Hemm ottimiżmu ġdid fl-Ewropa dwar il-prospetti tat-tkabbir ekonomiku. Diffiċli tgħid eżatt minn fejn ġej, għax il-perspettivi ta’ tkabbir ma tistax tgħidilhom daqshekk qawwija, għalkemm huma pożittivi.
Jista’ jkun li l-fatt li s-sinjali ta’ tkabbir, żgħir kemm jista’ jkun żgħir, baqgħu jiġu sostnuti fl-aħħar xhur, jikkontribwixxi sew għal das-sentiment. Li effettivament juri kemm kien kbir il-biża’ li r-rankatura mibdija fit-tieni nofs tas-sena li għaddiet, setgħet tiżvinta malajr. Biża’ li jiftiehem għax il-biċċa diġà ġrat qabel.
Tħares lejha kif tħares lejha, did-darba wkoll it-tkabbir ekonomiku li għaddej jitqies fraġli. Jista’ jintlaqat ħażin mill-mod kif l-ekonomija Ċiniża donnha tinsab f’qagħda dubjuża. Jew mill-effetti tax-xitwa fuq il-produzzjoni u l-konsum.
Problema oħra tibqa’ li t-tkabbir mhux qed iseħħ b’mod li qed jinfirex l-istess kullimkien. Sadattant, il-ħolqien ta’ impjiegi xierqa għaż-żgħażagħ għadu ma telaqx bis-serjetà.
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Ħxuna żejda
Il-ġimgħa l-oħra, kont mistieden niftaħ “round table” organizzata fi Brussell minn speċjalisti Ewropej tal-obeżità li qed jistabbilixxu “network” bejniethom biex tinħoloq strateġija dwar kif se jikkumbattu dil-kondizzjoni. Mill-uffiċċju tiegħi fil-Parlament Ewropew qed nagħtuhom appoġġ fix-xogħol tagħhom u huma anki stiednu rappreżentanti minn Malta biex jieħdu sehem.
Ovvjament m’iniex professjonist f’dal-qasam. Imma naħseb li hu ta’ interess nazzjonali għalina li nagħtu attenzjoni speċjali lil dil-problema li qed taffettwa lis-soċjetà tagħna bil-kbir. U matul il-laqgħa saru interventi li minnhom tgħallimt ħafna.
Mhux l-anqas minn x’kellu jgħid fid-diskors tiegħu is-segretarju parlamentari Chris Fearne li kien wieħed mill-parteċipanti. Ħabbar kif l-obeżità fost it-tfal se tkun waħda mill-prijoritajiet fil-qasam tas-saħħa għal Malta, meta tkun fil-presidenza tal-Unjoni Ewropea. Saħaq fuq il-punt li l-obeżità għadha mhijiex rikonoxxuta ta’ li hi — jiġifieri marda, li ġġib warajha mard ieħor.
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Kesħa
Jekk sa ftit ġimgħat ilu konna qed niskantaw li x-xitwa ttardjat sew, dan m’għadux il-każ. Fi Strażburgu dil-ġimgħa, it-temperaturi kienu lejn iż-żero u fil-kampanja ta’ barra l-belt, is-silġ jinfirex ma’ kullimkien.
Ħabib minn Bukarest qalli kif jumejn qabel f’pajjiżu, għamlu 40 ċentimetru ta’ borra. Fi Dresden f’nofs il-ġimgħa, it-temperaturi niżlu sa – 27 grad.
Ħafna nies donnhom qed iħossuhom aħjar b’hekk għax l-affarijiet reġgħu għan-normal. Ma tantx isir diskors dwar dil-ħaġa imma nissuspetta li b’mod ġenerali, in-nies titħasseb dwar il-bidliet fil-klima meta tarahom iseħħu. Xufier tal-Parlament Ewropew ma tantx deher kuntent hu u jgħidli kif minkejja l-kesħa li qed tinħass bħalissa, hemm tbassir li fir-reġjun tiegħu, sa ġimgħa u nofs oħra, se jerġa’ jasal temp sabiħ sajfi.
English Version – Has economic growth taken off at last?
A new optimism is prevailing in Europe regarding the prospects for economic growth. It is hard to say precisely why this is so, since one cannot claim that economic growth prospects are strong, even if they are positive.
It may be that the signs of recovery, small as it is, by having been sustained, are contributing to the feeling. Effectively, this demonstrates how significant the fear was that the momentum which began during the second half of last year, could quickly taper off. Given that matters had already taken this turn before, it was understandable there would be such a fear.
No matter how one views the current situation, even now the ongoing growth can only be considered as fragile. It could be badly affected by the dubious circumstances in which the Chinese economy finds itself. Or by the impact of winter on production and consumption.
Another persisting problem is that growth is not spreading everywhere in equal measure. Meanwhile the creation of jobs for young people is still weak.
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Obesity
Last week, I was invited to open a round table organized in Brussels for European obesity specialists who are establishing a network among themselves in order to combat the condition. My office in the European Parliament is supporting them in their endeavours and they have also invited representatives from Malta to take part.
Obviously, I am far from having expertise in this area. But I consider it to be in the national interest for all of us to give special attention to this problem which is greatly affecting Maltese society. During the meeting, I learnt a lot from the interventions that were made.
Not least from what parliamentary secretary Chris Fearne had to say; he was a participant. He announced childhood obesity is going to be one of Malta’s priorities in the healthcare policy field, when the island is running the Presidency of the European Union. He insisted on the point that obesity still needs to be recognised for what it is — namely a disease, one which brings other diseases in its wake.
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Cold
Up to some weeks ago, we were wondering why winter had been so delayed. Things have now moved forward. This week in Strasbourg, temperatures tended towards zero and snow is spread all over the countryside leading to the city.
A colleague from Bucharest told me there had been 40 centimetres of snow in his country. By midweek, temperatures in Dresden were dropping to -24 degrees centigrade.
Many seem to be feeling relieved that matters have gone back to normal. Little is usually said about this but in a general way, I suspect that people get quite worried about climate change when they see it happen. A chauffeur at the European Parliament did not seem too happy as he told me how, despite the cold that now prevails, the forecast for the region where he lives is that in seven days or ten, beautiful sunny weather will return.
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