The news carried by the Times of Malta would be interesting if it weren’t so grim. Apparently, after having turned an election around partially on the premise that a vote for Gonzi is a vote for not only stable finances and peace of mind it turns out that our deficit has since swelled to a heart-stopping € 3.4688 billion, which amounts to approximately € 15,000 per working individual, give or take a few thousand depending on how optimistic your view of employment figures is. The Times of Malta also reported that in all of this government spending relative to revenues continues to rise.

OK so it is nothing new. Malta has been running on a deficit for years. This is not what primarily concerns me about the news, though I would like to see the deficit disappear. What I cannot understand is how all this fits into Lawrence Gonzi’s pre-election vision to reduce the deficit to within European Union standards? How does this fit with his campaigning on the ticket of financial stability and peace of mind? Is it possible that he does not have a clue, even as recent finance minister, about what is going on for as far as the economy of the country he is leading is concerned?

Either way it is clear that the Maltese Islands are slowly but surely becoming further mired within a swamp of debt. It is also just another example of the dishonesty of Nationalist campaigning during the election. Why is it that roses always wither into ashes after the outcome of any election is decided and known?

Actually, let me take this opportunity to tell you why. But first a few more questions. Why is it that the electricity surcharge was all but forgotten in the last election? Why is it that the number of illegal immigrants entering the Maltese Islands decreased sharply in 2007? Why is it that the privatization drive slowed prior to the election and now we seem to be back on the privatization track (with the recent strike being a direct result of it – cause and effect)?

What if it was all tied in with an electoral effort? What if our political elite are intentionally placing the Islands through a 3-year lean period so as to cover their tracks in the run-up to the election? What if the population is gullible enough to fall for it? Would this not explain the roller-coaster ride that is the Maltese economy, so intricately tied in with the political calender?

The question on my mind is, why should the Maltese people, so clearly deceived, put up with such a government? Why should the people not take a stand and tell the Nationalist government where to shove their new-found post-electoral deficit and surcharge and demand their right to reconsider their votes cast in a fog of lies? Are the people afraid of their servant, the government?