Ir-rebħa ta’ Donald Trump fl-elezzjoni presidenzjali Amerikana seħħet għax warajh irnexxielu jgħaqqad dawk li kienu mitqiesa bħala t-telliefa fil-globalizzazzjoni u fil-bidliet strutturali kbar li għadha għaddejja minnhom l-ekonomija tal-Istati Uniti. Dawk jiġifieri, li spiċċaw jew bla impjieg, jew b’impjieg li joffrilhom opportunitajiet ta’ ħajja tajba ħafna anqas milli kienu mdorrijin jistennew.
L-isfida għal Trump issa se tkun kif jista’ jissodisfa l-aspirazzjonijiet tal-miljuni li raw fih is-salvatur. Ma tantx għamel wegħdi preċiżi matul il-kampanja, imma żgur ta lok għal stennija kbira li se jaqleb ħafna affarijiet ta’ taħt fuq.
Jista’ jiddeċiedi li jagħmel dan imma bħala President, se jkollu wkoll jistħarreġ il-konsegwenzi ta’ li se jwettaq. Mhux kollha se jkunu sbieħ. U se jsib ħafna nies li se jgħidulu kemm se jkunu koroh.
Il-“kurżità” fix-xhur li ġejjin se tkun kif Trump se jsolvi d-dilemmi li resqin lejh.
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Bard Ewropew
Ir-riżultat tal-elezzjoni Amerikana qajjem bard politiku kbir fl-Ewropa. Mhux biss għax ma kienx mistenni, jew għax maġġoranza ta’ mexxejja Ewropej kienu favur Clinton, jew għax il-politika tal-President il-ġdid se tqajjem kontroversji kbar f’diversi oqsma ewlenin.
Aktar minn hekk, bir-rebħa tiegħu, Trump qed jagħti kuraġġ ġdid u kbir lil “movimenti” politiċi tal-lemin u tax-xellug li jitqiesu bħala “estremisti” jew “populisti” waqt li jmexxu kampanji kontra l-partiti tradizzjonali “stabbiliti”. Diġà fl-aħħar snin dawn laħqu ħadu rankatura qawwija.
Fost il-pajjiżi konċernati insibu l-Olanda, Franza, l-Awstrija, id-Danimarka, l-Italja, il-Ġermanja … Fi stqarrija għall-istampa, Gianni Pittella, il-mexxej tal-grupp tas-soċjalisti u d-demokratiċi fil-Parlament Ewropew, tkellem dwar virus li qed jinxtered.
Mhux kulħadd jaqbel mal-kelma li uża biex jiddeskrivi x’inhu għaddej. Imma kulħadd ikollu jaqbel li hu x’inhu dak li qed iseħħ, bħala fenomenu qed jinfirex.
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Prezz tal-petrol
Dan il-punt mhux se jkun popolari imma ta’ min jagħmlu.
L-Oppożizzjoni Nazzjonalista u oħrajn jikkritikaw lill-Gvern għax skont huma, żamm il-prezz tal-enerġija għoli wisq, waqt li l-prezz internazzjonali taż-żejt hu baxx tal-għaġeb. L-aktar li jissemma hu l-prezz tal-petrol.
Fl-istess ħin, għaddejjin bil-kontroversji dwar it-trasport u kif qed nispiċċaw b’toroq li m’humiex ilaħħqu mat-traffiku – l-aktar ta’ vetturi privati.
F’qafas hekk, fost il-miżuri li jittieħdu ġeneralment biex isolvu l-biċċa nsibu proposti maħsuba biex irażżnu t-traffiku privat. Xi ħaġa li tikkontribwixxi għal hekk żgur hu l-prezz tal-petrol. Aktar ma jibqa’ għoli, inqas l-inċentiv biex wieħed jipparteċipa fit-traffiku għaddej.
Issib li l-istess nies li jikkritikaw lill-Gvern għax mhux irażżan it-traffiku, jikkritikawh ukoll għax ma jraħħasx il-prezz tal-petrol.
English Version – Losers’ Victory
Donald Trump’s win in the American presidential election came about because he succeeded in uniting behind him those who were considered the losers in the globalisation and huge structural changes that the US economy has been through. These consisted mainly of people who ended up jobless, or with jobs that provided them with less opportunities to enjoy the good life than they had been used to.
Trump now faces the challenge of satisfying the aspirations of the millions who saw him as their saviour. He did not make many precise pledges during the campaign but certainly gave rise to a wide expectation that he would radically reverse direction.
He could actually decide to proceed on these lines but as a President he will have also to examine the consequences of his actions. Not all of them will be bright. And he will be surrounded by many people who will tell him how dark they are.
One will be “curious” in the coming months to see how Trump will be solving his approaching dilemmas.
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European shivers
The result of the American election left Europe shivering badly, at least in political terms. Not simply for the following reasons: the outcome was unexpected; a majority of European leaders were pro-Clinton; the policies of the President-elect will trigger major controversies in leading sectors.
More than that, Trump’s triumph is giving new and greater courage to the political “movements” of right and left which are considered “extremist” or “populist” as they wage war against the “established” and traditional parties. Already in recent years, they have achieved a good momentum.
Among the countries concerned by this, you’ll find Holland, France, Austria, Demark, Italy, Germany… In a press statement, Gianni Pittella, leader of the socialist and democratic group in the European Parliament deplored the spread of a “virus”.
Some will disagree with the word he used to describe what is happening. But all will have to agree that no matter what the nature of the phenomenon is, it is spreading.
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Price of petrol
Let’s make a point that will find no partisans but it’s worth making.
The Nationalist Opposition plus others criticise the government because in their view, it has kept energy prices too high, even as the international price of oil plummeted. Petrol prices are most in their focus.
Meanwhile, controversies about transport are rife, with claims galore about how our roads are not keeping up with traffic, especially that of private vehicles.
In such a context, measures which are generally comtemplated usually include proposals designed to curb private traffic. A factor that contributes to this aim would be the price of petrol. The higher it remains, the less the incentive for car owners to get on the road.
One then discovers that the same people who criticise the government for not controlling traffic volumes, are also criticising it for failing to reduce the price of petrol.
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