Social class in Malta needs an appropriate microscope setting.

Those some may think “have it” are still sensitive enough about old rough angles to want more in any which way, and end up reverting to type.

Exactly

It’s definitely about social class.

Years and years of brainwashing have led to people being primed to react antagonistically to those from a certain kind of social background. They don’t even realise why they’re reacting badly to them.

The hostility is so bad that it’s led to that kind of person being driven out of politics completely, and out of other areas of public life almost completely.

Had Austin Gatt been from any other background, he would have been praised for his behaviour. Nobody called John Dalli arrogant, for example. Ghax dak minn Hal Qormi, hamallu u minn taghna.

I don’t think it’s about social class.

Austin Gatt is a doer. He has always been chosen to fill complicated roles. Roles that many would describe as difficult.

He has always been the ideal candidate to fill unpopular roles, however his strategy was always to keep his followers and most of his collaborators happy.

This strategy and various tactics worked well in various scenarios particularly when he had an us and them situation. He also had a neck to surround himself with people that deliver.

In the last few years he was tasked with two of the most divisive tasks. When tackling these, namely the public transport and city gate, the than minister was in a different state of mind and he was working in a different environment.

1. This was not an us and them situation. The public opinion was fregmanted and politically the PN had lost its glitter. Getting support, even from the inner circle was not easy.

2. In both projects both the minister as well as the prim minister were more interested in doing the right thing than pleasing the masses. The Renzo Piano project, as with any artistic project is difficult to imagine.

3. The quality of people surrounding the minister had deteriorated.

4. Once he had decided to call it a day and knowing that Gege was not interested in politics he was willing to take greater risks. And the projects he had at hand required greater risks to be taken. Some worked better than others. But even in the public transport we ultimately got rid of the bus drivers and owners.

Li kieku kien xi hamallu ‘self-mejd’ kien joghgobom iktar, Joanne. Because as I said earlier in response to somebody else, people like us are not allowed to inhabit any sort of public space. ‘Posh’ people are only acceptable if they are self-debasing Labour lackeys chasing after Joseph and Michelle – otherwise they are arrogant and should, presumably, be removed from public view.