‘The People Are Angry’: Franco Debono Describes Survey Results As A ‘Political Earthquake’
Former PN MP Franco Debono has described today’s political survey results as an “earthquake” that could well trigger the start of something special for the Nationalist Party.
“The survey shows the people are angry and have had enough,” Debono said. “Now this anger has been exposed, it is likely to grow. This can be a new beginning. The PN must keep its feet on the ground and proceed with humility. The people are waking up, we are all Maltese siblings.”
In another post, he urged the PN to maintain a sense of prudence and caution and not to forget that it remains the political underdog.
Today’s MaltaToday survey indicates that the PL enjoys the trust of 30.8% of the electorate, its lowest figure in several years and an eight-point decline since a month. The PN has climbed six points to 28.4%, while the trust rating gap between Robert Abela and Bernard Grech has shrunk significantly.
While many have attributed this result to the Vitals-Steward scandal, Debono argued that it goes deeper than that.
“This earthquake of a survey took place in a week when Joseph Azzopardi was appointed Standards Commissioner,” he pointed out, before strongly criticising the government for changing the law to force his appointment through.
“Few people have made as many concrete constitutional proposals as I have done since Independence, and I can tell you that the filthy manoeuvres the government used to appoint him – its willingness to move the goalposts and change the law, – rank among the greatest stabs to democracy since Independence.”
“These dirty moves show that the government considers the two-thirds rule for certain appointments as nothing more than chewing gum – something you chew up and spit out. Besides the hospital scandal, today’s survey also reflects many episodes of gross arrogance, including vile attacks on the judiciary, that have become part of everyday life.”
A poll carried out by Lovin Malta last month, before Adrian Delia won his landmark court case against the hospitals deal, found that Debono was the second most popular candidate for PN leadership, behind only European Parliament President Roberta Metsola.
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