Compared to what went on in Europe in the past few days, political developments in Malta during the European Parliament election race were just a walk in the park. The only tensions that arose locally were linked to the long-drawn-out electoral process that traditionally took so long until the pivotal sixth seat was decided upon.

While one sincerely hopes that the European project will not end up derailed, it has become increasingly evident that ‘business as usual’ is most unlikely to remain an option.

While Malta’s winning side came out with its standing further enhanced through a massive vote of confidence, irrespective of the angle from which one may look at the European political landscape one will come across what Ian Traynor described as the walking wounded – their credibility battered, their reputations bruised and their policies discredited.

No matter how hard one may try to believe that the new kids on the block in the extremist parties are a rude, arrogant and extremist lot, playing down the impact of the popular vote in so many countries right across the continent will only show a further detachment from the reality on the ground as it has been long evolving.

When push comes to shove, these various factions might find it hard to try to get their anti-European ways to gel, but playing down the impact of such a bizarre vote can only come at a cost. This would reinforce the perception that a number of European leaders could be detached from the cause of this emergent bizarre scenario.

There have been so many blows to the political centre that one should instantly realise that it is the whole system that is under attack by none other than the voters themselves.

In many a country the establishment has been rocked. It is high time we all asked why. What is the common denominating factor? Was it an attack on Europe itself or also on the way many national governments have performed in office, particularly since many campaigns were limited to purely domestic issues and affairs?

Will governing parties start emulating the platforms of the extremist political groups or will they do their utmost to stand up more than ever for responsibility and competence?

Even though most of the successful fringe groups continue to come across as a weak governing proposition, it is high time for one to distinguish between mere outbursts of frustration and fury and the real quest for good governance that has been lacking in a number of countries.

Time will tell whether voters shift their mood and mindsets when they get down to the task of voting for their own national governments.

Practical, level-headed, honest governments might be in short supply but these have never been needed more than in these difficult times. People need to see tangible improvements in their daily lives rather than mere rhetoric.

This malaise started spreading at the time of the financial crisis five years ago only to morph into a massive political crisis during the past few days. The feeling of political impotence among the electorate has grown progressively in recent years as austerity kicked in, and many citizens felt that their governments were increasingly growing more and more detached from them and their sense of priorities and major concerns.

As many European leaders have been busy fighting for their job, while others have actually lost it, it will take some time until these political forces will find enough time and energy to focus on what should be their primary target – the disillusioned and dispirited electorate itself.

Many governing parties and a number of Opposition parties across Europe have been asking why it had to be fringe parties rather than they who captured the prevailing mood in their respective countries. Finding out the reason why is key to any genuine recovery and the beginning of an actual and effective reversal of fortunes.

A down-to-earth analysis will reveal that several health warnings need to be attached to the results obtained. The shifts in European politics in many a country have been too fundamental to be dismissed as a mere freak.

While the urgent need for parties with centrist political appeal to regroup and even compromise among themselves to forge a common front has its own logic, there are some who have already expressed the fear that stitching up such coalition deals behind closed doors can exacerbate further the inherent problem rather than offering a solution to this political impasse that can turn out to be long-drawn.

All parties who embody the politics rejected a weekend ago will find the going tough indeed.

This sense of popular frustration is likely to prevail so long as they continue to come across as being neither connected nor responsive to the anxieties of ordinary Europeans, regardless of their original political roots and orientation.

Reacting hysterically is not the solution. But resorting to complacency could be even worse.

I am confident that thanks to the clear-cut result in Malta notwithstanding the increasing number of people who deliberately chose not to vote, we should be thankful that we seem to be the least likely to be hit by the massive Europe-wide tsunami just experienced.

We will all be doing each other a good turn by continuing to address the real and pressing angers and fears of the public by continuing to reassure them that any decisions taken will be in their own best interests.

These traumatic days for Europe should serve as a reality check for all policies, to help us ensure they continue to stem from what people need, want and deserve rather than being imposed top down as some other governments have done.

If Europe learns its lesson it might still not be too late for it to reconnect with its own public.

Leo Brincat is Minister for Sustainable Development and the Environment.