‘Continuity’ – Wayne Flask

In the end, against some notable odds – including internal rivalries and heavier abstentionism – Robert Abela’s had his way. The absurd 41,000 vote margin, possibly a mirage for Labour itself, saw the second son of the Abela dynasty pulverise Bernard Grech and the PN at the end of a lethargic, unengaging electoral campaign made up of unconvincing proposals.

Somehow, the lowest voter turnout since Independence still managed to hurt the opposition, which merely led a charm offensive where it tried to be a Labour MKII, playing the wobbly hand of being a ‘less corrupt’, ‘nicer’ establishment than their counterparts.

When Vincent Marmarà indicated, last week, that a portion of those who voted PN in 2017 weren’t bothered to back the party this time round, it sounded like an axe had fallen.

The PN needs to look hard at the mirror, and not for its own flattery. It’s time to reopen the proverbial windows to let in the fresh air, as one of their former party ideologues – in a time before emojis weren’t a thing – had put it after Malta joined the EU.

Since 2017, they have now managed to lose almost 13,000 votes, roughly the size of their 1993 majority, after 10 years of Labour government,...