EU membership and our political system

Political processes take a long time to mature. A flurry of events at some point in time must not be mistaken for a harbinger of an oncoming political sea change, though in the longer term that is what it may turn out to be in the end.

The recent debate about events in the Transport Authority and the fate of MEPA's Audit office may not be a mere sign that the election campaign is in full swing. It may be indicating a profounder process. Are the very arcane foundations of our political system and the equally arcane methods of our politicians and their acolytes being shaken? Time alone will answer the question.

When Malta joined the European Union in 2004 we had said that membership would give the Maltese citizens new rights. We also thought that Malta's civil society would grasp the opportunity and begin using these rights to open up our relatively closed society. We are not disappointed by developments.

Recall that in the first European Parliament election, a number of new political formations challenged the status quo by entering the political arena. Since joining the EU, environmental organisations have become increasingly vocal, often challenging many decisions affecting this sector.

The EU's infringement proceedings or the threat to begin such proceedings, have been splashed on the front pages of our newspapers, keeping the authorities constantly on their toes. Trade unions and business associations are more prone to quote EU law to the government, which has the duty to implement it.

No matter how much they may dislike those who disagree with them, politicians cannot stem the tide. Some of them become paranoiac when criticised and are easily provoked into intolerance. They may also begin to shoot from the hip.

Some months ago we witnessed politicians attack the Ombudsman and the Auditor General even though these two institutions have a vital role to play in safeguarding the common good. These 'institutions', safeguarded by our Constitution, are more than just ornamental. That was the thinking in the 1970s and 1980s.

The independent authorities established to ensure that the application of certain standards and the implementation of certain policies are kept above political expediency are also raising some politicians' tempers. The functions of many of these authorities have often been jeopardised by politicians, who unwisely insist on meddling in their affairs - instead of maintaining a safe distance from them.

However, the debacle at the ADT and MEPA show amply clear the dangers of meddling in the affairs of these authorities. Both could have been avoided had the politicians understood the nature and purpose of such authorities - as well as what their own role is in the new political context brought about by their creation.

When issues crop up, such as that of Ramla l-Hamra, they need to be in a position to take the decisions that are in the public interest and not be part of at best a controversial decision; at worse a bad one.

The pitfalls in which politicians can fall when they poke their noses in matters outside their competence were strongly underlined by what was revealed in the light of the St Helen fireworks factory tragedy. In 2001, Cabinet had decided to exempt this and a neighbouring factory from the otherwise stringent requirements of the law and allow them to operate!

Confusion is magnified when the government, responding to public pressure, hurries to mend some things but fudges others. The 'whistleblower' act and the proposal to strengthen anti-corruption mechanisms are somewhat late but extremely useful. The Opposition's dissonance on the latter is inexplicable and counterproductive.

Malta needs to get on with the job of strengthening the country's governance by appropriate anti-corruption measures and measures to check bad governance. And speaking of the Opposition's role, it is to be noted that the groundless attacks mounted some months ago on the credibility of the National Statistics Office have left that organisation without a head and the public confused.

The harm done will take many years to undo. Tactical, short-term forays like this do not really benefit society. But politicians are not the only ones fudging the issues. The Ombudsman's recent proposal on the MEPA's Audit Office was simply baffling.

It betrayed a measure of lack of awareness of the different though deceptively similar roles of the Ombudsman and an Audit Office. Thank goodness the Opposition in this case had the wisdom to politely refuse the proposal.

An equally intriguing episode was the one involving the letter sent by Dr Ian Spiteri Bailey on behalf of a client to Mr Speaker. Dr Spiteri Bailey politely invited a member of the House to repeat outside it the allegations that he had made from behind the protective wall of his Parliamentary immunity against his client, so that he could be challenged in the law courts.

Do we need reminding that the writers of the Maltese Constitution wisely called our parliament the "House of Representatives" and not the "House of Lords"? Parliamentary immunity as interpreted locally is outdated. It has been abused. It needs a thorough overhaul. It needs to be restricted.

Political systems evolve continuously and the Maltese one is no exception. Some people are thinking that change will come after the next election. But change has already started and our political system is facing major challenges on all sides. To respond adequately to them, a lot of hard thinking is needed, as well as a willingness to listen and adapt.

The EU has brought a number of benefits to our country - a greater choice of goods and services, discipline in public spending, the euro, structural funds and was probably responsible for the increase in investment. It has provided our citizens with a number of new rights and standards.

Some of these have been implemented, some are in the process of being implemented and some are being resisted. Membership has also injected a new dynamism in our political system. Citizens are more willing to challenge and debate.

There are ways of facing this situation and the worst one is to resist it. But it is not going to be easy. Maltese culture is based on a ferocious 'dualism' that separates the moral and the materialistic, what one is taught to believe as a baptised Catholic and what one does in practice, what one says in public and what one says in private, what one says to one's supporters and what one says to one's opponents, what an institution is meant to do and what it should in fact do under the strict stewardship of the politicos, what ought to be done and what is in fact done according to the despicable culture of "nirrangaw" (we will arrange), a general cynical disdain of idealism is evident everywhere, a tendency to regard it as impractical.