Presidenza Parlament Ewropew

Dil-ġimgħa fil-Parlament Ewropew, il-gvern Malti jippreżenta l-programm tat-tmexxija tiegħu għall-Presidenza tal-Unjoni Ewropea.
Fl-istess jiem se tkun qed issir l-elezzjoni tal-President tal-Parlament Ewropew, kariga li did-darba qed tiġi kontestata bla qbil minn qabel, bejn il-gruppi politiċi fil-Parlament. Dan kellu jfisser x’aktarx li l-kontestazzjoni tittieħed sal-aħħar b’erba’ votazzjonijiet sigrieti wara xulxin sakemm iż-żewġ kandidati li l-aktar ikunu ġabru voti jispiċċaw f’konfront ras imb’ras.
Barra mill-Parlament Ewropew, l-elezzjoni ftit se tqanqal textix. X’aktarx jispiċċaw il-kandidati tal-Popolari u tas-Soċjalisti jtellqu bejniethom fl-aħħar rawnd. Iċ-ċansijiet huma li meta Malta tressaq il-proposti tagħha għat-tmexxija tal-Unjoni Ewropea, l-Parlament se jkun ftit distratt. Il-membri tiegħu jkunu qed jiżnu l-konsegwenzi tal-voti meħuda, lejn naħa jew oħra.
Jispiċċa kif jispiċċa r-riżultat, ftit għandu jagħmel differenza għall-operat tal-Presidenza Maltija. L-aqwa sfida politika tagħha fiż-żmien li ġej tibqa’ kif se tirreaġġixxi, flimkien mal-President tal-Kunsill Ewropew Tusk, għat-talba formali tar-Renju Unit f’Marzu li ġej biex joħroġ mill-Unjoni Ewropea.
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Ġenna fiskali
Il-grupp tal-Ħodor fil-Parlament Ewropew ħareġ rapport miktub minn akkademiku tal-Università ta’ Nottingham fir-Renju Unit, dwar kif Malta qed isservi effettivament bħala ġenna fiskali (“tax haven”).
Hu rapport miktub tajjeb; m’hemmx għalfejn ngħidu mill-perspettiva ta’ dawk li jqisu li s-servizzi finanzjarji provduti minn pajjiżi ċkejkna bħal Malta, mhuma xejn ħlief magna għall-ħasil tal-profitti u flejjes miksuba bi skrokk.
Jistħoqqlu tweġiba sostanzjata u serja, mill-gvern Malti u mill-professjonisti Maltin attivi fil-qasam tas-servizzi finanzjarji.
Tal-aħħar ma jistgħux jibqgħu ċiċċi beqqi, jistennew li l-gvern waħdu jagħmel ix-xogħol li jħares u jiddefendi internazzjonalment l-interessi tas-settur “tagħhom”. Dan jinsab quddiem assalt frontali, immexxi mill-aqwa forzi politiċi tal-lemin u tax-xellug fl-Ewropa u barra minnha.
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Soares
L-ewwel li rajt mill-qrib lil Mario Soares, kien fil-Palazz tal-ġnien tal-Lussemburgu f’Pariġi. Kienet għaddejja laqgħa tas-Socialist International, immexxija minn Francois Mitterrand. Tal-aħħar kien qed jiddefendi d-deċiżjoni tal-Partit Soċjalista Franċiż, immexxi minnu, li jagħmel koalizzjoni mal-komunisti ħalli x-xellug fl-aħħar jirbaħ il-poter taħt ir-regoli tal-Ħames Repubblika.
Kien hemm ukoll il-mexxej tal-Partit Laburista Ingliz Callaghan, qed jispjega r-raġunijiet għaliex il-partit tiegħu ma kellux daqstant fiduċja fl-Unjoni Ewropea ta’ dak iż-żmien.
U attenda bħala mistieden tal-unur Mario Soares, eżiljat minn pajjiżu fi zmien ir-reġim faxxista ta’ Salazar: kalm, korrett, dinjituż.
F’dawk il-mumenti ftakart waqt ċerimonja ċkejkna li d-delegazzjoni soċjalista Portugiża żammet fil-kurituri tal-Parlament Ewropew biex tikkommemora lil Soares. Miet fil-bidu tas-sena. Mill-ewwel darba li rajtu, waqgħet id-dittatura faxxista u Soares ta kontribut enormi biex il-Portugall jirritorna għad-demokrazija. Għalhekk mhux se jintesa.

English Version – European Parliament presidency

This week at the European Parliament, the Malta government was scheduled to present its programme for the EU Presidency.

At almost the same time, elections were due to be held for the presidency of the EP. The post is being contested without any prior agreement regarding the outcome having been reached between the political groups represented in the Parliament. This was bound to take the contest into a fourth secret ballot, when the two candidates having secured most votes by then, would run against each other.

Outside the Parliament itself, the election is unlikely to arouse much excitement. In the final round, the candidates of the People’s Party and of the Socialists and Democrats were expected to face each other in a stand off. Chances are that when Malta presents its proposals for the EU’s agenda, the Parliament could be somewhat distracted. Members will be evaluating one way or the other, the implications of the voting that would have taken place.

No matter what the end result, it will likely not affect the operations of the Maltese Presidency. The latter’s main political challenge in the coming months will remain how alongside European Council President Tusk, it handles the formal request by the UK this March, to exit the EU.

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Tax haven

The Greens in the European Parliament have published a report prepared by a professor at Nottingham University in the UK, analysing how Malta is effectively serving as a tax haven.

The report is well written – needless to say, from the perspective of those who consider that the financial services provided by smaller countries like Malta, are nothing better than machines that launder profits and funds appropriated abusively.

The report calls for a substantive and serious rebuttal by the Malta government, as well as by Maltese professionals active in the field of financial services.

The latter can hardly remain on the side expecting the government to single-handedly safeguard and defend “their” sector. This is now being subjected to a frontal attack, led by really powerful political forces from right and left, in Europe and beyond.

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Soares

The first time I saw Mario Soares from up close was in the Palace of the Luxembourg gardens in Paris. The Socialist International was meeting, with Francois Mitterrand in the chair. He was then promoting the decision of the French Socialist Party which he led, to seek a coalition with the Communists, so that the left could finally win power in France under the rules set out by the Fifth Republic.

Also present was the leader of the British Labour Party James Callaghan. He explained the reasons why his party remained quite sceptical about the EU of those days.

And in attendance as a guest of honour, there was Mario Soares, an exile at a time when his country Portugal was still in the grip of the fascist dictatorship run by Salazar: calm, correct, courteous.

I remembered that occasion during a small ceremony organised by the Portuguese socialist delegation in the corridors of the European Parliament to commemorate Soares. He died at the start of the New Year. Since that first time I saw him, the fascist dictatorship had collapsed and Soares’ contribution to the democratisation of Portugal was immense. For this reason, he will not be forgotten.