Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/503337
6 maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 29 APRIL 2015 News Muscat on a rollercoaster What started as an exercise in direct democracy to remove the arbitrary power of politicians to keep the spring hunting derogation, ended up with Joseph Muscat tweeting his arbitrary decision to close the hunting season. What does this say about the Prime Minister's conception of democracy? JOSEPH Muscat's astute decision to close the hunting season just days after securing a yes victory for hunters in the spring hunting referendum was another taste of Muscat's unpredictability when cornered. The same Joseph Muscat whose troops helped in mobilising voters for the referendum, immediately reached out to no voters by prom- ising to stop the season if faced by 'f lagrant' illegalities. He immediately understood that his part in securing the "yes" vic- tory risked eroding his trust rating among an inf luential sector of the electorate, simply because it asso- ciated him with a lobby whose an- tics disgust the middle class, whose support he obsessively courts. The question many were asking on the social networks was: when does an illegality become f lagrant? From the second day of the sea- son people started to demand the closure of the season after hunt- ers shot down a cuckoo and than a lapwing. But probably none of these birds strike the popular im- agination, as did the stork shot in autumn, which led Muscat to stop the season last year. Moreover, climatic conditions contributed to the late arrival of turtledoves and quails. This meant that hunters lacked the cover they needed, and which enabled them to shoot wildly as in past seasons. There was also the realisation among many hunters that they were just 2,000 votes from see- ing the end of spring hunting and perhaps some were heeding the ominous warning by Muscat that he would stop the season if abuse became f lagrant. This may have also militated against the rampant abuses of past seasons. Significantly the death of a few birds seemed to pale in comparison with another tragedy unfolding in the Mediterranean: that of hun- dreds of migrants who lost their life while crossing the sea. Those demanding Muscat to close the season at the first illegality seemed to lack a sense of proportion. The flagrancy threshold Still, illegalities continued to trickle as the days rolled on. An incident which saw a 16-year- old tourist hit by pellets was not enough for Muscat to conclude that the f lagrancy threshold had been surpassed. The first reported shooting of a kestrel followed, and Muscat did not act. Then the perfect incident happened which had all the ingre- dients of "f lagrancy" – a kestrel was shot down and it fell in the grounds of an independent private school, disturbing the peace and quiet of seven-year-old pupils. Did Muscat have a choice to ig- nore this? For the media savvy PM, ignoring the incident was not an option. For by "f lagrant" Muscat did not have in mind the ecologi- cal impact of illegal hunting, but the kind of media attention which disturbs the peace and quiet of the bourgeois constituency which he is hell bent not to alienate. The ingredients in this case were toxic for any politician like Muscat, who likes to be liked on the social networks and hates being cornered by public opinion. Muscat's decision gives us a clear definition of what Muscat under- stands by f lagrant: that kind of abuse, which is spectacular enough to damage his political stature. He simply refused to suffer the price for supporting hunters in the refer- endum. He could not afford being ridiculed for months for letting the hunters have their way. Muscat was well aware that for the first time since being elected to power he was facing the first signs of anger and dissent beyond the confines of the PN. Muscat has no fear of confronting the PN, which he likes so much to belittle and con- front. But Muscat understands that public opinion, especially when it includes enraged inf luential par- ents, can be far more devastating than Simon Busuttil. Had Muscat not stopped the sea- son, he risked giving permanence to the rapture felt by many no vot- ers who were previously inclined towards Muscat but who felt ag- grieved by his support for hunters. It risked unleashing a civil society movement hostile to his govern- ment. It is doubtful whether clos- ing the season three days before it expired was sufficient to appease environmentalists but by closing the season Muscat has kept dis- gruntlement from evolving into outright dissent. Carpe Diem For the closure of the season was not just a decision imposed on Muscat by events. It also provided him with the golden opportunity to make up for the points he lost through his support for the hunt- ing lobby in the referendum. Muscat once again manages to ex- cel in circumstances where Busut- til is weakest. He is quick to rely on his political instinct to turn poten- tial minefields into opportunities. While Muscat seizes the moment, Busuttil thinks until it is too late. Once again he managed to antici- pate the opposition, which was not quick enough to call the shots by calling for the closure of the hunt- ing season before Muscat made his announcement. Had the PN is- sued a statement before Muscat, it would have increased the pressure on the PM and would have entitled the party to take credit for what seemed an inevitable decision. Instead the opposition was over- taken by events and was left with no choice but to issue a statement to back Muscat's decision. Unlike Muscat in opposition, Busuttil should be credited for not making any attempt to appeal to the hunt- ers' disgruntlement. But the PN lost a golden op- portunity to make up for Busut- til's lukewarm pro spring hunting declaration before the referendum campaign started. Politics on a rollercoaster Muscat's decision was "bold"; in the sense that it showed that the PM has not completely surren- dered his soul to the hunting lobby. Muscat has also sent a message to hunters that he is far from being at their mercy. In fact – at least as long as Muscat does not need their vote – it is they who are now at his mercy. The arbitrary decision to close the season three days before it ended does suggest that Muscat has a strong Machiavellian streak. People are increasingly reading through the Muscat script. Some had already predicted that Muscat would stop the season in its final days. It also gives the impres- sion that nobody can take Muscat for granted and that his views can change for the better or for the worse according to the whim of his political instinct. In some ways Muscat's tactics can be disorient- ing for his most erstwhile support- ers who must be feeling like being taken on a roller coaster ride. Probably most Labourites will fol- low the leader, applauding him for being a strong leader who keeps his word, but some may start feeling dizzy. For the same PM who threat- ens pushbacks of migrants and backs hunters in the referendum is perfectly capable of humanitarian speeches and closing the hunting season. L'etat c'est moi One has to recognise that on this issue the PM did show a de- gree of consistency. For ever since he stopped the autumn season he made it clear that he would use his arbitrary power to do so when faced by illegalities which he deems seri- ous enough to warrant this. Even during the campaign his message to the electorate was that there was no need to stop the spring hunting season because the electorate could trust him to stop it when abuses be- come rampant. Muscat was well aware that for the first time since being elected to power he was facing the first signs of anger and dissent beyond the confines of the PN Hunters in celebratory mood at a referendum activity