The vision thing: Chasing soap bubbles?

It is very tempting to be negative at a time when our country is making an overall adjustment, with the resulting inevitable displeasure of many of our citizens who may be directly affected by the necessary reforms being implemented by this government. It is also very tempting to look at the past and nostalgically revel in the great visions of past political leaders.

Independence and complete distancing from our colonial past have been the dreams of our past leaders. No one can take away from Gorg Borg Olivier his achievement for his country, his people and his party. He got what he wanted from a reluctant British government and he overcame the opposition that came from ecclesiastical quarters and from the Labour Party and others. Of course, he was a visionary and his vision was fulfilled the moment the British flag was lowered and the Maltese flag was proudly hoisted.

As for Dom Mintoff, it has to be said that his first vision for Malta was that of integrating the island with its coloniser. A vision he put to the test in a sham referendum in 1956. However, during his early years in power he built on what Dr Borg Oliver had achieved and made Malta more Maltese. These achievements were unfortunately overshadowed by events that occurred when his government was in office, especially after the 1981 perverse election result. As a result, Mr Mintoff will be remembered more for bringing Malta close to civil strife rather than by the good things he had achieved.

Visions most of the time are the result of prevailing situations and it is rather glib to expect powerful visions of the past either to be present in our political leaders today or that they should be. When democracy was in great peril in Malta between 1981 and 1987 we needed a leader with a vision to return Malta to being a democratic country. And Eddie Fenech Adami was the man with the vision and the people rewarded him in abundance. In return, he regaled the people with another vision, to see our sovereign state as a member of the European Union. And notwithstanding the obstacles put in his way, he won the people's overwhelming support.

It is rather sad, that a high calibre columnist such as Frans Camilleri failed to acknowledge Dr Fenech Adami's visions of the past, which have now become part and parcel of our very existence as a people. When the writer asked "what is the state of our vision today?", for reasons which are mystifying to say the least, he has ignored the vision of our people which was endorsed in the March 2003 referendum. Indeed it is incomprehensible for any commentator to discount our membership of the EU from the vision that our present political leaders are pursuing. To wish for new visions is akin to chasing soap bubbles.

Membership of the EU is sufficient in itself as a vision. Whether in itself it is enough as "a vision for Malta than can summon a collective will and create a new national consensus" remains to be seen. There is no doubt that the present government and much of our civil society are committed to the vision and are trying to reform the country to make the most of the new opportunities that opened up on May 1, 2004.

As to the Labour leadership, so far its position has been that the reality of the situation has been accepted (as if there were a choice), but the vision has not yet been embraced. And by not allowing its MEPs to vote for the European Constitution in the European Parliament it has put serious doubt on Labour's ability to embrace the vision that the same Constitution set forward for all its citizens and for the world at large.

Of course, there are a number of things that must happen if we want "better control" of our lives and also increase our participation in all aspects of our society. We have to have an educational system that aims at bringing out the best in each of our students and environment that is healthy and a competitive economy. These are the tools available for the transformation of the vision into a better way of life for all our people. If we carry on bickering among ourselves, fighting our sectoral corners and lose sight of the wider picture, we will only have ourselves to blame if the vision endorsed by our people twice in 2004 turns sour.

There is no need to lay down new cornerstones on which to build the "next Malta" and there is no need to have a new blueprint "described". We only need to look at the meaning of our joining the EU, study it, embrace it fully and with enthusiasm and start putting it into practice.