Falzon’s apology has left his defenders out on a limb

Michael Falzon’s pitch-perfect apology for his betrayal of public trust and the trust placed in him by his prime minister and parliament has left his defenders out on a limb, looking as though they are the ones who don’t know the difference between wrong and right.

In their haste to tweet, speak and write in his defence, which veered dangerously into justifying what he did by making odious comparisons, it never occurred to the prime minister, his various aides, the army of Labour-inclined commenters on the internet, and not least Saviour Balzan and Matthew Vella (respectively, owner and editor of Malta Today) that Falzon himself might well be feeling rather less defensive, arrogant and self-justifying than they were.

It never occurred to them that he might come right out and say, in rather more words than this, “I was a law-breaking jerk who let everyone down. I’m bloody sorry for it.”

Never have Muscat’s lack of a moral compass and Saviour Balzan’s lack of intelligence been highlighted so superbly.