Founder and co-owner of MaltaToday, Saviour Balzan has reported on Maltese politics and...
Tickle my imagination
Saviour Balzan compares the two campaigns and uncovers the TVM’s solution to rescuing an ageing government
Listening to both Lawrence Gonzi and Joseph Muscat I tried hard to fight my emotions. They are accomplished speakers and both know how to tickle your fancy.
Yet it is quite amazing to see the reversal of roles. Four years ago the Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi was flanked by young faces.
The campaign was all about him.
Four years later he is surrounded by old faces presenting themselves as candidates.
This time round, it is Joseph Muscat who has a regiment of young faces, pretty faces behind facing a sea of people who do not even resemble what the Labour party remotely looked like four years ago.
It is all about imagery.
But if you ask me, Muscat is winning hands down.
This has of course worried the PN who have scurried to the trenches and planned their most effective campaign for the coming weeks.
It is not the economy.
No, STUPID!
The solution is TVM.
In their schedule headed by chairman Joe Mizzi, the man who believes he should not answer questions put to him, we have seen the whole current affairs programme hijacked by PN apologists.
With the exception of Brian Hansford, who with all due respect has a problem putting a sentence together and cannot host a decent programme. Yet to Anton Attard it is okay having such an incapable presenter on State TV because that way TVM can argue they have a labourite!
It is quite amazing to see how Where's Everybody together with individuals such as Pierre Portelli and Natalino Fenech will model programmes according to how they interpret the news.
Just wait and see.
Just ask CEO Anton Attard who TVM plan to invite in the next weeks ahead on those programmes best known for their partisan bias. And whether Mr Anton Attard will be allowing the opposition to choose its own choice of people?
It reminds me of the time together with Joe Azzopardi we took to the streets and protested against Xandir Dardir.
Then Joe was very different man. Then he was full of ideals and unwilling to adulate politicians and willing to be a voice for those who did not have a voice.
The tables have turned and now the Joe Azzopardi's of yesteryear have transformed themselves into dynamic propaganda machines unwilling to allow for a free and unadulterated debate that is untainted and free from spin and political interference.
Who is who?
Lou Bondi - well someone who believes that anyone who is not a Nationalist is a zombie.
Joe Azzopardi - well someone who always finds a way of pretending he is independent and not connected with the establishment.
Natalino Fenech - not trusted by the Opposition party and those like myself who know him well.
Pierre Portelli - effectively someone who thinks that he can be taken seriously and considered to be an independent journalist.
Anton Attard - he denied that he is moving to The Times and we believe him. Someone who also has forgotten what conflict of interest is all about.
Lawrence Gonzi - Someone who does not wish to leave Castille.
Joseph Muscat - Someone who is dying to get into Castille.
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