Qabel beda d-deċennju li ninsabu fih, l-Unjoni Ewropea issettjat miri li l-pajjiżi membri kellhom jilħqu sas-sena 2020, pajjiż pajjiż u bħalha Unjoni kollha kemm hi. Id-diffikultajiet li ħarbtu għal snin sħaħ l-ekonomiji tal-Ewropa wasslu biex f’numru ta’ oqsma, diffiċli tara kif il-miri se jintlaħqu.
F’rapport li l-Eurostat ħarġet fuq das-suġġett, insibu fejn waslu l-pajjiżi, Malta inkluża, fuq miri li huma fost l-aktar importanti.
Ir-riżultati għal Malta jipprovdu stampa mħallta. Dwar il-mira sal-2020 li l-pajjiżi kollha jixtiequ l-aktar jilħqu, ir-rata ta’ imjiegi għal dawk ta’ bejn l-eta’ 20 u ta’ 64, m’għandna l-ebda problema. Diġà lħaqniha u għaddejniha. Il-mira għalina hi ta’ 70 fil-mija. Ninsabu fuq 71.4 fil-mija.
Imma mbagħad ninsabu lura, mhux bi ftit, f’miri importanti oħra: fil-kontroll ta’ gassijiet li joħolqu l-effett ambjentali ta’ serra; fil-persentaġġ ta’ enerġija li tiġġedded li qed nużaw; fin-numru ta’ studenti li jitilqu mill-iskejjel qabel il-waqt; fil-parti tar-riżorsi ekonomiċi li niddedikaw għar-riċerka.
JUNCKER U X-XORB
Qamet tempesta żgħira dan l-aħħar dwar l-imġiba tal-President tal-Kummissjoni Ewropea Juncker waqt ikla uffiċjali tan-NATO. Spiċċa akkużat li kien f’sakra ma tarax art. Fisser li mhux hekk: kellu attakk qawwi ta’ xjatka li taqbdu perjodikament wara ħabta ilu sew b’karozza.
M’inix se niġġudika x’kienet il-verità fl-istorja, imma mill-esperjenza personali naf kif fil-politika, avversarji u ħbieb isibuha utli u konvenjenti li jgħabbuk fil-beraħ jew baxx baxx bil-“vizzju” tax-xorb.
Ħalliha li minn żmien żemżem l-alkoħol kellu preżenza fil-maniġġi tal-politika, u mhux biss tul il-karriera ta’ Churchill.
Nibqa’ niftakar il-parir ta’ George Agius, eks-segretarju ġenerali tal-G.W.U. li ma kienx politiku: Żomm għajnek miftuħa għall-politikanti li ma jixorbux, oqgħod attent kemm tafdahom.
Ma kienx parir ħażin.
L-ARTI F’GĦAWDEX
Ħadt gost inżur l-istudjo tal-artist Għawdxi Christopher Saliba fix-Xewkija għal żewġ raġunijiet. Stajt nerġa’ nara għażla tal-pitturi tiegħu, li kellhom l-istess viżjoni friska bħax-xogħlijiet li kien wera fl-esibizzjoni li tellajna xi xhur ilu fil-Parlament Ewropew.
It-tieni raġuni kienet għax l-istorja ta’ Saliba hi waħda ta’ suċċess – ta’ inizjattiva f’Għawdex li qed tirnexxi kemm fuq livell kulturali u kemm f’livell ekonomiku. Ħadt gost nisma’ li waqt li dan l-artist qed “jopera” minn Għawdex, baqa’ jsib appoġġ għal ħidmietu.
Nisimgħu ħafna dwar il-problemi li jaffaċċjaw l-Għawdxin biex mill-gżira tagħhom jimmuntaw attivitajiet fejjieda li jippermettulhom jgħixu u jaħdmu fi gżiriethom. Il-problemi li jissemmew huma attwali u f’ċerti każi, jibqgħu bla soluzzjoni. Imma mhux kollox dlam. Tajjeb li nkunu nafu b’każi fejn il-problemi jkunu ngħelbu b’suċċess.
English Version – 2020 goals
Before the present decade took off, the European Union set goals that member countries had to reach by the year 2020, country by country, and for the Union as a whole. The difficulties that have plagued European economies for years on end, make it difficult to see how the goals that were set can still be reached.
A Eurostat report on the subject provides a picture of how countries, Malta included, have been closing in on the more important goals.
Results for Malta are mixed. Concerning one target for 2020 that countries want to hit most – namely the employment rate for those aged between 20 and 64 – we have no problem. We have already reached that goal and exceeded it. The target was set at 70 per cent. Malta is at 71.4 per cent.
But then we lag, and not minimally, on other important aims: the control over gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect; the percentage of renewables in the energy mix we depend on; the number of early school leavers; the percentage of gross domestic product that is dedicated to research and development.
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Juncker and alcohol
A small storm arose recently about the behaviour of the President of the European Commission Jean Claude Juncker during an official NATO dinner. He was accused of being totally drunk. He explained how this was not true: he was suffering from a strong sciatica attack that periodically visits him following a car accident long ago.
I will not judge about what the truth is in this story, but from personal experience can tell how in politics, adversaries and friends find it useful and expedient to openly or underhandedly, tag onto you the sin of a fondness for the bottle.
Never mind that since time immemorial, alcohol was ever around while political strategies were being hatched, and not just for the duration of Churchill’s career.
I will always remember the warning given by George Agius, former GWU general secretary, who was not a politician: Watch out for those politicians who do not drink, be careful how far you trust them.
As advice, it turned out to be not so bad.
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Art in Gozo
For two reasons, it was a pleasure visiting the studio of the Gozitan painter Christopher Saliba at Xewkija. I could again view a selection of his paintings, which were endowed with the same bright vision as the works he presented at the exhibition we had put up at the European Parliament.
The second reason related to the fact that Saliba’s is a success story – that of an initiative in Gozo that is succeeding on both a cultural and an economic level. The pleasure was to hear about how while “operating” from Gozo, this artist was managing to find full support for his endeavours.
We get to know a lot about the problems that Gozitan residents encounter when they try to set up meaningful activities that would allow them to live and work in their island home. The problems that are mentioned are very real and in certain instances, remain pending. But not everything is just black. It is good to learn about particular cases where problems have been successfully cleared.
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