Gianluca Bezzina, the singing and smiling doctor who had won the hearts of Eurovision-crazy Malta, made a cringe-worthy intervention at the Nationalist Party’s latest “find myself” jamboree. While executive members were being elected in mind-bending gender-strict parity, and while bets were still out on the horses that would qualify for the race for Sec-Gen, Gianluca giggled and smiled his way clumsily on a podium that was intended for political discussion. Bezzina was not the only ‘outsider’ to the latest in political roadshows being offered by the main political parties. KSU President, Gayle Lynn Callus, also turned up for an appearance that was so wrong for all sides involved.
It is easy to pinpoint Callus’ presence at a party conference as being out of place. The University Student Council’s highest representative has no place in a party jamboree. No amount of underlining his supposed aloofness will survive the damage to the symbol of student representation. The reply to an invitation by Dr Busuttil should have been “thanks but no thanks”. With all the goodwill in the world one cannot underestimate the importance of such separations as exist between student unions and parties being reinforced and underlined. Not undermined.
Back to Gianluca though. I am highly critical of his intervention insofar as delivery is concerned. There was a mix of embarrassment and that kind of attitude that I find so jarring when people speak about politics as though it only happens to other people. “I am only here by chance” they seem to say, or “I would normally not be seen dead doing or thinking politics” – it’s for other people. Yet Gianluca had donned his gloves and sterile suit and was prepared to brave the germs and viruses of “politics” in order to transmit what he deems to be his message. And transmit he did. Bar the heavy handed reference to abortion and the ambiguous reference to the dangers of unbridled liberalism I did find that the young man managed to hold his ground. His message, after all, was that values are not a bargaining chip and can never be sold in order to obtain votes. Bravo I say. Bravo again.
This blog has long called upon the nationalist party to look inward and define itself through clear values and principles before daring to propose itself as an alternative solution to the current mess and claim to be able to make a difference. Busuttil’s stewardship should involve this period of discovery and definition and many would agree with Gianluca that a clear compass of principles is what it takes to lead and not to follow or deceive.
All guns were opened on Gianluca. He is known as being a particularly religious person and (as MaltaToday’s Matthew Vella seemed ever so eager to remind us) he has gone on record as calling the bible his favourite book and inspiration. His warnings to the PN were read as though this was a call to arms for the “religio” side of the party and a call for a heavy dose of conservatism that would counter the headless liberalism championed opportunistically by Muscat’s movement. No abusive epithet was saved in what was another clear demonstration of a symptom of the times.
Bezzina’s detractors read much into his speech that was not said. According to them his was a call to abolish civil unions, he is a gay-hating, liberal despising, mangiasanti cagadiavoli, bible-basher. Shame on him and shame on the PN for having used him to present this agenda. What rubbish. What a load of rubbish. Bezzina’s call was not so much about the content or type of the principles but about having them in the first place. His was a call to which many others, as this blog has done many a time, should rally. It is not the straw man monster that the supposed liberal community seem to have built.
The detractors would very much prefer Muscat’s courting and paying lip service to the liberal values – no matter how haphazard the legislation that is introduced, no matter how half-hearted and half-arsed the work that is produced is. Bezzina is calling for the PN to double up on the work that it still has not done. The PN needs to set its compass clearly – it needs to take a position. It does not have the answers yet. It is still working as an opposition – feeding on the ever increasing undemocratic obscenities committed by this government. In order to be credible it must define and clearly state its values.
In order to state them it must be bold and be prepared to lose votes temporarily (cue Bezzina’s values before votes). It cannot afford another Spring Hunting fiasco. it must be clear and direct as though it was already taking decisions to govern. It cannot sit on the wall and please everyone. It must be clear on its policies – from civil unions to policy on ODZ. It must continue to question its beliefs and define them. That is the real way to become stronger and make a difference.
Voters have had enough of gimmicks and plastic quotas in order to promote an equal amount of male or female faces. Voters have now, more than ever, had enough of the false prophets who once elected to power start to pull rabbits out of the hat and forget representation. Voters want concrete policy and concrete facts. They are finally expecting of a party what they should always have expected.
Simon Busuttil and co better take note. Because Tomorrow will be too late.
