Jidher li hemm malintiż dwar fhiex jikkonsisti l-valur għall-ekonomija tagħna filli jkun hawn barranin jaħdmu fostna. Qisu li dal-fatt minnu nnifsu juri kemm tkun b’saħħitha l-ekonomija. Biss il-mistoqsija t-tajba hi: Il-ħaddiema barranin x’rwol qed jieħdu? Ta’ liema siwi ekonomiku qed ikunu?
Għax fl-istorja tal-gżejjer tagħna kważi dejjem kellna fostna barranin f’numru kbir jgħixu u jaħdmu hawn. Fi żmien il-Kavalieri pereżempju, bis-segwaċi li ġabu magħhom (biex ma nsemmux lill-ilsiera). Fil-biċċa l-kbira dawn kienu nvoluti fil-qasam tas-servizzi “militari” imma l-attività tagħhom kellha wkoll dimensjoni ekonomika. L-istess jista’ jintqal għal żmien il-ħakma tal-Brittaniċi.
It-test ewlieni mhuwiex kemm ħaddiema barranin qed isibu jaħdmu fostna fi żmien fejn il-qgħad laħaq livell storikament mill-aktar baxx.
It-test irid ikun ukoll dwar jekk il-ħaddiema barranin humiex jagħmlu xogħol li l-Maltin ma jridux jew ma jafux jagħmlu? Xogħol li mingħajru l-ekonomija Maltija togħtor? Xogħol li jagħmluh ħafna aħjar mill-ħaddiema Maltin u b’irħas?
Mistoqsijiet li jridu jintrabtu ma’ oħra: X’jiġri jekk il-ħaddiema barranin jitilqu mil-lum għal għada?
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MACRON MA’ MIN?
Kurjuża l-kwistjoni ta’ kif il-politika Franċiża se tippożizzjona ruħha fit-tħejjija għall-elezzjonijiet tal-Parlament Ewropew f’Mejju 2019. L-akbar partit politiku fi Franza issa hu – u bil-kbir – La Republique en marche: Ir-republika tavvanza, LRM, tal-President Macron. Hu partit li sa issa m’għandu l-ebda rappreżentanza formali fil-Parlament Ewropew u ma jinsab affiljat mal-ebda grupp.
Bil-President Franċiż li diġà ħa rwol ewlieni f’moviment lejn “riforma” Ewropea li għadha tittituba, is-sitwazzjoni hi ambigwa. Macron se jingħaqad ma’ xi grupp eżistenti? – u jissemmew il-Liberali. Sa issa f’pajjiżu, fejn ma jeżistix kurrent “liberali”, hu pprefera joħloq ferq għal rasu.
Kummentaturi jispekulaw li jrid jibni linja tiegħu fl-Ewropa wkoll. Filfatt saħaq dwar il-ħtieġa ta’ “konvenzjonijiet” popolari mal-kontinent biex jiddiskutu l-futur tal-Unjoni Ewropea, it-tattika li uża fil-kampanja presidenzjali Franċiża.
Hu dubjuż jekk jistax jasal fiż-żmien qasir li fadal.
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IRMIED
L-“istaġun” tar-Randan jibda biċ-ċelebrazzjoni tal-irmied (għalkemm dis-sena din ġiet segwita mit-tkomplija taċ-ċelebrazzjoni tal-Karnival). Madankollu mhux ċar kemm l-irmied għadhom jissimbolizzaw f’moħħna, l-istat futur ta’ ġisimna wara l-mewt.
Aktar sar iqanqal xbihat ta’ dwejjaq ambjentali – bħal fit-tniġġis mill-fabriki u karozzi, bit-twaddib ta’ fdalijiet ta’ żjut li jikkontaminaw l-atmosfera; jew xbihat ta’ dħaħen li joħorġu mill-vulkani biex joħolqu diżgwid fit-titjir tal-ajruplani.
Forsi l-irmied jerġa’ jikseb ir-rwol simboliku qadim tiegħu meta naqilbu mija fil-mija mid-dfin għall-ħruq tal-katavri. Ilna niddiskutu dwar kif dil-biċċa tista’ sseħħ ma nafx kemm, u għalkemm anke l-Knisja Kattolika saret taqbel mal-proċedura, ftit li xejn avvanzajna.
English Version – Foreign workers in Malta
There seems to be a misunderstanding about the value added which foreign workers in our society could bring to the economy. The fact that such activity exists seems to be taken in itself as an indication of how strong the economy has become. But the right questions to address are: What positions are foreign workers taking up? What kind of economic inputs do they provide?
In the history of these islands, there almost always were many foreigners who lived and worked here. At the times of the Knights of St John for instance, we had the knights themselves as well as their followers (not to mention the slaves). In the main all these were involved in the provision of “military” services but their inputs also had an economic dimension. The same can be said for when Malta was a British colony.
The crucial test is not simply the number of foreign workers with jobs at a time when unemployment has reached historically very low levels.
The test must cover whether foreign workers are carrying out tasks that the Maltese themselves do not know how to do, or do not want to do. Would the Maltese economy be hit if such tasks were not being carried out? Is it work that foreigners can do much better than Maltese workers and more cheaply?
All these questions need to tie in with a final one: What would happen if suddenly all foreign workers left?
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Macron’s family
How the French political system will be positioning itself for the European Parliament elections of May 2019 raises curious implications. In France, with a very significant margin, the biggest political party now is La Republique en marche: Forward the Republic, LRM, led by President Macron. As a party it has up to now, no formal representation in the European Parliament and is affiliated to no political “family”.
As the French President has already taken a leading role in a movement that is pressing for European “reform” even if this is still hesitant, ambiguity has become the name of the game. Is Macron going to join an existing political grouping? – and the Liberals are mentioned in this respect. Up to now at home, where a “liberal” current does not exist, he has preferred to follow his own path.
There is speculation that he intends to lay out his way also in Europe. He has actually insisted on the holding of popular “conventions” right across the EU to discuss its future – a tactic which he employed during the French presidential campaign.
It is doubtful whether in the short time that is now available, he will be able to make it.
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Ashes
The “season” of Lent commences with a celebration of ashes (though this year, it was immediately followed by a deferred celebration of Carnival). Even so, it is unclear whether in our minds, ashes still symbolize the future state of bodies post death.
More than anything else, they provoke images of environmental problems – like with the pollution caused by factories and cars, as they spew out the exhaust of burnt oil and pollute the atmosphere; or images of the smoke that bellows out of active volcanoes and disrupts air traffic.
Ashes could recover their old symbolic role should we move to a total change from burial to the burning of cadavers. It has been a very long time that this matter is under discussion, so that even though the Catholic Church is no longer adverse to the procedure, there has been little to no progress.
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