Nostalġija

Tqanqalt dan l-aħħar nara viżwal qasir fil-verżjoni internet ta’ gazzetta lokali, li wera Tas-Sliema f’nofs is-snin ħamsin. Hu ambjent li sparixxa għal kollox. Biss, indunajt kif għadni niftakru f’dettall kbir mis-snin ta’ tfuliti.

Ix-Xatt b’fuq naħa it-tinda kbira fejn jinġabru l-karozzini biż-żwiemel, fuq l-oħra, it-tinda fejn tittrakka l-lanċa ta’ Marsamxett. Triq it-Torri fejn il-karrozzi jidhru mitlufa fl-ispazji vojta tat-triq. Imbagħad l-esplanade li tibda mix-Chalet, binja mitluqa għal ġol-baħar li kienet tintuża bħala post ta’ divertiment – illum imneħħija għal kollox. U l-mixja sal-Exiles, u l-Balluta, b’San Ġiljan fuq in-naħa l-oħra tal-bajja, għerja mill-bini mostruż li rvinaha matul id-deċennji.

M’hemmx mod ieħor kif tfisser dak li ħassejt – nostalġija kbira. Mhux biss għax bħal Marcel Proust, tlaqt infittex żmien li għadda u telaq, imma wkoll għax Tas-Sliema u ta’ madwarha kienu f’qagħda ħafna aħjar fis-snin ħamsin milli jinsabu fiha llum.

BLA FEJN JOQOGĦDU

Frankament ma nistax nifhem il-loġika soċjali (umanitarja) ta’ dak li jsir meta skwadra tal-pulizija tidħol f’binjiet fejn iva, immigranti irregolari – tal-lewn iswed, aħjar ngħidu l-affarijiet kif inhuma – jgħixu f’kondizzjonijiet primittivi bħal tal-bhejjem… żwiemel…, jew agħar, u jkeċċuhom minn hemm.

Dawn l-istess nies bħalna: issa li tkeċċew, fejn se jmorru? Hi l-aqwa miżura li ma tħallihomx jgħixu f’kondizzjonjiet skwallidi u inumani… sakemm tipprovdi alternattiva. Li mhux qed isir.

Il-loġika tal-vittmi hi ħafna aktar ċara. Agħtuna nifs: jekk ma tistgħux jew ma tridux tipprovdulna post xieraq fejn ngħixu bi ħlas li nifilħu għalih, ħalluna talanqas ngħixu f’dal-maqjel. B’hekk inkunu nistgħu nibqgħu insostnu bix-xogħol tagħna l-ekonomija tagħkom li qed tiffjorixxi!

MAĠĠORANZA KWALIFIKATA

Fi ħdan il-Kummissjoni Ewropea (il-qadima u l-ġdida), kif ukoll fil-Parlament Ewropew, żdied id-diskors favur il-ħtieġa li miżuri f’oqsma Ewropej ewlenin jibdew jittieħdu b’maġġoranza kwalifikata: jiġifieri mhux b’unanimità imma b’maġġoranza ta’ “żewġ terzi” jew aktar. Jekk ma jsirx hekk, jintqal, deċiżjonijiet fuq materji kruċjali se jibqgħu paralizzati.

Għal pajjiż bħal Malta, dil-ħaġa tinstema attrajenti meta titqajjem għal suġġetti bħall-immigrazzjoni. Riforma tal-ftehim ta’ Dublin dwar kif u fejn jinżammu l-immigranti li jaslu fl-Ewropa hi meħtieġa favur il-pajjiżi tal-“fruntiera”. Dawn qed ikollhom iżommu għandhom l-immigranti li jaslu. M’hemmx unanimità fuq il-bidla meħtieġa li baqgħet ma saritx. B’maġġoranza kwalifikata tiddaħħal.

Imma kemm jaqblilna li l-istess proċedura ta’ maġġoranza kwalifikata tidħol dwar politika ta’ tassazzjoni? Jew dwar il-politika barranija? Jew dwar id-difiża?

Fuq kollox, hemm periklu ċar li b’dil-proċedura jitqawwew mhux jonqsu l-firdiet li kibru b’mod sotterran bejn reġjuni u pajjiżi differenti tal-Unjoni.

English Version – Nostalgia

For me, it was quite moving to watch recently on the website of a local paper a short video of Sliema in the mid-fifties. Most of all it shows has disappeared completely. Yet I realized how well I still remember it in great detail.

The Ferries, with on one side the huge shed where the horse drawn karozzini would assemble, and on the other, the shed where the Marsamxett ferryboat berthed. Tower Road where cars were so few in the wide spaces of the empty (then) thoroughfare. Further, the esplanade which set out from the Chalet, a structure stretching into the sea to serve as an entertainment palace, now totally dismantled. And the promenade to the Exiles and Balluta bay, with St Julian’s on the opposite side, totally free at that time from the monstruous buildings that contributed to its ruin in later decades.

There’s no better word for what I felt – a deep nostalgia. Marcel Proust endeavoured to recover time past and lost, and that was part of it; but also the feeling that Sliema and its neighbourhoods were in a much better shape in the 1950’s than the one they are in today.

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Nowhere to live

Frankly, I fail to understand the social (humanitarian) logic of what happens when a police force enters buidlings where yes, irregular migrants – and let’s be clear and say it how it is, they’re black – live in primitive conditions suitable for animals, horses perhaps or worse. And they kick them out.

So these people – they’re all like us true? we’re all equal! – now they’ve been evicted, where can they go? It’s all so fine not to let them live in squalid and inhuman conditions… so long as one provides some alternative. This is not happening.

The life logic of the people concerned is much clearer. Give us a chance: if you cannot or do not want to provide us with a decent place to live in at a rent we can afford, allow us at least to live in a pigsty. This way, we can with our work continue to sustain your economy which is booming!

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Qualified majority

Within the European Commission (both new and old) as well as the European Parliament, stands are increasingly being taken in favour of the need for decisions in important European domains to be taken with a qualified majority: which means they will not need unanimity but a “two thirds” majority or more. Unless this happens, so the argument goes, paralysis will continue to prevail in crucial areas.

For a country like Malta, this idea might sound appealing when raised on subjects like immigration. A reform of the Dublin agreement about how and where immigrants arriving in Europe should be accomodated is necessary to improve the position of “frontier” states. These are obligated under the agreement, to host all arriving immigrants. There is no unanimity in favour of this necessary change and so it remains pending. With a qualified majority it could be adopted.

But would it be in Malta’s interests were the same qualified majority procedure to apply to tax policy? to foreign policy? to defence policy?

Above all, there is a clear danger that such a procedure would reinforce rather than diminish the centripetal forces which have increased in a subterranean way between different regions and countries of the Union.