Kriżi fl-Afrika ta’ Fuq

Lil-Libja kissruha l-Ewropej billi tajru lil Gaddafi mingħajr ma kienu jafu jew forsi jimpurtahom x’se jiġri warajh. L-Eġittu għadda minn mumenti ta’ tama, għal tmexxija mqanfda f’dommatiżmu riġidu, sakemm iżżerżaq lura lejn militariżmu sterili. L-Alġerija għadha ċassa taħt il-feriti li baqgħu ma fiqux sew ta’ gwerra ċivili mdemmija.

Minkejja l-problemi kbar li għadha qed taffaċċja, it-Tuniżija rnexxielha minnhom ilkoll, il-pajjiżi tal-Afrika ta’ Fuq, tasal għal tmexxija li tidher ibbilanċjata bejn il-ġdid u l-qadim, wara li għaddiet bħall-pajjiżi l-oħra mit-taqlib li seħħ fl-hekk imsejħa rebbiegħa Għarbija. Sostniet istituzzjoniiet demokratiċi f’qafas ta’ tolleranza u kompromess.

Issa tinsab fil-mira ta’ terroriżmu maħsub biex jeqred il-kisbiet tal-aħħar snin. Jekk it-Tuniżija titkisser b’dal-mod, il-kriżi fl-Afrika ta’ Fuq tkun totali, Hekk iridu ċerti estremiżmi li diffiċli tifhem xinhuma l-valuri tagħhom.

Jekk hemm pajjiż li jixraqlu għajnuna u solidarjetà mill-Ewropa – mhux bil-kliem imma bil-fatti – hu t-Tuniżija… sakemm ma rridux li l-kriżi tal-Afrika ta’ Fuq tispiċċa totali.

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Is-servizz pubbliku

Mhux minnu li l-politiċiżżażżjoni sħiħa tas-servizz pubbliku telqet fis-snin sebgħin jew tmenin tas-seklu l-ieħor. Li ċerti livelli ta’ tmexxija tbaxxew, dak veru. Parti mir-raġuni għal hekk kienet ġejja minn pressjonjijiet ġodda u komplikati fuq iċ-ċivil maħluqa minn eżiġenzi ta’ żvilupp ekonomiku u soċjali li l-istrutturi tradizzjonali ta’ tmexxija ma kinux imfassla għalihom.

It-tħassir taċ-ċivil fuq il-binarju ta’ politiċiżżazzjoni bla rażan beda minn tmiem is-snin tmenin, taħt l-amministrazzjoni ta’ Fenech Adami. Inbnew strutturi taparsi oġġettivi dwar kif isiru l-promozzjonijiet u jintgħazlu l-kapijiet b’kuntratti ta’ tliet snin jew simili. Inħatru kumitati biex imexxu l-proċessi tal-għazla. Kollha ħadmu fuq boxxla politika waħda. Sadattant, is-segretarjati tal-ministri ġew imkabbra sakemm saru ċivil parallel.

Nitbissem meta naqra l-akkużi tal-partit fl-Oppożizzjoni llum dwar it-tmexxija tas-servizz publiku.

Dwejjaq tgħid hekk, imma ma narax mod ieħor kif il-gvern preżenti jista’ jirranġa l-bilanċ ta’ partiġjaniżmu fit-texxija pubblika, ħlief billi jimxi fuq l-istess linji bħal ta’ qablu f’din il-materja.

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Dublin

Nifhem għaliex kulħadd ipprova juri ruħu ftit jew wisq sodisfatt bir-riżultati tal-Kunsill Ewropea dwar l-immigrazzjoni. F’dan iż-żmien, ma tantx jaqbel li wieħed juri diżappunt b’li jinsab għaddej għax iżid sens ta’ pessimiżmu li l-Ewropa m’għandhiex bżonnu.

Madankollu, il-fatt jibqa’ li l-aqwa diriġenti Ewropej fil-prattika ma jridux jiċċaqalqu mill-mod kif iqassmu bejniethom il-piżijiet tal-immigranti irregolari li jaslu fosthom. Skont il-ftehim ta’ Dublin, dawn għandhom jinżammu fil-pajjiż fejn l-ewwel jaslu sakemm jew jingħataw ażil jew jintbagħtu lura lejn pajjiżhom.

Hawn ukoll, qed tintlagħab logħba perikoluża.

 

English Version – Crisis in North Africa

European powers demolished Libya by blasting Ghaddafi out of the picture without knowing what would happen afterwards or perhaps even caring to know. Egypt went through moments of hope, towards a management riddled by a rigid dogmatism, and then slid towards a sterile militarist regime. Algeria remains stiff as wounds inflicted during a bloody civil war still need to heal.

Despite the huge problems it still faces, of all the countries of North Africa, Tunisia seems to have succeeded best in achieving a balance in its governance, between the old and the new, after having like the other countries, experienced the turbulence of the so-called Arab spring. It has developed democratic institutions in a framework of tolerance and compromise.

Now it has become the target of terrorism aimed to destroy what was achieved in recent years. If Tunisia is undermined in this way, the North African crisis will have become a total one. That is what extremist elements whose values it is difficult to understand, seek.

Tunisia is surely a country which merits full support and solidarity – based on facts, not words – from Europe… unless that is, we feel relaxed about letting the crisis in North Africa go totally out of control.

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Public service

The claim that a general politicisation of the public service took off during the seventies or eighties of the previous century is unfounded. That in those times, management standards declined cannot be denied. In part the reason for this was that new and complicated pressures were arising within the civil service as a result of economic and social developments that created demands with which traditional management structures were not designed to cope.

As of the end of the eighties, under the Fenech Adami administration, all out politicisation of the civil service triggered the damage. Supposedly objective structures were set up to organize promotions and to choose civil service heads on three year or similar contracts. Committees would be established to organize the selection processes. All were made to run according to a set political compass. Meanwhile, ministerial secretariats expanded till they became a parallel civil service.

I can only smile when I read the accusations now being made by the party in Opposition regarding public service management.

It’s a pity to have to say this: I cannot see any other way by which the present administration can balance the partisanship that prevails in the public service, except that of moving along the same lines as its predecessor in government.

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I understand why everybody tries to appear quite satisfied with the decisions of the European Council on immigration. At present, it is not a good idea to show disappointment with what is going on for that would increase the sentiment of pessimism, which is the last thing Europe needs.

Still the fact is that Europe’s top leaders are in practice, refusing to change the way by which the burdens arising from the arrivals of irregular immigrants are shared between them. According to the Dublin II agreement, these should continue to be held in their country of first arrival, till they are either granted asylum or will need to be sent back to their home country.

Here too, a rather dangerous game is being played.