Consistency and Alex Borg have not sat together really well since he became Leader of the Opposition. He imposed deadlines on himself that he didn’t keep – Click here, he promised measures that would either crash the economy or require around 75,000 new foreign workers – Click here, he also opposed the very own basics of the long standing mechanisms that govern civil sector salaries, threatening the salary structures of thousands of workers – Click here.

So saying that there is anticipation for his budget speech reaction is an understatement. This is his first significant speech, a speech that you can’t get away with just rhetoric. He is expected to man up and present himself as a real alternative. Not just a beginner that shoots from the hip. His age and inexperience are not acceptable excuses. The position he currently holds, and more importantly the one he aspires to hold, allows no mistakes when it comes to Malta’s finances and economy.

However, just a small spoiler alert, by what we’ve seen so far, we believe that no one is expecting that Alex Borg has written his own Monday speech.

Hint, hint, so what he’ll say depends on which part was written by whom.

The potential protagonists – Adrian Delia, his finance shadow cabinet representative, his newly appointed administration led by Sabine Agius Cabourdin, and Tonio Fenech the priced advisor he brought back into the limelight.

Energy Subsidies

Tonio Fench not only rekindles the Gonzi era memories, but is the personification of austerity, economic stagnation, growing unemployment, and excessive deficit procedures. Adrian Delia – who is continuing to be his own man – cleverly stated that those that create the problem, cannot be expected to be the ones to solve it. Good point. So why Tonio Fenech? The countless problems that Tonio Fenech created have long been solved by Labour, and Alex Borg’s decision to bring him back to the fold, leaves very little to imagination. The energy subsidies. Alex Borg has already hinted that the Labour’s energy policy to keep energy prices fixed is a short term measure. This is very dangerous, attacking the very measure that gave stability to the economy and allowed it to grow from strength to strength .

Punitive Taxes to Address Traffic

Corrective action can be taken by positive or negative reinforcement. This applies to almost anything from training a pet, to raising a child, and to running a country. The PN, when the country was literally running out of money to the extent that the EU had to act big brother and approve our budgets, they chose negative reinforcement, new taxes, the highest ever energy bills, reduced investment, etc.

Enters Sabine Agius Cabourdin – who already in 2019 had advocated taxing households with more than one car. And of course she would say that neither her nor the Nationalist Party agree with that measure now. But don’t expect anyone to take you seriously please. After all, the relationship between the PN and pre-electoral rhetoric and promises is definitely not one of credibility.

Highest Ever Salaries

Hold your horses, this is not for us commoners. The PN may do it once again. Remember the 500 euro weekly hidden increase? Just after Alex Borg made yet another mistake in criticising civil service salary structures, his mentor, and failed leadership contender Adrian Delia advocated much higher salaries for the political class – Click here.

For those of you still with a lot of anticipation, you have to wait a few more hours. But don’t take what he’ll be saying too seriously, as in any case, as the wind changes, so will his views.