For love of the people

Fr Renè Camilleri wrote a very good article with the above title in Il-Gens (March 15). The situation in Malta is explosive, he wrote. Tension is mounting, and the fault lies mainly with our politicians, who are supposed to work for the common good but often use the people as a pawn to foster their own petty interests.

The people's intelligence is belittled. Political leaders are presented to the people as if they were national saviours, but all is party politics nowadays, and there is hardly anything that is truly national.

The Church in Malta has remained silent. Its overreaction in the political field in the 1960s has led to its current inertia. In their latest pastoral letter, the Bishops said that Lent this year would be different because of the war in Iraq. They should have added that it is going to be different in Malta because of the general elections.

The Leader of the Opposition acted irresponsibly on Sunday, March 9, when he invited his followers to celebrate in the streets the result of the referendum, which he interpreted in a way "which was not only wrong but also very unfair towards many Maltese", Fr Camilleri wrote.

The arrogant behaviour of our two main parties needs to be mitigated by Alternattiva Demokratika, which should certainly play a stronger role in Maltese politics. The people need a third party. AD should adopt a strategy which ensures its permanent relevance in Maltese politics, Fr Camilleri added.

The Maltese apparently like to discuss things, but they are not ready to accept other people's ideas and to change their views as a result of a calm, genuine dialogue. "The people's egoism and their inability to look further than their immediate interest are alarming."

During the referendum campaign many were led to take sides only by their political allegiance, financial gain or otherwise, or their own hobbies.

The electoral campaign is in full swing, and the leaders of the main parties are increasing reciprocal accusations in their respective rallies and media. This situation is untenable. It is harmful to the people. Is there no-one capable of mediating between the aggressive contenders?

"Sadly, there seems to be no person and no institution willing to defend the interests of the vast majority who love this country. This country needs a person or group of persons endowed with moral authority and with the ability to inspire the vision and confidence of the majority of the people. Our two main political leaders are supposed to have attained their position out of love for the people. They cannot continue to cater only for their own party."

This article is strong and effective. It consists of short sentences, replete with similes, metaphors and idiomatic expressions, and brimming with ideas. I do not know Fr Camilleri. I understand he lectures in Theology at the University, and hails from Luqa.

Having read only this article of his, I would not hesitate to recommend his promotion to the highest echelons of the Maltese ecclesiastical hierarchy.

For the sake of the people not only of Iraq, but also of the Middle East and beyond, I hoped against hope until last Wednesday that war would not break out. Now we all hope that Saddam Hussein will go, and that as few people as possible will be hurt.

Tension is growing in the world because of the war. The future is bleak. The United Nations, the EU and NATO have already suffered a severe setback as a result of the war.

The international situation being so bad, we in Malta deserve no further stress, as Fr Camilleri pointed out. Council of Europe (CoE) secretary-general Walter Schwimmer welcomed the Yes vote in the Maltese referendum.

"The result is not unexpected: Malta is embedded in Europe. We very much hope that the nine other candidate countries - who are already members of our organisation - will also vote in favour of EU membership," he wrote in a press release issued on March 10.

European panorama

EU enlargement is bound to modify EU-CoE relations, Mr Schwimmer said. The CoE will be an "ideal forum" for the Union's relations with its "new neighbourhood", he added.

This new neighbourhood seems to include the southern flank of the Mediterranean, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova. The EU's eastern frontier for the foreseeable future is currently being defined. I think it should tally with the CoE's (except for Russia).

Mr Schwimmer last week welcomed the appointment of Recep Tayyip Erdogan as Prime Minister of Turkey. He praised his "strong commitment to reforms, energy and honest approach".

He was confident Erdogan would continue the democratic reforms leading to Turkey's membership of the EU. The CoE, he said, will contribute to help Turkey adopt and implement EU legislation.

Herwig van Staa, president of the CoE Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, congratulated Zoran Zivkovic on his nomination as Prime Minister of Serbia, following the assassination of PM Zoran Djindjic.

"As former mayor of Nis, president of the association of free cities and subsequently Federal Interior Minister, Zivkovic symbolises the development of democracy from the grass-roots, at local, regional and national levels. He was also one of the mayors who determinedly resisted Milosevic."

Peter Schieder, CoE Parliamentary Assembly president, last week wrote to Dr Joe Borg, chairman-in-office of the CoE Committee of Ministers, to recommend the accession of Serbia-Montenegro as the 45th member state of the CoE.

He suggested that this takes place during the PA session starting on March 31. "This would give a clear and important signal to the country and its population", he added.

"International Women's Day is not Mother's Day," Mr Schieder said on March 7. "It is not an occasion to celebrate, but to protest. Millions of women throughout the world continue to suffer inequality.

"They are physically and psychologically abused. They are economically exploited, socially disadvantaged and politically oppressed. They are trafficked as cattle and forced into slavery and prostitution.

"They have no access to education, proper employment, medical attention, family planning and assistance in bringing up their children. They are victimised for being women. March 8 is for them."

The two parts of Cyprus did not agree to join forces and seek admission to the EU as a united country. So the southern, Greek-speaking part will become an EU member state on its own.

The majority of Turkish Cypriots would have liked to reach an agreement, but their leader was as stubborn as usual. The UN plan for the reunification of Cyprus, however, is still on the table.

A referendum to amend the constitution was held last week in Liechtenstein, a mini-state (26,000 inhabitants) sandwiched between Austria and Switzerland.

According to this amendment, all power - judicial, deliberative, executive - will be vested in the Prince, who threatened to retire in Vienna if his plan was not approved. Liechtenstein has been a CoE member state since 1978.

The CoE did not like this constitutional reform. Even small states must abide by the universal rules of democracy. The CoE will have a closer look at the practical implications of this reform. I hope the courts will keep their independence, Mr Schwimmer warned.

Democracy can never be taken for granted. Small states, like Malta, are more vulnerable than big states with a strong democratic tradition. In a small state a group of people can easily impose their will without the majority having the courage to react.

That's one of the reasons why it is imperative for us Maltese to proceed smoothly on our way to EU membership.