L-Isfidi Quddiem l-Ewropa

Aħjar insejħulhom sfidi biex ma ninstemgħux wisq pessimisti. Imma huma sfidi iebsa u qawwija dawk li jinsabu quddiem l-Ewropa llum.

L-immigrazzjoni u t-terroriżmu huma fost l-oqsma kruċjali li l-aktar jeħtieġu tweġiba fuq skala kontinentali. Biss mhumiex iqanqlu koperazzjoni mifruxa u ġenwina. Minflok, is-suspetti u d-dubji donnhom qed jimminaw il-ħolqien ta’ politika komuni li tinħass effettiva u ġusta.

B’mod ġenerali, l-ekonomija Ewropea mhux jirnexxilha tqanqal biżżejjed investimenti u toħloq biżżejjed impjiegi. L-aqwa gwida fit-tmexxija ekonomika baqgħet dik tal-konsolidament li ssarraf sa issa f’awsterità, b’danni soċjali kbar.

Biex ir-Renju Unit jibqa’ fl-Unjoni Ewropea, qed jitlob bidliet fil-kundizzjonijiet tas-sħubija tiegħu. Il-membri l-oħra ma jriduhx jitlaq. Madankollu, il-bidliet mitluba minnu jistgħu jaffettwaw ħażin pajjiżi oħra. U jkun xi jkun il-kompromess diplomatiku, kif se jivvota l-poplu Ingliż fir-referendum li għandu jissejjaħ dwar is-sħubija Ingliża?

Minn naħa, l-Unjoni Ewropea qed tinnegojza ftehim dwar żona waħda ta’ kummerċ u investiment mal-Istati Uniti. Mill-oħra, mar-Russja qed timponi – u taqla’ – sanzjonijiet. Il-qbil dwar dawn iż-żewġ “proġetti” fost il-pajjiżi membri tal-Unjoni mhux profond, hu aktar tal-qoxra.

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L-isfidi quddiem Malta

Is-sena 2015 kienet waħda ta’ tkabbir ekonomiku sostanzjali. Kif se tinżamm din ir-rankatura? Inġarret l-aktar minn tkabbir fis-servizzi speċjalment dawk finanzjarji u t-turiżmu. Barra milli jiġu żviluppati servizzi ta’ tip ġdid, tibqa’ l-ħtieġa li l-manifattura tingħata spinta ’l quddiem.

L-edukazzjoni teknika fl-oqsma tal-inġinerija elettrika, elettronika u mekkanika jeħtieġ tingħata dejjem aktar importanza. Ma nistgħux f’oqsma fejn qabel kien ikollna l-aqwa nies tas-sengħa, nsiru niddependu minn ħaddiema barranin. Jeħtieġ li s-snajja tal-inġinerija jerġgħu jiksbu l-prestiġju u l-ħlasijiet li kienu jgawdu fl-imgħoddi.

Sadattant il-ħtiġiet soċjali tal-poplu Malti nbidlu sew. Il-politika soċjali bil-benefiċċji u lqugħ li tipprovdi, trid tiġi aġġornata biex tkopri aħjar il-bżonnijiet tal-foqra u tal-anzjani.

Il-qasam tas-sigurtà bilfors iqajjem tħassib, kemm fir-rigward ta’ x’jersaq lejna minn barra, kemm fir-rigward ta’ x’jiġri fostna. Irid jissaħħaħ sew.

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Xewqat

Dawn mhumiex riżoluzzjonijiet tal-Ewwel tas-Sena imma xewqat:

– Li l-Maltin u l-Għawdxin jifhmu aħjar kif qed jintlaqtu minn żviluppi fl-Ewropa, u jagħmlu dan mingħajr ma jkollhom stilel f’għajnejhom.

– Li f’Għawdex jiskatta investiment dirett li joħloq l-impjiegi fil-gżira stess.

– Li l-problema tat-traffiku tittaffa ħalli s-sewqan ma jibqax mod kif issir aktar nervuż.

– Li l-arti Maltija, mhux l-anqas il-letteratura, jiksbu għarfien dejjem aktar popolari u mifrux bħala espressjoni tal-identità nazzjonali.

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Xewqat sbieħ ukoll għal Sena Ġdida mimlija risq lil kulħadd.

English Version – European Challenges

Not to sound too pessimistic, best call them challenges. But these challenges that Europe must now face are tough and huge.

Immigration and terrorism are among the crucial areas that most need responses drafted on a continental scale. Even so they are not triggering a widespread and genuine sense of cooperation. Instead, suspicions and doubts undermine the drafting of common policies, felt as effective and fair.

Generally, the European economy is failing to promote sufficient investment and to create enough jobs. The strongest guideline for economic policy remains consolidation, which has meant up to now austerity, bringing in its wake big social burdens.

In order to remain in the European Union, the UK is demanding changes in its membership arrangements. The other members wish the UK to stay. Yet the changes being asked for would badly affect other countries. And whatever diplomatic compromise is reached, how would the British people vote in the referendum due to be called to decide on UK membership?

On the one hand, the European Union is negotiating an agreement with the US about a common area for commerce and investment between the two sides. On the other, with Russia, it is imposing and experiencing sanctions. Among memberstates of the Union, agreement regarding these two “projects” is shallow, indeed superficial.

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Maltese challenges

During 2015, we registered substantial economic growth. How is this momentum going to be maintained? Much of it came from growth in services, especially in financial activities and tourism. In addition to developing new services, we need to boost manufacturing.

Technical education in electric, electronic and mechanical engineering needs to be given ever increasing importance. In areas where we formerly had excellently trained people, we cannot afford now to depend on imported foreign labour. Engineering skills need to reacquire the prestige and remuneration that they enjoyed in the past.

Meanwhile, there has been a drastic change in the needs of the Maltese people. Social policy has to be updated over the range of benefits and safeguards it provides, in order to cover better the current needs of the poor and the elderly.

National security has understandably become a cause for concern, by way of external threats and internal happenings. It has to be considerably reinforced.

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Wishes

The following are wishes, not New Year resolutions:

–That the people of Malta and Gozo while getting to understand better how they are affected by developments in Europe, do so without letting stars get in their eyes.

–That in Gozo new direct investment is generated by which to create employment in the island.

–That traffic problems are defused so that driving in Malta stops being a procedure by which to become a nervous wreck.

–That Maltese arts, not least literature, gain a wider and more popular recognition as an expression of the national identity.

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All the best for a Prosperous New Year to everybody.