It’s not over for Toni Abela yet

Toni Abela was categorically rejected by the MEPs in the budgetary committee yesterday, and when that happens, it is the usual decent and sensible practice for the candidate to withdraw after such a humiliating statement of ‘you are thoroughly unsuitable and we don’t want you’.

But many people seem to be unaware that there is another round up ahead should Abela choose to tough it out and not withdraw. If that happens, then on 28th April he will face a vote in the European Parliament itself. He can either choose to take the risk of another massive rejection there, or decide to take a gamble on his and Malta’s pride and set himself up for the coconut shy. And if he does, until then Muscat will be pulling all the strings possible to get him through.

My understanding of the personalities involved tells me that Abela’s first reaction will be to want to pull out of the race completely, but that Muscat will put him under pressure to stay on, which will win him another six weeks or so to find a solution to what is now a major problem for him. Of course, that means that when (if?) Abela is rejected at the final round on 28th April, Muscat will have an even bigger problem on his hands, but his track record shows us clearly that he plans only as far as the instant, immediate result he needs without a thought for the consequences beyond that.

There is another point which needs to be underlined: the vote yesterday was by secret ballot and there is no way on earth that the government, the Labour Party and its fellow travellers can possibly know who voted for Abela and who against. So the government’s statement thanking this political group or that is ridiculous.