How have children of former politicians handled challenging times?
In recent weeks some politicians have made very public falls from grace. While many have cheered their downfall, others have raised concerns about the impact on the family. Claudia Calleja speaks to children of former politicians to find out how they handled challenging times.
‘When you’re in the public eye, hate and jealousy are inevitable’
When Rebecca Cassar, daughter of former Nationalist Party health minister Joe Cassar, was a child, her father’s job gave bullies an “easy-in” to pick on her.
And after their father, former Labour parliamentary secretary Franco Mercieca decided to enter the political arena, his four children say friends became strangers.
Children of politicians have faced hurtful comments, bullying, high expectations, lack of privacy, tension at home and lost friendships. And they still face it today in Malta.
When things get tough, and their parents are under the political spotlight for the wrong reasons, everything is magnified.
“It was not always easy waking up knowing about 30 per cent of the population dislikes your father, just because you have different political beliefs… In difficult times it would feel like this number would increase to about 80 per...