Irrespective of whether you agree or disagree with them, both Joseph Muscat and Simon Busuttil are successful men with many accomplishments that average people would only dream of. They had successful careers as they were both in the European Parliament and leaders of their own respective parties. Both also achieved such success at relatively young ages and formed one of the most heated political relationships in recent times.
When one would examine both individuals, although successful in their own right, one has something the other does not, and vice versa!
Joseph Muscat has served as the Prime Minister of Malta, and led the Labour party to two general election landslide victories, one of which over arch-rival Simon Busuttil. In terms of local politics, Joseph Muscat has won it all, boasting a remarkable ten election wins, making him one of the most successful politicians in Maltese history. He also got the better of Simon Busuttil when he was accused of having owned the mysterious company Egrant, and still won the election in landslide fashion. This occasion had indeed tainted Simon Busuttil’s political career as following this heavy defeat, he had little choice but to resign from the leadership role of the Nationalist party. In this respect, Simon Busuttil is the only former leader of a political party to have never become Prime Minister. A record he most definitely will not hold dear.
Following such a successful career in Maltese politics, many would have dubbed Joseph Muscat for a senior role within the European Parliament. It was something he would not deny he wanted and seemed to be a fitting path for one of Malta’s most successful Prime Ministers. Following however, a string of corruption claims, culminating into the implications that key members of his office and cabinet were involved in some way or another in the Daphne Caruana Galizia assassination investigation case, the chances for a top job in the European Parliament became very grim. Joseph Muscat had to resign from office, leaving the post he once led with such conviction and success in disgraced fashion.
You might ask, where is the irony in all this? Simon Busuttil has recently announced that he will be leaving Maltese Parliament to become Secretary-General of the European People’s Party. Following this announcement, many have expressed admiration towards Simon Busuttil for never giving up on the fight against corruption involving the Labour clan. Talk about having the last laugh!
So who do you think ended up with the upper hand? Who knows! One thing is for certain. Each one has achieved something the other wants and vice-versa.
