Serju

Fi żmien ta’ tkabbir ekonomiku sostanzjali, ministru tal-finanzi jista’ jkollu pressjonjiet kbar fuqu daqs fi żmien ta’ awsterità. Dan għax kulħadd jippretendi li la l-affarijiet sejrin tajjeb, għandu jgawdi. Ir-raġunijiet għaliex deċiżjonijiet li jġibu magħhom aktar spejjeż għandhom jitqiesu bi prudenza jitilfu mis-saħħa tagħhom.
Forsi fi żminijiet riċenti, l-aktar ministru tal-finanzi li rnexxielu jirreżisti ir-rankatura ta’ aktar spejjeż kien Schauble tal-Ġermanja. Anzi forsi hu baqa’ jżomm il-brejkijiet b’mod eċċessiv.
Il-baġit tal-Gvern Malti mxandar din il-ġimgħa fetaħ kif imwiegħed, inizjattivi ġodda fuq il-front soċjali. Sew għamel. Sakemm mhumiex jaqbżuli fir-retorika ftit staġnata li tiddistingwi d-diskorsi tal-baġit, xi dettalji kruċjali, jidher li nżamm bilanċ tajjeb ħalli l-inizjattivi mwiegħda ma jaqbżux il-limiti tal-prudenza finanzjarja, kemm illum u kemm għada.
F’dan is-sens, aktar minn baġit tajjeb – kif ftit seta’ ma jkunx fiċ-ċirkostanzi ekonomiċi preżenti – il-programm propost għas-sena d-dieħla tal-finanzi pubbliċi jixraqlu wkoll it-titlu ta’ “baġit serju”.
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ABORT
Id-distanza bejn Malta u Brussell tkopriha bi vjaġġ ta’ sagħtejn u nofs f’ajruplan. Imma dik bejn il-mentalità dwar l-abort minn post għall-ieħor hi ikbar mill-ħin meħtieġ biex tasal sal-qamar.
Kelli ċans ninduna kemm hu fond l-abbiss bejn iż-żewġ mentalitajiet il-ġimgħa li għaddiet. Ħadt sehem f’diskussjoni televiżiva dwar l-abort fil-Parlament Ewropew; lura f’Malta qajjimt is-suġġett ma’ xi ħbieb, nisa u rġiel.
Hemmhekk, hi mitqiesa bħala xi ħaġa kontra d-drittijiet tal-bniedem u tal-mistħija li ċċaħħad lin-nisa mid-dritt li jiddeċiedu huma dwar affarijiet li jikkonċernaw lil ġisimhom. Mara għandha jkollha l-ħelsien sħiħ li tabortixxi.
Hawnhekk, hi mitqiesa bħala xi ħaġa kontra n-natura li tippermetti l-abort għax dan jeqred il-ħajja. Kull bidu ta’ ħajja ta’ bniedem irid jitħares bl-akbar qawwa, kważi b’mod assolut.
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IS-SUD TA’ MALTA
Hu minnu li s-sud ta’ Malta qala’ konċentrament ta’ proġetti u żviluppi li għarrqulu l-ambjent tiegħu. Bl-eċċezzjoni tal-Magħtab, l-industrija u l-infrastruttura li toħloq tniġġis jew dwejjaq madwarha nġabru mill-Marsa ’l isfel. Hu ġust u fl-interess nazzjonali li jittieħdu miżuri biex jirremedjaw kemm jistgħu għal dan l-iżbilanċ. Taħseb x’taħseb dwar l-Università Amerikana li l-gvern irid iwaqqaf, il-fatt li jrid ipoġġiha fis-sud hu punt kbir favur tagħha.
Id-dilemma li għadha magħna dwar x’messu jsir bis-sit tal-lukanda Djerma f’Wied il-Għajn jagħti xhieda tal-imblokki li jinqalgħu meta miżuri ta’ “kumpens” ikunu se jittieħdu.
X’jaqbel l-aktar għas-sud: Li jiżdidulu l-ispazji “miftuħa” fejn in-nies issib ambjent naturali biex tirrekrea ruħha? Jew li jsir sforz ġdid biex it-turiżmu jiġi żviluppat? Kont nemmen li t-tieni triq hi l-aħjar waħda.

English Version – Sober

When economic growth is substantial, ministers of finance can find themselves being subjected to pressures as strong as when austerity policies are being followed. This happens because one and all believe that in good times, one and all should sharein the growing pie. The reasons deployed to explain why decisions that bring higher expenditures in their wake should be considered with prudence, sound increasingly weak.

Perhaps in recent times, the finance minister who has best succeeded to resist pressures for higher spending has been the German Schauble. Inded, one could argue that he has done so with excessive commitment.

The Malta government’s budget published this week, launched as had been promised, new initiativeson the social front. That is commendable. Unless I have missed some crucial details hiddenin the rather turgid rhetoric that defines budget speeches, it seems like a good equilibrium has been maintained: promised initiatives do not exceed the limits of financial prudence, both for today and for tomorrow.

In this regard, more than being highlighted as a “good” budget – which it could hardly have failed to be given prevailing economic conditions – the programme for public finance as proposed for next year has the hallmark of a “sober” budget.

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Abortion

The distance between Malta and Brussels is covered by a flight that takes some two hours and a half. But the distance in attitudes regarding abortion between the two sites is far longer than the time it would take to travel to the moon.

I could see how deep the abyss between two mentalities is last week, when taking part in a discussion about abortion for television, recorded at the European Parliament. Then, back in Malta, I raised the subject with friends, female and male.

There, to deprive women of the right to decide about matters which concern their bodies is considered as totally against human rights and as shameful. Women should have the full right to have abortions, if they so desire.

Here, it is considered as completely unnatural to allow abortion for this amounts to the destruction of human life. Whatever makes for the commencement of human life should be safeguarded at all costs, almost absolutely.

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Malta’s south

It’s quite true that the south of Malta has had to carry a concentration of projects and developments which have negatively affected thequality of lifethere. With the exception of Magħtab, industries and infrastructure which generate around them pollution or hassles for residents seem to have assembled down south from Marsa.

It is fair and in the national interest that measures are adopted to compensate as much as possible for this imbalance. No matter what you may think about the American University which the government wishes to establish, the fact that it is being earmarked for the south constitutes a big plus point for it.

The still unresolved dilemma regarding what should be done with the Djerma hotel site at Marsascala, illustrates the blockages that arise when “compensatory” measures vis a vis the south are envisaged.

What is best for the region: the provision of more open spaces where people can find a “natural” environment for recreational purposes? or should new efforts be mobilised to develop tourism? I used to believe the second option was the best one.