Signs of waning interest

If my newsfeed was anything to go by, the only people really watching the Muscat vs Busuttil debate were the already committed loyal supporters of both parties, while moderate voters with no real allegiance were busy doing other things.

The debate itself went over the same old ground, covering issues which have dominated the news over the last year, so this indifference is not surprising. I suppose there was some measure of curiosity as to which one of the two party leaders would fare better, but even that soon fizzled out as we were regaled with the by now stale jibes about the arlogg tal-lira and how much EU money was obtained by Gonzi.

MORE on MaltaToday: the Xarabank debate live-blog

There was no clear winner as far as I could see, just two men repeating slogans and accusations which they have used too many times before, mimicked by their followers online. Depending on the perspective of who was watching, Simon and Joseph both managed to achieve the remarkable feat of emerging as the one who swept the floor with the other. For everyone else who does not follow politics with the zeal of an organised religion, the reaction to the debate (if they managed to stick through with it to the end) was a shrug and a muttered ‘meh’.

The aftertaste was not so much one of disappointment as the more lethal feeling of apathy. The lack of real engagement with this debate points to a political climate which has turned as cold as the recent weather. I see this is a good thing as far as the national mood goes (it’s just too exhausting to have passions at such a fever pitch all the time), but bad news for the parties as they valiantly strive to muster enough enthusiasm to get out the vote for the MEP elections.

The problem with this particular election is that it has come at a point when the electorate has just about recovered from a reeling national election preceded by what felt like five years of constant campaigning. Because the Labour victory was immediately followed by the months of controversy over the Citizenship by Investment scheme, it feels like it is only now that we are on an even keel and have momentarily stopped arguing over a hot issue. Our senses had been constantly assaulted for far too long everywhere we turned, and now that things seem to have returned more or less to ‘normal’, most people have just gone back to dealing with the more important issues which make up the fabric of their own lives.

If I am sensing the atmosphere correctly, it seems that the majority of voters have taken a step back and are looking at what takes place in the political arena with a healthy dose of critical appraisal.

The euphoria over the 36,000 Labour majority has now settled; the sheer shock and disbelief at the magnitude of the PN defeat has now been shaken off. Gradually, as those who voted Labour dispassionately assess the pros and cons of the performance of this government, there will come a point when the gap between the two will revert back to its more natural proportions.

On the whole, those who were determined to oust the PN at all costs are still glad they did so, and have no regrets about having seen the back of them, but from now on, they will probably be less emotionally involved than they were in that landmark 2013 election.

The general consensus last year (which had been long in coming), was that having the same party in power for so long was not democratically healthy and voters voted accordingly. But now that this important political statement has been made, it should also serve as a warning to Labour that public opinion cannot be taken for granted, and those majority votes can be lost in the same way they were gained.

Similarly, it is still yet to be seen whether the attempts to make Simon Busuttil the leader the PN want (and desperately need) him to be, have succeeded. The MEP elections always serve primarily as a litmus test of a party’s support first, followed by the individual support enjoyed by the various candidates.

But this time round, getting people interested enough to actually vote is probably going to be the greatest challenge, as disenchantment with the whole political process continues to grow. And just as happens in a national election, it will be the non-voters who will really be speaking the loudest.

Josanne Cassar also blogs at www.josannecassar.com.mt