Tuesday, March 08, 2022

#Ħsibijiet (90): The most boring election ever?

Various voices in Malta's media sphere are noting that the 2022 general election looks conspicuous by how boring it is. The frenzy which usually characterizes elections in Malta, also seems to be missing in the streets. Of course, these observations leave out what is possibly happening behind the scenes, for example in house visits and closed meetings. What makes the news headlines and the social media rounds are not necessarily what reflect public sentiment. The 2017 general election was a clear example of this. 

I propose that the 'boring' hypothesis should be accompanied by other hypotheses, which, in turn, can intersect. For example, does a boring election reflect a maturing democracy? Does it reflect growing disenchantment, relative to the Maltese context? Is this due to what, according to surveys, looks like a clear victory for Labour? Is this due to external factors, most notably the Ukraine war and striving for 'normality' in this phase of the Pandemic?  

By User:Cavewiki - Parliament diagram tool, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=91622354