Fl-Unjoni Ewropea, qed jikber il-faqar. Dawk li jinsabu ekonomikament minn fuq, qed itejbu l-qagħda tagħhom. Dawk li jinsabu minn taħt, sejrin għall-agħar.
Jidher sew li l-miri soċjali dwar faqar li l-Unjoni poġġiet għas-sena 2020 mhumiex se jintlaħqu. Madankollu fiċ-ċirkostanzi tal-lum, l-inizjattivi ta’ politika ekonomika li jeżistu biex tissewwa dil-qagħda huma limitati għall-aħħar. Id-dinamika politika, misjuqa mill-Ġermanja, hi biex il-gvernijiet jibqgħu jrażżnu l-ispiża tagħhom ħalli ma joħolqux ħofor finanzjarji ġodda fil-baġits tagħhom.
Mentri għal ħafna, hu evidenti li mingħajr impenn finanzjarju ġdid mill-gvernijiet, ma tistax tiġi mmuntata politika soda kontra l-faqar. Biex inkunu onesti, il-Kummissjoni Ewropea u l-Kunsill għamlu ċaqliqa ċkejkna f’din id-direzzjoni. Qablu mal-Parlament Ewropew biex fis-sentejn u nofs li ġejjin, fin-nefqa prospettiva tal-Unjoni ikun hemm emfażi akbar fuq proġetti b’mira soċjali, l-aktar opportunitajiet ta’ xogħol għaż-żgħażagħ. Wieħed forsi jista’ jikkritika dan bħala ftit wisq, tard wisq. Imma aħjar mix-xejn.
Hawn Malta ftit nagħtu kas dil-problema li qed tifni l-Ewropa. Tieħu l-impressjoni li ma tantx jimportana minnha.
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ID-DILEMMA TA’ OBAMA
Id-deċiżjonijiet, tajba jew ħżiena, li jittieħdu fil-politika anke meta jkunu ntesew mill-kotra, jibqgħu jiddefinixxu l-għażliet li jsiru wara.
Dehret ħafna ċara dil-ħaġa fl-aħħar snin, f’li għandu x’jaqsam mal-gwerra ċivili fis-Sirja u l-politika dwarha li sostniet dwar l-amministrazzjoni Obama. Din “tgħallmet” il-lezzjonijiet tal-interventi Amerikani fl-Afganistan u fl-Iraq. Żammet lura minn kull intervent militari dirett fl-art Sirjana. Li għamlet, għamlitu mill-bogħod u mill-għoli, waqt li baqgħet tinsisti fuq li jitlaq il-President Assad anke jekk ma kellhiex alternattiva soda u vijabbli għalih.
Illum, wara snin ta’ kritika għall-intervenzjoniżmu Amerikan fl-Afganistan u fl-Iraq, ir-riħ inbidel. Qed jintqal kif l-Istati Uniti spiċċaw bla influwenza reali fil-ħidma biex il-gwerra tas-Sirja titwaqqaf għal kollox. Ħaddieħor li intervjena militarment rnexxielu jilħaq ħafna mill-esiġenzi strateġiċi tiegħu.
Naħseb li għadu kmieni wisq biex tiġġudika dwar dan b’mod finali.
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TMIEM IS-SENA
Fi tmiem is-sena, bħal ħafna oħrajn, imdorri nħares lura biex nistaqsi lili nnifsi x’kien li l-aktar immarkaha.
Ġeneralment, it-tifkira tiegħi tmur fuq avvenimenti publiċi f’Malta jew barra. Biss, fil-maġġoranza enormi tagħhom, in-nies mhux hekk. Jiftakru l-aktar fi ġrajjiet ta’ natura personali li jkunu għaddew minnhom.
Dis-sena għaddejt mill-istess esperjenza. Minkejja Brexit u ma nafx xiex aktar li laqat l-Ewropa jew lil Malta, l-aqwa tifkira tiegħi se tkun tat-telfa ta’ persuna tal-familja, qrib ħafna tiegħi. Tkun taf li għad trid titlaq, imma tibqa’ taħseb li dil-ħaġa “qatt” mhi se tiġri. Fl-aħħar isseħħ.
Finalment nawgura Sena mill-Isbaħ lil kulħadd.
English Version – Do we care?
In the European Union, poverty is on the increase. Those who are well off, are getting richer. Those who are poor, are getting poorer.
It is apparent that the social targets regarding poverty set by the Union for 2020 will not be achieved. However, in present circumstances, the available economic policy initiatives which could correct this problem are extremely limited. There is a political dynamic, driven by Germany, for governments to keep curtailing their expenditures, in order to avoid creating new deficits in national budgets.
However many seem to agree that without new spending commitments by governments, a strong anti-poverty approach cannot be developed. To be sure, the European Commission and the Council have made a small move in this direction. They agreed with the European Parliament to put more emphasis during the coming two and a half years, on projects having a social orientation in the prospective spending plans of the Union. Preference will be given to projects meant to help create new job opportunities for young people. Some will argue that it’s too little, too late. Perhaps, but it’s still better than not doing anything.
Here in Malta we hardly give any attention to this problem that is undermining European cohesion. One gets the impression we don’t really care about it.
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Obama’s dilemma
Even when most have forgotten about them, political decisions – good or bad – continue to define the choices that with the passage of time must subsequently be made.
In past years, this point became clear with regard to policies followed by the Obama administration when dealing with the civil war in Syria. The “lessons” following from US interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq were taken on board. The US kept back from any direct military intervention on Syrian territory. When it did act, it did so at a distance and from way up, even though it kept insisting that President Assad needed to be removed, without presenting any substantive and viable alternative in his stead.
Now, after years during which American interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq were strongly criticised, the winds have changed. The claim is being made that the US today has no real influence in efforts to get the Syrian war to a definitive end. By contrast, that side which did undertake a military intervention, has reached many of its strategic objectives.
Personally, I believe it’s still too early to arrive at a final judgement on this issue.
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At year end
Like many others, at end year, I usually look back to query what in the year’s events would most characterise it in future.
Generally, my recall would concentrate on public events in Malta or elsewhere. However, I’m told that in their enormous majority, people’s recall is different. What gets most remembered are the events of a personal nature that they’ve been through.
This year, I fit into this pattern. Despite Brexit and I don’t know what other changes have affected Europe or Malta, my deepest memory will be that of the loss of a relative who was closest to me. One knew that the time would come when she would have to leave, but somehow the idea persists that this would “never” truly happen. Then eventually it does.
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Happy New Year to All.
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