Gonzi on life support, Muscat with egg on his face

In 1998 Joseph Muscat had advised Alfred Sant that it is better to live a day as lion than a hundred days as a sheep. Sant took his advice and Labour was voted out of power. By pushing for a confidence vote, Muscat was consistent to the advice he gave Sant 14 years ago. The lion roared but did not bite.

The disappointment on the face of Labour MPs as they walked out of the house spoke volumes. Instead of letting the government implode in its contradictions, Muscat led the Opposition into a wall even if he was exercising a democratic prerogative.

On the other hand, Lawrence Gonzi admitted his readiness to humiliate himself in the interest of the nation.

I would question Gonzi's invocation of the national interest, as one may well argue that he did so to cling onto power. But Gonzi's timid approach paid off, at least for the moment. If he drags on irrespective of the vote, his position will be untenable. Therefore the glee on the face of Nationalist MPs is far from justified.

Without entering into the merits of the constitutional debate and the prerogatives of the President, politically the government does not command a majority to carry on with business as usual.

The last time Debono abstained on a no-confidence vote against a government minister, Gonzi felt the need to ask for a confidence vote in his government.  Now he is in a worse position than he was after Debono abstained on the Arriva motion. The government is now on life support.

The government will probably cling to power for a few months, reminding the opposition that back in 1997 a Labour government held to power through the casting vote of the speaker on a budget vote. But that would not eliminate the climate of political and economic uncertainty in the country.

Short of recovering Debono's support, Gonzi may gain some valuable time but he cannot escape the inevitable showdown.

The only silver lining in all this is that Franco Debono now has a golden opportunity to press on with reforms like that on party financing. Gonzi has already declared that he agrees with Debono's reforms. So why not grab this opportunity and enact these crucial reforms before the inevitable election?