Fiex Nemmnu?

Nemmnu f’soċjetà li tħenn?

Imma xi tfisser soċjetà li tħenn fi żminijietna, meta daqstant nies jikkontribwixxu għall-Istrina u x’naf jien waqt li l-għajta hi li s-suq isuq?

Allura, nemmnu f’soċjetà kompetittiva, misjuqa mir-regoli tas-suq ħieles?

Imma x’qed nifhmu b’dan fi żmien fejn joħroġ ċar li min hu qawwi f’das-suq isib vantaġġi lesti għalih f’kif jiġi intaxxat, f’kif jirbaħ fuq ħaddieħor, f’kif tgħaddi tiegħu?

Nemmnu f’soċjetà kwieta jew soċjetà li tipprotesta?

Imma tipprotesta dwar xiex jekk fl-Ewropa kollha, maġġoranza kbira ta’ dawk li jinsabu mħattba bil-piżijiet li qed kollhom iġorru minħabba deċizjonijiet meħuda lbieraħ u llum, għadhom jaqblu li sew qed jiġri?

Xi kultant ikollok tikkonkludi li l-aqwa valur sar dak tal-qawl Ingliż: Jekk ma tistax tirbħilhom, ingħaqad magħhom.

Biss dan mhux parir dwar twemmin – aktar dwar konvenjenza.

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Dwar l-Ewropa

Saret prijorità ewlenija f’pajjiżna li l-Maltin u l-Għawdxin ikunu informati sew dwar xinhu għaddej fl-Ewropa – fl-Unjoni Ewropea u fiż-żona tal-ewro.

Wisq minna ftit għandhom idea ta’ x’qed jirnexxi jew ifalli bogħod minn xtutna. Lanqas jimportahom minn hekk. Nifhem għaliex dil-ħaġa tiġri. U nifhem għaliex qiegħda tissaħħaħ, anki jekk wieħed kien jistenna li bis-sħubija tal-pajjiż fl-Unjoni Ewropea, se jiġri bil-maqlub.

Id-deċiżjonijiet li jittieħdu jew ma jitteħdux fl-Ewropa jaffettwaw bil-kbir is-sitwazzjoni tagħna. Dil-ħaġa qed tinħeba bħalissa minħabba r-riżultati ekonomiċi tajbin li qed jikseb il-pajjiż, imma hemm tinsab u ma nistgħux nevitawha.

Nidhru li nkunu qed nieħdu d-deċiżjonijiet aħna – mentri fil-fatt ikunu qed jiskulaw minn deċizjonijiet li fl-Unjoni Ewropea jkunu diġà ttieħdu għalina.

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Kredibilità

Il-ħidma politika minn volontarji u militanti ta’ partit jew ieħor ma taqtax. Tibqa’ għaddejja

Ġieli tkun qawwija, ġieli tiddgħajjef xi ftit.

Biss issir, u hi meħtieġa.

Il-problema qed tkun għall-partiti tradizzjonali li donnhom ma għadhomx jistgħu jimmobilizzaw il-volontarjat daqs fl-imgħoddi, jew ma jafux kif. Jgħidulna li ż-żminijiet u n-nies inbidlu. Il-ħidma fi ħdan organizzazzjoni politika saret anqas interessanti jew impenjattiva minn ħidma bl-internet pereżempju.

Biss partiti politiċi hekk imsejħa “populisti” mix-xellug u mil-lemin, qed jirnexxilhom jimmobilizzaw attivisti biex jidħlu għal ħidma wiċċimbwiċċ ma’ ċittadini/votanti.

Wisq nibża’ li l-problema f’dan kollu mhijiex ta’ min għandu jew m’għandux l-aħjar mudell politiku. Hi aktar problema ta’ kredibilità meta tiġi biex timmobilizza l-attivisti tiegħek. Mhumiex se jersqu bi ħġarhom jekk in-nies li jiltaqgħu magħhom m’għadhomx jemmnu fil-ġenwinità jew l-effettività ta’ dak li qed toffrilhom.

Hi problema li qed tolqot ħażin lill-partiti tradizzjonali tal-Ewropa. Għad tista’ tolqotna wkoll.

English Version – What do we believe in?

Do we believe in a caring society?

But what does a caring society stand for today, when so many people contribute to L-Istrina and the rest while falling in with the slogan that the market decides best?

So do we believe in a competitive society, run according to free market rules?

But what do we understand by this at a time when it is becoming clearer that those who have market power, find themselves at an advantage when they get taxed, when they need to win, and when they need to ensure their views prevail?

Do we believe in a quiet society or in one where protest is rife?

But what is there to protest about when in all of Europe, a big majority of those who are burdened and weighed down by decisions that were taken yesterday and today, still agree that all is for the better?

At times, one has to conclude that the best approach is set out in the dictum: If you cannot beat them, join them

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Regarding Europe

For this country, it has become a leading priority that citizens in Malta and Gozo be well informed about what is happening in the European Union and the euro zone.

Too many have limited awareness regarding what is succeeding and what is failing away from our shores. They hardly take any notice. I understand why this is happening and why such a state of affairs is becoming increasingly well established. Yet one would have thought that the island’s membership of the EU would have reinforced a change in the opposite direction.

Decisions taken or avoided in Europe strongly affect our own situation. This reality may be masked for the present by the good economic results being achieved by the country, but it is still there and cannot be ignored.

It may seem to us as if we’re taking our own decisions, when in fact, they follow from decisions that the European Union has already taken for us.

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Credibility

Political activism on the part of volunteers and militants of this party or that, rarely stops but goes on regardless.

Sometimes it’s on a roll. Sometimes it ebbs.

It gets done and it’s needed.

A problem for traditional parties is that they seem to have become less able than in the past, to mobilise volunteers or that they seem not to know how to do it. We get told that times and people have changed. Activism on behalf of a political organisation has become less interesting and generates less commitment than does for instance, internet activity.

Yet so-called “populist” parties on the left and the right are managing to mobilise activists, getting them to conduct face to face interventions with citizens and voters.

I greatly fear that in all this, the problem does not relate to who has or has not the best political action model. When mobilizing one’s activists, the problem has become one of credibility. Activists will not surge forward to give a helping hand, if the people they meet no longer believe that what they have to offer is genuine or effective.

The problem is undermining badly traditional political parties in the rest of Europe. Eventually it could affect us too.