Kundizzjonijiet oġġettivi

Smajna ħafna fl-aħħar ġimgħat dwar din jew dik ir-raġuni għala fl-aħħar elezzjonijiet ġenerali nkiseb ir-riżultat li nkiseb. Issemmew diversi fatturi li, skont ma ntqal, kienu deċiżivi. Biss f’diskussjonijiet hekk, ma jingħatawx biżżejjed importanza – fil-fehma tiegħi – lil kondizzjonijiet oġġettivi ewlenin fil-qagħda tal-pajjiż u tas-soċjetà li jimmarkaw bil-kbir l-andament ta’ elezzjoni ġenerali.
Mill-elezzjoni tal-1992 sa dik tal-2008, dawn il-kondizzjonijiet kienu tnejn: il-qagħda ekonomika tal-pajjiż u l-perspettiva Ewropea ta’ u f’Malta, influwenzata bil-kbir mis-“soft power” fostna tal-Unjoni Ewropea. Fl-1998, kien hemm kondizzjoni oħra partikolari: proċess ta’ sabotaġġ intern fil-Partit Laburista. Wara l-2008, id-diskors “Ewropew” tilef kull saħħa, li ssarraf f’dannu kbir għall-PN.
Għalija jibqa’ misteru kif fl-aħħar snin, il-PN ma għamel xejn biex jilqa’ għal dad-dannu waqt li injora bil-kbir is-suċċess ekonomiku li kiseb il-gvern Laburista. Ikkonċentra fuq kwistjonijiet ta’ korruzzjoni li huma importanti, imma waħidhom, f’nofs progress ekonomiku qawwi, ma jċaqilqux l-opinjoni tal-kotra.
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L-ISPEAKER FARRUGIA
Anġlu Farrugia kien jistħoqqlu bil-kbir li jingħata appoġġ ġenerali ħalli jkompli fil-kariga ta’ Speaker tal-Parlament Malti. Wettaq ħidma tajba ħafna fiha. Kien bilanċjat u sod.
Matul is-snin fi żminijiet oħra, Dottor Farrugia u jien ħdimna flimkien, ġieli b’diffikoltajiet kompetittivi bejnietna, ħafna aktar ta’ spiss b’rieda u apprezzamenti komuni. Dejjem għoġbuni s-sinċerità, l-integrità u d-diskors dirett tiegħu. Bla dubju servewh tajjeb ħafna fil-ħidma bħala Speaker fejn irnexxielu jiġbed lejh l-appoġġ ta’ kulħadd.
Għal li ġej, Dr Farrugia se jkollu rwol ċentrali fl-isforzi li għad iridu jsiru biex il-ħajja politika f’Malta trabbi imġiba aktar ċivili, serja u dinjituża.
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IMNARJA
Il-festi tradizzjonali ta’ pajjiżna tilfu… qed jitilfu… mit-tifsira tagħhom? Għadhom jistgħu jiġu valorizzati bħala avvenimenti ta’ interess?
X’aktarx li l-festa tal-Imnarja hi l-aktar milquta minn dad-dubju. Hi marbuta mal-qasam tal-biedja, wieħed li sfortunatament, jinsab f’irtirata ekonomika. Il-wirjiet li jittellgħu matul l-Imnarja, għalkemm interessanti ħafna, huma mbiegħda mill-ħajja ta’ kuljum taċ-ċittadini komuni.
Minn naħa, wieħed iħoss il-ħtieġa li d-drawwiet u t-tifkiriet tal-Imnarja jitħarsu u jibqgħu jiġu osservati. Madankollu, l-idea li festa nazzjonali tibqa’ tistrieħ biss fuq tifkiriet folkloriċi bħala ġustifikazzjoni għall-eżistenza tagħha tinħass ftit indiġesta.
L-Imnarja u okkażjonijiet simili għandhom bżonn li jitpoġġew f’narrativa dwar l-identità nazzjonali li tkun aġġornata għall-esiġenzi tal-lum. Fosthom hemm il-ħtieġa ta’ impenn biex is-setturi tradizzjonali tal-ħidma ekonomika f’pajjiżna ma jitħallewx jgħosfru għal kollox. Ma nafx kemm dan jista’ jsir billi nibqgħu nfakkru b’mod sterili imġiba u drawwiet li ħadd m’għadu jipprattika. Iridu jintrabtu mal-iżvilupp ta’ metodi moderni u vijabbli fil-biedja (u s-sajd).

English Version – Objective conditions

In past weeks there has been much talk about the reasons to explain why the result of the last general election ended up the way it did. Some factors were described as decisive. Still in my view, such discussions did not give sufficient importance to major objective features of the national scene as well as the state of society, that hugely determine the outcome of general elections.

In elections held between 1992 and 2008, there were two such features: the state of the economy, and the European perspective for and in Malta, which was strongly affected by the EU’s soft power. In 1998, there was an added particular feature: a process of internal sabotage within the Labour Party. As of 2008, the importance of the European “dimension” faded away, which did great damage to the PN.

To me, it remains a mystery how the PN did nothing to counter this damage while then largely ignoring the Labour administration’s economic success. It concentrated on issues of corruption that of course are important, but that by themselves at a time of rapid economic progress, do not impact public opinion so much.

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Speaker Farrugia

Anġlu Farrugia fully deserved the general approval that met his reappointment to the post of Speaker of the Malta Parliament. He carried out some very good work as Speaker, while remaining balanced and firm in his decisions.

Over the years in other times, Dr Farrugia and I worked together, sometimes while having competitive differences between us, much more frequently while sharing the same commitments and appreciations. I always liked his sincerity, integrity and straight talk. They no doubt have served him very well as a Speaker, enabling him to attract support from all quarters.

In future, Dr Farrugia will have a central role in efforts that still need to be attempted to lever Maltese politics into a more civil, restrained and dignified mode.

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Imnarja

Are the traditional holidays losing their significance? Or have they lost it already? Can they still be considered as meaningful occasions?

Probably the traditional festa of St Peter and St Paul, the Imnarja, is the most affected by these doubts. It is associated in the popular mind with the agricultural sector, which unfortunately is in decline. The shows and exhibitions that go on display to celebrate the feast are most interesting but feel quite distant from the everyday lives of people.

Actually, the need is felt to preserve and continue to observe the habits and traditions associated with the Imnarja. However the idea that a national holiday has to rely mainly on folkloristic memories to justify its existence does seem quite overstretched.

Along with other similar occasions, the festa needs to be inserted in anarrative about the national identity that is updated to today’s requirements. Among these there is the necessity to strengthen the commitment not to allow traditional sectors of economic activity to disappear. I wonder whether this can be done by commemorating in an antiseptic manner, behaviour and practices that very few still follow. A better way would be to link the festa itself to the promotion of modern and viable methods of operation in farming (and fisheries).