L-imġiba tad-deputati Nazzjonalisti fil-Parlament Ewropew ddejjaqni bla qies. Imma ma tgħaġġibnix. Rajtha titħaddem snin twal ilu fl-Assemblea tal-Kunsill tal-Ewropa, fit-tmeninijiet tas-seklu l-ieħor. Il-kalkolu tal-PN baqa’ l-istess.
Ħammeġ barra lill-gvern Laburista Malti u l-popolarità tiegħu f’pajjiżu tonqos. Dan la ġara dak iż-żmien, u wisq anqas illum.
Xorta d-deputati Ewropej tal-PN qed jippersistu.
Igħidu li l-barranin jaqraw u jaraw xinhu għaddej f’Malta. Allura l-imġiba tagħhom barra ma tinfluwenzax l-imġiba ta’ kelliema barranin.
Dan mhu veru xejn. Meta rappreżentanti minn pajjiż jiftħu n-nar fuqu minn barra l-pajjiż, jinkoraġġixxu l-kritika selvaġġa u qawwija ta’ oħrajn. Din tħammeġ mhux lill-gvern tal-ġurnata imma l-pajjiż kollu kemm hu… kif rajna fis-snin 80.
Nibqa’ ngħid: Ikkritika kemm trid lill-gvern tal-ġurnata f’pajjiżek; fid-diskors tiegħek barra, ibqa’ prudenti. Id-deputati Nazzjonalisti fil-Parlament Ewropew ma jemmnux f’dil-prudenza.
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FL-GĦADIRA
L-aħbar li l-Mellieħa Bay Hotel se tagħlaq biex terġa’ tinbena mill-ġdid fakkritni fi x’qalli darba s-sur Albert Mizzi waqt żjara fl-uffiċċju tiegħi – dwar kif twaqqfet il-lukanda. Hu ppromwova l-proġett minn nofs is-sittinijiet tas-seklu l-ieħor sal-aħħar, b’sens ta’ inizjattiva liema bħalha.
Ingħata ċans li jakkwista l-artijiet ta’ naħa mill-bajja tal-Għadira bi prezz interessanti imma ried jivvalorizzaha b’mod differenti mis-soltu. Kien żmien il-bidu tat-turiżmu lejn Malta. Iddeċieda li jikkontattja lill-grupp turistiku Ingliż Thompson u mar Londra jkellimhom. Ħajjarhom jsiru sħab f’lukanda ġdida fil-Mellieħa fejn imbagħad jibagħtu t-turisti tagħhom.
Tħajru. Albert Mizzi xtara l-artijiet. Thompson daħħluh magħhom bħala sieħeb. Il-gvern ta l-għajnuniet li dak iż-żmien kienu jingħataw lil proġetti ġodda. Il-lukanda nbniet u nfetħet. Mill-bidu kienet suċċess għax ta’ Thompson baqgħu jibgħatu fiha l-gruppi tagħhom.
Illum, ħamsin sena wara jew aktar, il-lukanda se terġa’ tinbena.
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WIED IL-GĦAJN
Sadattant, smajna bi proposti dwar il-lukanda Djerma f’Marsaskala. Għal darb’oħra, il-proposti huma magħmula parti minn lukanda u parti f’appartamenti lussużi għall-bejgħ.
Jien fost dawk li ma jaqblux li għandna nkomplu mmexxu bi proġetti hekk. Lukanda għandha tkun lukanda u xejn aktar. Ħaġa bħal din tiżgura li tassew immorru lejn turiżmu ta’ kwalità ogħla, mhux inħallu l-bejgħ tal-appartamenti – effetivament tal-art Maltija – jissussidja t-turiżmu lukandier.
Biss wieħed jista’ jargumenta li f’Wied il-Għajn, lukanda waħidha ma tkampax għax iż-żona m’għadhiex tista’ titqies bħala waħda turistika. Jekk dan hu minnu – u b’hekk, il-bini ta’ lukanda ġdida jista’ jitqies bħala għodda li biha l-ħidma turistika tinġab lura lejn ir-reġjun tas-sud – mela l-bini mill-ġdid tal-Djerma għandu jitqies bħala għodda ta’ żvilupp reġjonali u, għaliex le? – jingħata għotja finanzjarja ħalli jmexxi.
English Version – Why hit at Malta?
I have been hugely shocked by the behaviour of the PN MEPs in the European Parliament. But I was not too surprised by it. Long years ago, during the 1980’s, I had seen the same thing happen in the Assembly of the Council of Europe. The PN’s calculations over this matter have not changed.
Abroad, discredit the Maltese Labour government so that at home, its popularity will fade. That did not happen then, even less has it happened today.
Yet the PN’s MEPs have persisted with this game.
They argue that foreigners can read about what is happening in Malta and see it happen. So their behaviour abroad can hardly be influencing how foreign speakers react.
This is absolutely incorrect. When a country’s own representatives open fire on it, they encourage a wild and disproportionate response by others. This does not simply affect the government of the day; it also rebounds on the country as a whole… as happened in the eighties.
I still say: Criticise to your heart’s content your country’s government in your own country; but in your discourse abroad, stay prudent. Nationalist members of the European Parliament do not believe they should be prudent.
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Mellieħa Bay
News that the Mellieħa Bay Hotel is closing and will be rebuilt reminded me of what Mr Albert Mizzi once told me during a visit to my office. It was the story of how the hotel came to be built. He promoted the project as of the mid-1960’s and in doing so, showed an admirable sense of foresight.
He had been offered an option to buy land on one side of Mellieħa Bay at an interesting price but wished to do something different with it. This was when tourism had just started being introduced in Malta. He decided to contact the British tourism company Thompson and went to London to have discussions with them. He proposed that they become partners in a new hotel at Mellieħa to which they would then send their groups of holiday makers.
They showed interest in his proposal. Albert Mizzi took up the option. Thompson brought him into the project as a partner. The government granted the aids that were then in force to promote new projects. The hotel was built and started operations. Right from the start it was a success as Thompson continued to send its groups of holiday makers to it.
Today more than fifty years later, that hotel is going to be rebuilt.
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Marsascala
Meanwhile, the news has also been about the Djerma Hotel at Marsascala. Once again the proposal is to build a hotel combined with luxury apartments for sale.
I am one of those who disagree that we should continue with such projects. A hotel should take shape as a hotel, period. Such a decision rule would ensure that we really move towards a higher quality tourism, and not allow the sale of apartments – effectively it’s the sale of Maltese land – to subsidize tourist stays in hotels.
Even so, one could argue that at Marsascala, a hotel built on a stand-alone basis cannot be viable as the area can no longer be considered a tourist destination. If this is the case, then the construction of a new hotel could be considered as a measure intended to bring tourism back to the southern region. The new Djerma hotel would be stimulating regional development and as such, it should be afforded direct financial aid, enabling it to proceed.
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