Mistoqsija leġittima f’din il-kampanja tal-elezzjonijiet Ewropej hi: Id-delegazzjoni Nazzjonalista li se jkun hemm fil-mandat li jmiss tal-Parlament Ewropew se taddotta l-istess strateġija negattiva li kellha matul l-aħħar mandat? Igħidu xi jgħidu l-mexxejja tal-PN, kienet strateġija maħsuba biex tħammeġ l-isem u r-reputazzjoni tal-pajjiż.

Hemm test li jista’ jsir biex naraw x’se jkunu l-intenzjonijiet futuri tal-PN f’dar-rigward. Minnufih wara li jintemmu l-elezzjonjiet u jiġi kostitwit il-Parlament ġdid, jibdew isiru n-nomini mill-pajjiżi rispettivi tal-Kummissarju ġdid tagħhom fil-Kummissjoni Ewropea. Kull persuna nominata tiġi mistħarrġa mill-Parlament Ewropew.

Issa, kulħadd tista’ tgħid, iqis in-nomina bħala waħda nazzjonali – kif filfatt hi. Waqt li jsir l-eżami mill-Parlament u waqt li jitħejja l-vot tal-kumitat parlamentari involut, id-deputati ta’ pajjiż jagħmlu mill-aħjar biex jagħtu appoġġ lil min ikun nominat.

X’se jkunu qed jagħmlu d-deputati Ewropej tal-PN quddiem in-nomina Maltija? Il-kap tad-delegazzjoni Nazzjonalista fil-Parlament Ewropew ħarab milli jirrispondi għal din il-mistoqsija.

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JUROVA

Tbissimt meta qrajt x’kitbet il-gazzetta “Malta Independent” dwar kif il-Kummissarju Jurova wieġbet għal mistoqsija parlamentari li għamiltilha. Kienet dwar id-differenza fil-mod kif is-servizzi tal-Unjoni Ewropea ittrattaw il-każ tal-bank Pilatus u dak ta’ Dansk u Deutsche Bank. Tal-ewwel ġie akkużat b’irregolaritajiet li jlaħħqu ftit mijiet ta’ miljuni ewro tul xi sena forsi. Tat tieni għal snin twal, kienu ħaslu mijiet ta’ biljuni ta’ ewro.

Skont ir-rapport, Jurova “ċanfritni” talli saqsejt il-mistoqsija u fissret kif is-servizzi tal-Unjoni kienu mxew skont ir-regoli stabbiliti fiż-żewġ każi. Diffiċli li tara ċanfira fir-risposta tal-Kummissarju, maħduma kif kienet biex tħawwad il-bigħa.

Is-sabiħa kienet li fl-istess żmien li Jurova wieġbet u deher ir-rapport tal-“MI”, il-“Financial Times” żvela kif kienu ttieħdu d-deċiżjonijiet dwar il-banek Dansk u Deutsche, wara kampanja qawwija maħsuba biex tipproteġi korpi Daniżi u Tedeski involuti fit-tmexxija tas-swieq finanzjarji. Dal-fattur ma kienx preżenti meta l-Pilatus Bank ġie investigat.

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REDENTUR

L-istatwa tar-Redentur fil-bażilika tal-Isla għandha aktar minn mitejn u ħamsin sena. Kellha bżonn kbir li tiġi restawrata. Ix-xogħol intemm ftit ilu. Fuq stedina tal-arċipriet dun Robin Camilleri mort naraha. Ir-restawr li sar fuq l-istatwa kien metikoluż għall-aħħar. Ingħatajt ktieb mill-isbaħ li ġie publikat apposta biex jikkommemora din l-inizjattiva.

Fl-istess okkażjoni kelli l-opportunità nsir naf dwar il-proġetti ta’ appoġġ soċjali li l-bażilika tmexxi fl-Isla. Hi ħidma tassew meħtieġa u qed titmexxa bis-sens u b’impenn. L-istess sens u impenn qed jitħaddmu fuq proġett ieħor, kulturali. Bħal ma ġara bl-istatwa tar-Redentur, l-arkivji u l-oġġetti artistiċi u kulturali tal-bażilika qed jitħarsu, jiġu priżervati tajjeb u miżmuma katalogati.

English Version – Will they vote for?

A legitimate query in this European election campaign is: Will the PN delegation for the next mandate of the European Parliament be adopting the same negative strategy as the one that we had during the last mandate? Whatever PN leaders choose to say, there is no doubt that their strategy was intended to rubbish the name and reputation of the island.

There is a test that can be carried out to check on the future intentions of the PN in this respect. Once the elections are over and as the new European Parliament is taking shape, there will be nominations by the respective member states to propose who their Commissioner will be in the European Commission. All nominees will be assessed by the European Parliament and they will be voted upon.

Now, practically everybody considers the nomination as a national issue – which in fact it is. And as the nominee is assessed by the Parliament and the vote on his/her suitability approaches in the committee involved, the country’s MEPs do their best to marshall support for his/her name.

What will the PN’s MEPs do when faced with the Maltese nominee? As of now, the head of the PN’s delegation at the EP has avoided giving a straight answer to this query.

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Jurova

I had to smile at the report carried in the “Malta Independent” about how EU Commissioner Jurova dealt with a parliamentary question I asked her. It was meant to check the different ways by which the EU administration covered the case of Pilatus Bank on the one hand, and that of Dansk and Deutsche Banks on the other.

According to the report, Jurova “rebuked” me for having asked the question and explained that the administrative services of the Union acted according to Union rules in both cases. However, it is quite difficult to find any rebuke in the Commissioner’s reply, seeing that it was written with the aim of confusing matters.

What is worth noting is that about the same time that Jurova was publishing her reply and the report was featured in the MI, the Financial Times revealed how decisions concerning Dansk and Deutsche Banks were taken. They came at the tail end of a strong campaign which was carried out to prevent the name of Danish and German institutions which act as regulators of financial markets, from being dragged into the mud. This factor was not present when the Pilatus Bank investigation was proceeding.

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Redeemer

The statue of the Redeemer in the Senglea basilica is more than two hundred fifty years old. It greatly needed to be restored. That assignment was completed a short while ago. At the invitation of archpriest Father Robin Camilleri I went to view the statue. The restoration work that has been carried out on it was very meticulous. I was gifted with a very beautiful book which was published just to commemorate this initiative.

During the same occasion, I had the opportunity to learn about projects of social solidarity that are run by the Senglea basilica. This much needed activity is being run with common sense and commitment. The same qualities are being deployed on another project, cultural this time, meant to ensure that like what happened with the Redeemer’s statue, archives as well as artistic and cultural artifacts possessed by the basilica are well preserved and catalogued.

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