Nothing Too Sophisticated

Still trying to get my head around what to make of the current ambivalent PN situation...Adrian Delia is not the usual PN leader. He is not as proper and probably not as intellectual as former PN leaders. But that might just be his strength in the current context. Adrian Delia is more practical - basic even: one of the nouveau riche Malta has become so good at churning out - but that also makes him streetwise and a more parallel match to Labour's current bullies. One cannot call him a European politician, as Simon Busuttil so refreshingly was: the way he approaches subjects like abortion, on which Malta contradicts Europe, and gender quotas, betray that he is not aware enough on such topics. The way he carries himself, along with his glitzy wife, is also far from the demure, sensible way former PN leaders did. However, he has a refreshing way of being candid and spontaneous, albeit potentially still politically naive. What he certainly isn't, though, is argumentatively naive. His experience as a litigator serves him well, making him a good speaker. Personally, I obviously much prefer the former line of PN leaders, though I disliked their conservative leaning, but Delia might be the closest to what the PN might need to rival the current populist Muscat. Sadly, he is basically more accessible to a larger part of the Maltese population. Whether one should pander to that, or continue educating and attracting people to a more sophisticated level is another matter. In any case, it is sad that in Malta, nothing too sophisticated can survive. Or maybe wait, is that the consequence of democracy itself..?

On the other hand, I was surprised at how readily the press has typically oversimplified and consequently demonised Delia's maiden speech. Some annoying antiquated points and uncalled-for harking back to the distant 80s, yet well-written (congrats to the speech writer, Pierre Portelli?) and powerfully delivered. Nothing wrong or backward with advocating morality (I personally agree as regards prostitution, for one), which is not equivalent to traditional or religious values, as he himself pointed out when he said "mhux il-Kurja". "Kattolici u Latini" line unfortunate but to be fair it was said in a more figurative and suggestive sense, and there were several other 

refreshing phrases that the press shoddily missed, including: "socjeta' kbira u gvern zghir", "mhux problema ta' hofor", "zvilupp sostenibbli", "familja ta' kull daqs u ta' kull xorta", "generozita' socjali, "bla ruh" - doesn't refer merely to religious issues, his refreshing criticism of the educational system and of keeping people ignorant as it's cheaper to win the votes of ignorant people, and a much-needed, insightful questioning of a system of stressful, mindless exams after which students forget everything anyway and which categorises persons into boxes. Additionally, he mentioned valuable points like the environment, transport, precarious employment and lonely people, plural family forms. Also, a good explanation of 'surplus' and how it can be achieved by not investing in public social needs, something many Maltese still fail to see. Drugs, abortion and surrogacy issues are tricky. Of course, Delia's own skeletons in the closet remain of concern.