A bang before the mid-terms: Abela’s reshuffle

1. Abela’s timing is an admission that something was needed to galvanise his government and arrest Labour’s decline before crucial mid-terms. 

In politics timing is a crucial factor. Instead of being overtaken by events, Abela wanted to start the year with a bang, surprising everyone including his own ministers, with a reshuffle announced in the feast of the Epiphany just before people started removing their Christmas decorations. The Cabinet changes were announced six months before local and MEP elections, which could either confirm Labour’s dominance or signal the start of a long decline which Abela seems keen on avoiding at all costs. By reshuffling his cards now, Abela seized the opportunity of setting the country’s political agenda and address head on the perception that his government is increasingly showing signs of lethargy amidst signs that a segment of Labour voters is tempted to blow a raspberry by not voting. To do so he addressed two categories of voters: traditional Labour voters in deep red territory by strengthening the Cabinet representation from the Second District through Glenn Bedingfield’s appointment as a junior minister; and middle of the road voters frustrated by traffic. 

2. By removing Aaron Farrugia from his cabinet, Abela has shown he can be ruthless in his decisions. 

Had Abela not removed transport and infrastructure minister Aaron Farrugia, the reshuffle would have passed as a minor exercise in musical chairs, mostly triggered by Chris Fearne being kicked upstairs to the European Commission.  Abela could have softened the blow by transferring Farrugia to another role in the Cabinet. This was exactly what Abela did to Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi who was given the Lands portfolio after losing planning and construction reform.  Instead, Abela deliberately chose to humiliate Farrugia - who may have been gaffe prone but was never accused of any serious impropriety - by singling him out as the only minister to be axed. This surely added drama to the reshuffle.  When asked, Abela insisted that Farrugia was not axed because he was bad in his job but because this was part of a process of “regeneration”. This suggests Farrugia has little left to contribute to this regeneration process unless Abela has something else in mind to keep the former minister on board. Abela may also be sending a message that he expects immediate action on one of the top concerns of the public - traffic.  The question is; what can Bonett do differently than Farrugia in this role? Moreover, Malta’s transport woes which stem from a failure to invest in a mass public transportation system in the wake of the increase in population, are not directly attributable to the actions of a single minister. It is also doubtful whether the government will contemplate any tough but necessary decisions like introducing parking meters and scaling down subsidies for petrol, before midterm elections. But as a charismatic newcomer, Bonett may benefit from the good will of the public, at least in his honeymoon period. 

3. Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri is now responsible for planning. The question is will he be listening to Gozitan Labour mayors like Paul Buttigieg who are up in arms against over development? 

Clint Camilleri is not known for his green credentials. But as a district strongman who feels the pulse of constituents, he cannot ignore the disfiguration of landscapes. Camilleri also hails from a district where numerous landowners have profited by selling properties to developers and are benefitting from current planning policies. Another risk of coupling Gozo and planning is that of a possible conflict when ministry projects are assessed by the Planning Authority. But Abela may see this as the perfect recipe for striking an elusive balance between environmental concerns and the pressures of the developers’ lobby by having a minister trusted by developers who can make the required changes. When justifying his choice, Abela hinted that as an architect himself Camilleri will give more importance to aesthetics. But this also suggests that there is little appetite for a radical overhaul of policies presently skewed in favour of developers.  Still the proof of the pudding will be in the eating. 

The planning portfolio’s transfer to Camilleri has also left a casualty - Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi. The latter lost his ministry and was only kept in the Cabinet after being given the Lands Authority, which was removed from Silvio Schembri’s ministry. Having a minister solely responsible for the byzantine and secretive Lands Authority could introduce greater accountability. This decision also came in the wake of criticism on the transfer of public land in Mellieha to a private developer.  But Schembri has been compensated for the loss by being handed back the enterprise portfolio and given the responsibility for ‘strategic projects’, whatever that means. 

4. Far from the most feminist government in history... Abela has lost an opportunity to increase the number of women in his Cabinet. 

Abela has lost an opportunity to increase the number of women in his Cabinet by for example elevating Alicia Bugeja Said or Rebecca Buttigieg to ministers.  Miriam Dalli and Julia Farrugia Portelli remain the only two female ministers while the number of female parliamentary secretaries has remained the same.  This suggests that the new gender mechanism in parliament has either not helped to increase the talent pool to enable wider representation of women; or has not been followed up by a mentality change in the male-dominated world of politics. 

The appointment of Naomi Cachia as the parliamentary group’s Whip does not compensate for this imbalance.  

5. Abela is banking on a bigger and more representative Cabinet and the injection of new energy, thus conveying the message that Labour can renew itself from within. 

Abela is being criticised for further increasing his Cabinet from 25 to 27 members. But while this further erodes the distinction between the legislative and the executive, with most Labour MPs being given executive roles, it also fosters a stronger team effort. Labour’s greatest success in the past decade was its ability to renew itself by constantly injecting new blood and thus avoid stagnation. This was in marked contrast with the post 2008 Gonzi administration which was characterised by a leaner Cabinet, a decision which contributed to increased conflicts between a restricted inner circle and rebel backbenchers. Moreover, a larger Cabinet also means that constituents are more likely to be represented in parliament by a minister or a parliamentary secretary who has access to the levers of power. This may be a double-edged sword as it could increase the likelihood of clientelism but also ensure that ministers are sensitive to the mood of constituents hailing from different districts. This emphasis on inclusion also makes Aaron Farrugia’s removal harder to decipher. Moreover, the departure of Chris Fearne will deprive the Cabinet of an all-rounder with a standing of his own and whose presence in Cabinet both compliments and counterbalances Abela’s more populist approach to politics.