Ħadt ħafna gost li fl-aħħar ġimgħa ta’ dil-kampanja elettorali, it-tema ewlenija daret biex tkun waħda dwar valuri. Forsi li skattaha kien ix-xokk mal-pajjiż kollu bl-arresti ta’ persuni akkużati bil-qtil tal-immigrant Ivorjan Lassana Cisse. Forsi li le. Imma li l-valuri tressqu lejn il-quċċata tal-aġenda f’dal-punt kruċjali jidhirli bħala żvilupp siewi.
Għax minkejja t-tqanżiħ tal-Oppożizzjoni, ma sibt lil ħadd fl-aħħar ġimgħat li jikkontesta s-suċċessi ekonomiċi u soċjali miksuba mill-gvern, b’kuntrast mar-riżultati medjokri jew agħar tal-amministrazzjoni Gonzi. F’dal-qasam, il-PL fil-gvern rebaħ b’walk-over.
Hu dwar kif se jintużaw il-kisbiet li d-dibattitu politiku jixraq li jikkonċentra. Fost oħrajn, is-suġġett tista’ tittrattah mil-lat ta’ liema valuri għandhom jiddeterminaw kif jitqassmu l-benefiċċji u l-piżijiet tat-tkabbir li jkun qiegħed jitwettaq. Jew tista’ tqisu mill-ħtieġa li jiġu sostnuti valuri jekk minħabba t-tkabbir ekonomiku, dawn jibdew jinqarsu.
SOĊJALIŻMU
Hawn diġà tkellimna dwar kif tal-PN fl-istess nifs jakkużaw lill-Partit Laburista li m’għadux soċjalista u li “reġà sar” soċjalista. Bħallikieku hemm xi gwaj filli jkollok dat-twemmin politiku.
Nara li hemm preġju kbir filli tkun tappartjeni lil-linja soċjalista, l-aktar kif ġiet imħaddma fl-Ewropa tal-Punent. Għal xi snin qabel it-“tmiem” tal-gwerra bierda, kienet daħlet il-frażi ta’“soċjaliżmu reali”, biex tindika l-linja ta’ min sab ruħu qrib tal-prattika li addottat l-Unjoni Sovjetika fit-tmexxija “soċjalista” tagħha. Kienet frażi użata mid-demokristjani l-aktar biex iċappsu lis-soċjaliżmu demokratiku bil-prattiċi politiċi tas-Sovjetiċi.
Minkejja dan, is-soċjaliżmu demokratiku għadu l-unika forza politika kapaċi li żżomm bilanċ raġonevoli bejn il-ħteġijiet tas-suq “ħieles” u l-bżonn fl-interess publiku li jkollna stat li lest jintervjeni biex jipproteġi.
EWROPA TAL-ĠNUS
Nerġa’ ngħid din ukoll: l-għajta Gollista ta’ Ewropa tal-ġnus… tan-nazzjonijiet kif hemm min jippreferi jpoġġiha… kienet waħda li għadha tgħodd għall-Ewropa ta’ żminijietna. Dnub li tħalliet tintesa, mil-lemin u mix-xellug… għax minkejja kollox, de Gaulle kellu wkoll nies fost is-soċjalisti Franċiżi li jaqblu ħafna ma’ parti mill-ideat tiegħu.
Illum l-għajta ġiet akkapparrata mil-lemin estrem. Għax qed jużaha hu, spiċċat żvalutata, waħda li triegħex bil-kbir lill-erwieħ tajba li jaħsbu li l-ġenna tinsab f’Ewropa magħquda taħt gvern wieħed. Imma minħabba l-mod kif l-għajta ġiet imħawra f’narrattiva xenofoba u mħabbla f’diskors neo-faxxista, mhux lilhom biss triegħex.
Dnub għax dak li de Gaulle ra fir-realtà Ewropea jidhirli li għadu jgħodd sal-lum: il-fatt li l-istorja tal-kontinent hi magħmula mill-esperjenza storika differenti u simili tal-ġnus li jagħmlu parti minnu. Hi esperjenza unika fid-dinja tal-bniedem.
Ma nafx kif tista’ tinħoloq għaqda fl-Ewropa billi tinjora din l-esperjenza. Wisq anqas billi tikkarikaturaha f’disinn neo-faxxista.
English Version – Values
I was greatly pleased that during the final week of the ongoing election campaign, the major theme switched to one about values. Perhaps what triggered it was the shock felt across the country at news of the arrests concerning the murder of Ivorian immigrant Lassana Cisse. Perhaps not. But that values were pushed up to the top of the agenda at this crucial point seemed to me to be a very welcome development.
For despite the Opposition’s tired sermonizing, I met nobody during the past weeks who tried to contest the fact that the government has achieved significant economic and social successes, by contrast to the mediocre results – or worse – chalked up by the Gonzi administration. In this area, the PL administration has come close to a walk-over.
It is on how to make use of such achievement that the political debate had best focus now. Among other avenues, one could approach the issue from the perspective of which values should determine how the benefits and burdens of the growth generated are to be distributed. Or one could consider it from the need to reinforce those values which have begun to buckle in the wake of economic growth.
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Socialism
Reference has already been made in this blog to PN representatives who in the same breath, accuse the Labour Party of not being socialist any more, and of having “reverted” to socialism. As if there is something wrong with having socialist beliefs.
To the contrary, for me it is quite clear that a sense of belonging to the socialist fellowship, mainly in the way it has been practised in Western Europe, is a source of strength. For some years prior to the “end” of the Cold War, the phrase “real socialism” had been introduced to describe the approaches of movements whose practices came close to those adopted by the then Soviet Union in the implementation of its brand of “socialism”. And it was also deployed by the christian democrats mostly to tar democratic socialism with the Soviets’ political practices.
This notwithstanding, democratic socialism remained the sole political force that is able to maintain a reasonable balance between the demands of the “free” market, and the public need for the state to be prepared to intervene in order to protect society.
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Europe of the nations
I will once again repeat: The Gaullist call for a Europe of the peoples… or of the nations, as some prefer to call it … was one that still makes sense for today’s Europe. It is a pity that both right and left have allowed it to be forgotten… for no matter what may be said one way or the other, de Gaulle also had French socialists who were in full agreement with a good slice of his ideas.
Today, his call has been appropriated by the extreme right. As a result, it has become devalued, a slogan that much mortifies those good souls who believe that heaven will be discovered in a Europe united under a single government. But, it also disturbs other people, given the way by which the call has been mixed into a xenophobic narrative and packaged in neo-fascist discourse.
This is a pity for what de Gaulle distinguished in the European reality is still relevant today: the fact that the continent’s history is made up of the different and yet similar historical experiences of its peoples. Europe is a unique experience in the development of humanity.
I just do not know how unity in Europe can be created while ignoring this experience. Or worse, by making out of it a neo-fascist caricature.
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