Defiance, frustration and the battle for the Labour Party’s soul

Alex Agius Saliba and Daniel Attard abstained from voting for Roberta Metsola when MEPs re-elected her president of the European Parliament last week. 

Agius Saliba and Attard justified their vote by citing a difference in principles with Metsola, claiming they were consistent with what they had said during the election campaign. 

But back in Malta their decision to abstain did not go unnoticed among senior Labour Party functionaries, who interpreted it as an act of defiance to the party leader. 

Last month, Prime Minister Robert Abela said he will support Metsola as a Maltese national despite having differences with her. Only Labour MEP Thomas Bajada followed his lead. 

Robert Abela congratulated Roberta Metsola for her election as EP president but side-stepped questions on the abstention of Alex Agius Saliba and Daniel Attard

“Alex and Daniel had every right to vote as they please, but their action is symbolic of the growing rift within the Labour Party that sees the Joseph Muscat faction manoeuvring to weaken Robert Abela,” a source in the party’s executive, who was granted anonymity to speak freely about internal matters, told MaltaToday. 

Alex Agius Saliba had been the first PL MEP candidate to invite Joseph Muscat to address supporters at the launch of his election campaign in March, giving the former disgraced prime minister a platform at a time when speculation was rife, he could be a candidate. 

The same source said Muscat never had the intention of running but the enthusiasm created around a potential bid was intentioned to take the wind out of Abela’s sails. 

“Joseph and his clique were supporting Alex Agius Saliba all the way because they see him as a potential leader after Robert Abela and someone who could be sympathetic to their cause,” the source said.

A September showdown 

Another source said Abela’s leadership is not at stake but confirmed there was a lot of “manoeuvring” underway to weaken his position. The source said the PL will be heading for a showdown of sorts in September when the party elects its executive and administration and a new deputy leader to replace the outgoing Daniel Micallef. 

“People close to Joseph Muscat have been using social media to target people in the current administration in what is a clear attempt to lay the groundwork for a possible takeover by individuals who could be more sympathetic to the former leader,” the source said. 

Labour Party deputy leader for party affairs Daniel Micallef will be stepping down and an election to replace him will be held sometime in September

So far, no challengers have come forward in a game described by another source as a “tragic soap opera”. 

“What is leaving me bewildered is Robert Abela’s apparent inability to defend people in the administration from these attacks, even though he knows he is the ultimate target,” the third source told MaltaToday. “There is an internal fight that is brewing for the soul of the Labour Party.” 

But the battle lines are anything but clear with Abela caught in a state of paralysis in the aftermath of the local and European elections.

Militants vs moderates 

The Prime Minister has failed to take any meaningful action in public to signal some form of change in direction after the election results. In the absence of a clear roadmap different people and different factions are pulling in every direction. 

“There are those who feel the Labour Party must get closer to its grassroots and appear more militant, while others feel it must reach out again to the moderate middle ground, which was put off by the shenanigans outside the courthouse when Joseph Muscat was arraigned,” another source said. 

Birkirkara was left with a hung council but Labour's highest scoring councillor, Yana Debono Grech, defied party orders to support the independent candidate in the vote to appoint a mayor (Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday)

The internal friction has not only been exported to Brussels but was also on full display when Labour councillors in Birkirkara were asked to vote for the independent candidate as mayor. The decision led to Yana Debono Grech, granddaughter of Labour veteran Joe Debono Grech, resigning from the party after she broke ranks and abstained. Debono Grech obtained the most votes and is expecting to be the PL’s only contender for mayor even though Birkirkara has a hung council. 

Abela came under fire over the instructions given to the PL councillors to support the independent candidate and in subsequent comments he suggested Debono Grech could also find herself in a position of authority, hinting at some form of role in the party’s structures or possibly even parliament. 

“It is clear that Robert Abela does not enjoy undisputed authority over the party and part of the problem is his attitude of leaving people unsure where he stands on an issue,” another source suggested, adding the PL is destined for a “red hot summer”.