Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/646116
14 IT must be an interesting time to be a sociologist in Malta. Society has changed at an impressive rate over the past two decades. From the only country in the Western world to prohibit divorce, Malta is now ranked among the most liber- al countries in Europe with regard to other civil liberties, particularly concerning gay rights. At the same time, however, there has been an undeniable slide back- wards in terms of governance, transparency and accountability… ultimately, the pillars on which any modern democracy is built. In brief, there seems to be a glar- ing mismatch between society's expectations, and what political parties are actually delivering. And according to our most recent polls, it seems to be affecting all three mainstream parties. Labour's previously unassail- able majority is undeniably being eroded. The news is better for the PN, but it still struggles to reclaim the support it lost. Alternattiva Demokratika has meanwhile regis- tered its lowest-ever level of popu- lar support. I meet Michael Briguglio – a political activist and former AD chairman, but also a sociologist and keen observer of current af- fairs – at his University office. What does he make of the current political situation of Malta? "As regards the governance issue, back in 2010 I had actually writ- ten an article about the inevitable problems Labour would face if elected. At the time, Muscat's PL was projecting itself as a 'moder- ate' and 'progressive' movement. It sounded very inclusive, but it was also a recipe for implosion, in my opinion. When you promise every- thing to everyone, including many contradictory promises… it might win you an election, but that's it. Once you win the election, the problems will start cropping up." Briguglio points towards the ex- pectations raised, on the one hand, among environmentalists, and on the other, developers and building contractors. "If you promise environmental- ists more rational planning poli- cies, and more stringent regula- tions… then you tell the developers – who are probably financing your party – that you're going to do the opposite... the fall-out becomes in- evitable." The same could be said for many other issues. "The main issue to- day is governance; surveys confirm that corruption has become a ma- jor concern, according to people's perceptions. We have a govern- ment whose strategy was basically to obtain power, but not really to change things… only to ensure that those in power and those around them reap as many advantages as possible. I think there is a limit to how long such a power structure can remain in place…" The disappointment he alludes to is clearly visible, but at the same time the opposition still lags be- hind significantly in the polls. Does he see this 'inevitable' implosion occurring by the next election? "Let me put it this way: Labour seemed invincible some time ago… but I think that every oligarchy reaches a peak – and what we are dealing with here is an oligarchy, in my opinion – then faces a down- fall. I would say that Labour has no guarantee of winning the next elec- tion. I'm seeing disappointment all around, even among Labourites…" At the same time, Labour still enjoys an improbable nine-seat majority… is it possible that it has been blinded to this reality by its sheer hold on power? "Yes. I think it's going to be La- bour's undoing. It has such a huge sense of superiority – even if you look at the body language of the prime minister, the dismissive tone he uses in interviews... I think power has really gone to this gov- ernment's head. You don't need to go into any deep Freudian analysis, or anything like that. Things really are that simple…" At the same time, however, the inevitable implosion of the Labour oligarchy only means the return of the Nationalist one instead. And the PN cannot claim the moral high ground on any of these issues (least of all, undeclared assets held in dodgy overseas jurisdictions by Cabinet ministers). So wouldn't a pendulum swing back to the Nationalists merely perpetuate the same cycle of cor- ruption and bad governance? Interview By Raphael Vassallo maltatoday, SUNDAY, 28 FEBRUARY 2016 Recipe for implosion