, if the divorce referendum is anything to go by, I predict there will be a lot of hysteria and very little rational debate