The sleep of reason brings forth monsters

The decision to abort the St John's Co-Cathedral bunker project by the Prime Minister last week came not a moment too soon and was hailed as a statesman-like decision by Lawrence Gonzi by PN apologists. Respecting the will of the people is what being in government is all about and there is nothing statesman-like about it. It is mere political expediency and pragmatism.

By avoiding a showdown in Parliament, Dr Gonzi gazumped Joseph Muscat out of an opportunity to shine and Dr Muscat's doubtlessly carefully prepared victory speech has now been filed away for a rainy day. Things should never have been allowed to go so far as to become politicised. The opposition to the project was instant and vociferous, something the Prime Minister was well aware of. I am sure he is also just as aware of the overwhelming opposition to the Opera House site becoming a Parliament building; but that is another story.

What I cannot understand is how the very, very few people in favour of the project, apart from the members of the foundation itself, now feel it necessary to lash out at the vast majority of us who opposed the project and insinuate that we are misled idiots who have all been brainwashed by Astrid Vella. For shame!

I will say this in Mrs Vella's defence: Never has there been anyone in Malta who has taken the initiative to actively safeguard our environmental heritage as she has. We have all grumbled like mad and moaned, yet never have these grumbles and moans been orchestrated with such effect before. She may be a little too tenacious, possibly a little contentious too, yet Mrs Vella gets things done. Getting over 1,000 people to Valletta in the middle of summer to protest against projects like Ta' Ċenċ and Ramla is not a feat to be sneezed at.

Do not run away with the idea that the people who opposed the project do not understand or appreciate the problems at hand; far from it. There is, however, never only one solution, so let us have some viable alternatives being aired in order to show that, for one thing, nobody is getting on their high horse and also to show that the foundation genuinely and truly has the preservation of St John's and its treasures as its raison d'être; something which I, for one, was never in any doubt about. The members of the foundation have all declared that they will not be resigning, which is a good thing for had they done so it would have appeared to have been done out of pique.

Housing the Perellos tapestries is still a problem. It has always been one. With all the suggestions that have been made, with the best will in the world, it would be child's play for the foundation to don Edward De Bono's Six Thinking Hats and come up with an ideal solution.

So, where do we go from here?

The success of Valletta becoming Europe's Cultural Capital in 2018, that is in nine years' time, depends on how effective its restoration and rehabilitation can be. If you think that nine years is ample to remedy the neglect of decades, think again. So little time, effort and, above all, money has been allocated to maintain our unique capital city that I envisage a complete panic by 2016 or even 2017 and a botched job being carried out simply to save appearances.

By 2018 Valletta must look stunning; its renaissance comparable to Rome's in 1990 when The Eternal City was smartened up for the World Cup. There were intellectual arguments in the trattorie and cafés about the precise shade of Roman terracotta and literally everyone took an interest in what was being done to beautify their city. Maybe it is because so few people actually live in Valletta that it is as rundown as it is. We tend to look at it from without instead of from within. Because of this it lacks soul; which brings me to the all important debate about rehabilitation that must take place cheek by jowl with its restoration.

Notte Bianca has proved that, by and large, we Maltese love our capital city and are inordinately proud of it. The ill-effects of World War II, 70 years on, still prevail. Pre-war life in Valletta was vibrant. Kingsway, as it was called then, was compared to a salott. People dressed up to go to Valletta and by all accounts it was superlatively smart. War damage and the petrified rent laws put paid to all that and many families that had moved out to "safety" during the war never moved back and the vast majority of maisons particuliers became offices at best and kerrejja at worst. Now we have to face the consequences. With diligent application and a little less hubris I am sure that, should we start in earnest now, not a moment too soon, we will get there; possibly just in time!

kzt@onvol.net