Kurjuża

Naraha ħaġa kurjuża li sal-lum, għad baqa’ daqstant nies li donnhom għadhom jgħixu fil-bozza tal-ġrajjiet li wasslu sal-elezzjoni ġenerali ta’ dis-sena. Biżżejjed taqra l-litaniji tagħhom (b’numru minnhom li jiktbu taħt ismijiet differenti) fil-midja soċjali jew fl-ispazju li l-ġurnali online jirriżervaw għall-kummenti tal-qarrejja.
Xi kultant nissuspetta li l-aqwa mutur għal imġibithom hu l-għali għat-telfa elettorali tal-partit tagħhom. Għax hu minnu li l-biċċa l-kbira minnhom jappoġġjaw il-PN; għalkemm imbagħad, ma jonqsux segwaċi Laburisti biex jagħtuhom il-patta pari patta, huma wkoll donnhom ma ħarġux mill-bozza tar-rebbiegħa li għaddiet.
Il-ħajja tkompli fil-verità; ħadd ma jista’ jżommha ċassa. Biss forsi dal-fatt kurjuż qed jibqa’ jirrifletti punt li ħareġ ċar mill-2013 ’l quddiem. Ċerti elites, li mingħalihom kellhom xi dritt divin għall-poter u l-privileġġi tas-setgħa fil-pajjiż, qed iħossuhom sposseduti doppjament illum. Dak li kien tagħhom bi dritt naturali, skont huma, issa mhux biss ġew imċaħħda minnu għal darba, imma għal darbtejn u b’mod umiljanti. Ir-rimedju li qed jaqgħu għalih hu li jippretendu li l-logħba politika għadha kif kienet f’Ġunju li għadda, lejliet l-elezzjoni.
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SELF MEJJET
Fil-mixja lejn għaqda bankarja fl-Unjoni Ewropea, skoll qawwi qed ikun dak poġġut mis-self kbir li għad għandhom il-banek u li mhuwiex irendi: il-kondizzjonijiet tas-self mhumiex qed ikunu onorati (ħlasijiet ta’ imgħax, pagament ta’ kapital lura eċċ.) imma xorta waħda s-self baqa’ jinżamm fuq il-kotba tal-bank li jkun.
Il-problema mill-bidu kienet li kieku das-self mejjet jitneħħa kollu f’daqqa minn fuq il-kotba finanzjarji, uħud mill-banek – fosthom ismijiet qawwija ħafna – kienu malajr jogħtru. Aktar u aktar għax fl-istess ħin, kien qed ikollhom jibdew iġorru obbligi finanzjarji żejda preskritti mir-regoli ġodda Ewropej, maħsuba ħalli jsostnu l-qagħda tal-banek.
Instab qbil biex il-banek jiżbarazzaw ruħhom minn self mejjet bin-nifs. Dan-nifs qed itul wisq.
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BĦAL DEJJEM
Aktar ma nerġa’ nqatta’ żmien fi Brussell, aktar ninduna kemm għadhom qed jitħaddmu r-regoli Ewropej il-“qodma”.
F’miġemgħa bejn “kbar” u “żgħar”, fejn il-ħin kollu tiġi mistqarra l-akbar lealtà lejn prinċipji u valuri tal-akbar stima, jitħaddmu żewġ regoli.
Lejn il-“kbar”, prudenza kbira kull meta dawn skont il-fehma ġenerali, għar-raġunijiet tagħhom, ikunu xellfu jew kisru l-istess prinċipji.
Biss skont il-fehma anke ta’ minoranzi influwenti – u fuq il-bażi ta’ allegazzjonijiet dubjużi, speċjalment fejn tidħol l-aktar il-konvenjenza politika, malli wieħed miż-“żgħar” jidher qed ixellef xi prinċipju, it-tempesti jqumu. Il-qdusija Ewropea tieħu r-ritmu ta’ kruċjata. Il-ħidmiet ta’ investigazzjoni u twiddib jirrankaw.
Stramba kif hemm xi Maltin li dil-ħaġa jqisuha utli.

English Version – Curious

I find it curious that as of now, there are still so many people who seem like they’re still living in a bubble surrounding the events that led to this year’s general elections. All you need do is read their diatribes (some penned by the same writers using different noms de plume) in the social media or in the space that on-line papers set aside for readers’ comments.

At times, I suspect that the strongest engine powering their behaviour still is deep grief about their party’s election defeat. For it’s the case that in their great majority, these people are PN supporters; even if on the other hand, there’s no lack of Labour diehards out to give them tough replicas, as if they too are still caught in last spring’s scenarios.

Actually, life goes on and nobody can make it freeze. Yet, this curious behaviour is continuing to reflect a perspective that became evident as of 2013. Some elites, who thought they had a divine right to access power and the privileges of being in government, are now feeling doubly dispossessed. What they considered to be theirs as a natural birthright, has been denied them not just once, but twice and in a humiliating matter. They are falling back on the remedy by which they pretend the political situation has remained like it was last June, on the eve of the elections.

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Non performing

In the advance towards banking union in the EU, a difficult hurdle has been what to do with non-performing loans (NPLs) that banks carry: loan conditions are not being satisfied, like for interest dues, capital repayments and so on; but banks still keep these loans on their books.

Right from the start, the problem was that if these NPLs were rubbed out of banks’ balance sheets, some banks – among which top names – would soon have capsized. The problem was exacerbated by the fact that at the same time, banks were having to satisfy additional financial obligations prescribed by new European rules designed to safeguard banks’ position over the long term.

A method had been agreed by which banks could offload NPLs by installments. That process is taking too long.

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As ever

The more time that lately I’ve been spending in Brussels, the more I realize how the “old” European rules are still in place.

In a gathering where “big” and “small” players assemble, and where all the time the need for total observance is proclaimed of the highest principles and values, two rules apply.

When the “big” players have according to the general view, for their own sweet reasons, stretched hard or even gone against these same principles, a great prudence must come into play.

By contrast, if influential minorities so opine, even when they rely on questionable allegations deriving from political convenience, if one of the “small” players appears to have undermined some principle or other, then tempests become the order of the day. A fervour of European holiness takes the form and rhythm of a crusade. Investigations and warnings proliferate.

It is strange how some Maltese consider this arrangement to be useful.