Sajf sħun

Ma neħodhiex bi kbira jekk dan se jkun sajf sħun fil-qasam tal-immigrazzjoni. Nittama li għandi żball.

Kollox juri li, kif qal Donald Tusk, il-President tal-Kunsill Ewropew, wara l-ftehim milħuq bejn l-Unjoni Ewropea u t-Turkija, ix-xbieki li jwasslu l-emigranti lejn l-Ewropa se jerġgħu jduru lejn l-Afrika ta’ Fuq, l-aktar il-Libja.

Jidher li l-ftehim mat-Turkija qed jilħaq parti sew mill-għanijiet tiegħu. Qed irażżan il-kurrent migratorju li jgħaddi mill-Balkani sal-Ġermanja. Mhux ta’ b’xejn li l-kanċellier Merkel baqgħet daqstant attenta biex ma turtax lill-President tat-Turkija Erdogan.

Jekk issa l-immigranti se jduru lejn l-Italja (u Malta) biex jaslu fejn iridu, l-eħfef triq għall-Ġermanja kellha tgħaddi mill-Awstrija. Din qed tibni barrieri ġodda mal-fruntieri tagħha.

Il-logħba saret perikoluża. Bħala ġnus, l-Ewropej iridu jibqgħu jistqarru l-valuri tal-ħniena u tat-tolleranza. Fl-istess waqt, iridu jrażżnu b’kull mezz possibbli l-”invażjoni” tar-refuġjati u l-immigranti.

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Sigrieti kummerċjali

Uħud tqanżħu biex jikkritikaw il-vot li fi ħdan il-grupp tas-soċjalisti u d-demokratiċi (l-S&D) tal-Parlament Ewropew ħadna favur li tidħol direttiva biex tipproteġi s-sigrieti kummerċjali tal-impriżi.

Sostnew li d-direttiva se sservi ta’ mażżra fuq ġurnalisti li jesponu l-abbużi u l-manipulazzjonijiet ta’ kumpaniji u individwi, kif irnexxielhom jagħmlu bil-Lux Leaks u l-karti tal-Panama.

Din hi akkuża vojta. Xorta ma nkunx sorpriż jekk tibqa’ tittenna.

Qabel ma l-proposta dwar il-protezzjoni ta’ sigrieti kummerċjali ġiet għall-vot, il-grupp parlamentari tal-S&D għamel kull sforz biex jiżgura li dil-miżura tħares għalkollox il-ħelsien tal-ġurnalisti li jxandru l-abbużi hekk kif isiru jafu bihom. Nemmen li tal-S&D irnexxielhom f’dan.

Barra minn hekk, naqbel bis-sħiħ li d-ditti kummerċjali, speċjalment dawk żgħar, għandhom jingħataw ħarsien Ewropew biex l-ideat u l-iskoperti tagħhom ma jinsterqux minn mafjużi jew kumpaniji kbar. Dak hu wara kollox il-għan tad-direttiva.

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Newsletter

Fi stabbiliment ta’ San Ġiljan, sħabi u jien nedejna it-tieni verżjoni ta’ newsletter elettronika maħsuba biex twassal informazzjoni dwar xi jkun għaddej fl-istanzi tal-Unjoni Ewropea permezz ta’ direttivi u regolamenti ġodda.

Biex nispjega għaliex newsletter bħal din tagħmel sens, fissirt li f’Malta u pajjiżi oħra tal-Unjoni Ewropea, iċ-ċittadini ftit isegwu kif l-Unjoni tkun qed tiffinalizza proposti li daqt se jispiċċaw jaffettwawlhom ħajjithom bil-kbir.

Stagħġibt b’kif dan l-argument, li jidhirli ovvju, qanqal mistoqsijiet fost ħafna nies. Donnhom għadhom ma fehmux kif l-Ewropa saret tiddeċiedi dwar ħwejjeġ li jaffettwawhom mill-qrib.

Il-problema hi li kontroversji nazzjonali jinħassu interessanti u pikkanti ħafna – kontroversji Ewropej jinħassu pjuttost imbiegħda. Sakemm jitwettqu f’pajjiżek, lejn tal-aħħar tibqa’ biered; wara, meta jkunu twettqu, tard wisq biex titbaqbaq.

English Version – Hot summer

I would not be at all surprised if the coming summer turns out to be a hot one on the immigration front. I only hope I’m wrong.

Events seem to be trending towards what European Council President Donald Tusk envisged would happen following the agreement reached between the European Union and Turkey: the networks which carry migrants towards Europe would swing back towards North Africa, mainly Libya.

The agreement with Turkey looks like achieving a substantial number of the aims set for it. Migratory flows towards Germany through the Balkans have been reduced. Unsurprisingly Chancellor Merkel has remained very careful to keep on the right side of Turkish President Erdogan.

If now, immigrants turn to Italy (and Malta) to reach their destination, the easiest route to Germany would be via Austria, which is building new barriers at its frontiers.

It is becoming a dangerous game. European peoples want to continue to uphold their values of solidarity and tolerance. At the same time, they want to restrict with all available means the ”invasion” by refugees and migrants.

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Trade secrets

There was some strained criticism regarding the yes vote we recently adopted as members of the socialist and democratic (S & D) group at the European Parliament, in favour of a directive to protect the trade secrets of businesses.

The line of argument was that the directive would help to muzzle journalists out to expose the abusive manipulations of companies and individuals, as they succeeded in doing with Luxleaks and the Panama papers.

There is no basis for this claim even if I wouldn’t be surprised to hear it being repeated.

Before the proposal regarding the protection of commercial secrets came to the vote at the European Parliament, the S & D parliamentary group did all it could to ensure that the measure fully safeguards the freedom of journalists when they publicize abuses as soon as they get to know about them. I believe that this aim was achieved.

Moreover I fully agree that businesses, especially the smaller ones, should be given protection at a European level to ensure that their ideas and innovations are not hijacked by mafiosi or big companies. Which after all, is the directive’s central objective.

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Newsletter

At an entertainment venue in St Julian’s, my friends and I launched the second version of an electronic newsletter designed to carry information about developments within the institutions of the European Union as they churn out new directives and regulations.

To explain why publishing such a newsletter makes sense, I explained that in Malta as well as in other EU countries, citizens hardly follow how the Union is putting the last touches to action proposals which will shortly be affecting their lives in a big way.

I am surprised at how this argument, which seems obvious to me, raises queries among many people. It’s still as if they have not yet grasped the point that Europe is now deciding directly on topics that concern them very closely.

A problem is that while national controversies are perceived as being interesting and much more gripping, European controversies sound distant. Till they reach the point where they are being implemented in your own country, they leave you cool and unconcerned. When they’re being put into place, it’s too late to get hot under the collar about them.