Through what is most likely the most senior member of the Nationalist setup, the PN has set the tone of what is to come should it be elected to power. Away from carefully choreographed appearances the Nationalist Party descended with all its force on a security guard that was simply doing his job. A worker, bullied, humiliated and intimidated whilst on duty, filmed, and exposed to the wrath of PN supporters on social media.

Nifs Gdid? The signs are there for everyone to see.

What happened is grave, and the fact that the PN campaign did not in any way condemn the events or express sympathy with the bullied workers is beyond belief.

Managing buildings, estates, facilities and even more so hospital grounds carries various responsibilities. Site rules and access control are the most basic of these. And hospitals in particular, strictly restrict or completely ban unauthorised photography, not out of choice but because they are obliged to do so, to protect patient privacy and wellbeing, for data protection laws, and also to ensure that the medical environment is not disrupted.

As if this shouldnt be obvious to everyone, let alone a political party that is aspiring to be trusted with Governing, not only the PN did not apologise for its out of order behaviour, but doubled down with its intimidatory behaviour by targeting an even larger number workers, who mind you, are also simply doing the obvious.

In a public statement the PN is making clear that it wants to name the workers, those who appointed them, how long they have been on the job, their job descriptions and responsibilities, and this, whilst continuing to exert pressure so that specific site rules that are not to their liking are not followed, so that thier political thirst for vengeance is satiated.  

If you are a public service employee diligently doing your duties, are you ready to be subjected to this kind of intimidation and public shaming? And again, not because you did something wrong, but simply due to the fact that you are performing the most basic functions of your job duties.

Can someone so erratic be trusted in Government. With the country’s finances? Can Malta afford a Prime Minister so weak that can’t even control his most senior party figure?

Can you just try to imagine how such weak characters will falter when having to defend Malta in international fora?

From behind the frills of the ‘nifs gdid’ campaign a dark wind is rising. And it doesn’t stop at the antics that occured on the hospital grounds.

The measures the PN is proposing are of serious concern. Terms like ‘Population Authority’, Army Task Forces, the active deployment of the army on the streets for ‘certain’ tasks – which movie impressed them? Did they even read their own measures out loud to themselves before announcing them?

Is this what the Maltese want? Is this what our disciplined corps are aspiring to be doing?

The PN campaign is a hotchpotch  of mixups, mistakes, contradictory ideas, and wary signs of a return to times and ways that have long been condemned and forgotten. May 30th will be a defining day.

The Maltese do not want to turn back the clock.

Malta wants stability. Positivity. The time of politicians waving their hands in the faces of helpless workers are long gone. Malta wants civil rights, freedoms, worker wellbeing. Malta wants progress. Malta wants to move to the next level where the current economic strength is converted into wellbeing, with an economy working for its people.