Titjib Ekonomiku Fl-Ewropa

Tista’ tgħid li l-osservaturi kollha qed jikkonfermaw li s-sinjali ta’ titjib ekonomiku fl-Ewropa baqgħu jissaħħu fl-aħħar ġimgħat. Wara kollox, xi darba jew oħra bilfors kellhom ibattu l-istaġnar u anki riċessjoni li baqgħu jitwalu mill-kriżi qawwija tal-2008. Għall-ewwel darba l-ekonomiji tal-Unjoni Ewropea (ħlief forsi għal Ċipru u l-Greċja) qed jirreġistraw tkabbir.

Għaliex madankollu l-fiduċja fil-futur għadha mtappna? Tisma’ uffiċjali tal-Kummissjoni Ewropea, tal-Fond Monetarju Internazzjonali u tal-Bank Ċentrali Ewropew kif ukoll akkademiċi universitarji, wieħed wara l-ieħor jipproklamaw li t-titjib għadu ”fraġili”. Veru li l-esperjenza riċenti għallmithom ikunu kawti. Għal darba tnejn fl-aħħar snin kienu ħabbru li l-agħar għadda u xorta waħda l-prospetti reġgħu ħżienu.

Il-problema hi li milli jista’ jidher sa issa, it-titjib li mistenni jkompli jseħħ mhux se jkollu impatt daqstant qawwi fuq l-impjiegi. Fi żmien meta l-qgħad Ewropew jinsab f’wieħed mill-ogħla livelli li qatt laħaq, mhux ta’ b’xejn li l-ottimiżmu qed jitliġġem.

Minkejja li qed titjieb, il-qagħda ekonomika xejn hi qed tagħti nifs lil dawk il-partiti fil-gvern li resqin lejn elezzjoni.

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Il-Libja

L-impressjoni li tieħu meta tisma’ nies li jafu l-Libja mill-qrib jew li għadhom b’rabtiet tajba magħha hi li l-affarijiet ma jinsabu taħt il-kontroll reali ta’ ħadd, jekk mhux li hemm stat ta’ anarkija. B’dik l-impressjoni rġajt bqajt il-ġimgħa l-oħra waqt konferenza fi Brussell organizzata fil-Parlament Ewropew mill-grupp tas-soċjalisti u d-demokratiċi.

Taħt ir-reġim ta’ Ghaddafi l-agħar dnub kien li ma nbnewx u ma tħaddmux istituzzjonijiet ta’ veru biex imexxu l-interessi tal-komunità. Mhux biss intilfu s-snajja’ ta’ kif tittratta ma’ interssi differenti minn tiegħek fi ħdan is-soċjetà, talli anki l-għarfien ta’ interessi u dmirjiet soċjali reċiproċi nħall sew.

Tisma’ rappreżentanti Libjani jitkellmu dwar il-qagħda f’pajjiżhom, u tirrealizza kif anki huma qed isibuha diffiċli jifhmu minn fejn għandhom jgħaddu biex jaslu għal xi forma ta’ ftehim bejn l-oqsma kollha tal-poplu Libjan.

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FIFA

Fi żmien fejn it-trasparenza u l-kontabilità saru jissemmew bħala l-aqwa valuri fit-tmexxija pubblika, dak li ġara u qed jiġri fil-FIFA jistona bil-kbir. L-ebda partit politiku, l-ebda gvern demokratiku, l-ebda negozju ”modern” ma kien ikun jista’ jevita terremot kieku kellu jispiċċa – kif spiċċat il-FIFA – b’għazla tal-aqwa mexxejja tiegħu akkużati b’korruzzjoni u abbużi oħra mill-aktar serji.

Sitwazzjoni bħal din kienet twaddab minnufih lill-mexxej ewlieni tal-istituzzjoni lejn riżenja. Minflok, fl-istess ħin li kienu qed jinħarġu l-akkużi u jitlestew l-arresti, il-kap eżekuttiv tal-FIFA reġa’ ġie elett għal ħames snin oħra.

Ma nafx kif il-FIFA tista’ titqies bħala organizzazzjoni kredibbli.

 

English Version – Economic growth in Europe

Almost all analysts confirm that indicators of an improving economic performance in Europe have become rosier in past weeks. After all, at some stage the stagnation and indeed recession that prevailed since the financial crisis of 2008 would have had to make way for recovery. At long last, all EU economies (with the possible exceptions of Greece and Cyprus) are registering growth.

However why does confidence in the future remain so hesitant? Officials from the European Commission, the IMF and the European Central Bank, as well as university academics, make serial proclamations that the recovery is still ”fragile”. True, recent experience induces caution. More than once in past years, they had announced that the worst was over, only for negative prospects to return.

From what can be concluded as of now, the biggest problem is that the continued improvement which is envisaged will have a relatively mild impact on jobs. At a time when unemployment in Europe has reached unprecedentedly high levels, it is understandable that undue optimism is being reined in.

The economic situation may be improving but it is not providing encouragement to political parties which are in government and will soon be facing elections.

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Libya

Having listened to people who know Libya well or who have good contacts there, one is left with the impression that there is nobody in real control, and indeed the country could be in a state of anarchy. I was once again left with this impression last week when I attended a conference organized in Brussels at the European Parliament by the S & D group.

The worst crime committed by the Ghaddafi regime was that it did not allow the establishment and operation of viable institutions that could articulate the interests of the Libyan community. The skills needed to deal with interests that are different to one’s own were lost. Moreover, even the mutual recognition of interests and social obligations between different sectors of the society were left to fade out.

When Libyan representatives describe the situation in their country, you realize that they too are finding it difficult to understand which way forward they need to take in order to reach some form of agreement between all segments of the Libyan people.

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FIFA

At a time when transparency and accountability are considered as the most important values in public management, what has happened and is happening inside FIFA is totally out of synch with expectations. Any political party, democratic government or ”modern” business would have been hit by an earthquake were its top decision makers to be accused of corruption and other serious abuses, as is the case with FIFA.

Such a development would have immediately forced the resignation of the chief executive. Instead, while charges were being drawn up and filed, FIFA’s top executive was reelected to his post for another five years.

I cannot see how FIFA can still be credible as an organization.