2012 is not just about politics

This time last year, I described the 2010/11 Christmas and New Year festive season as great. Business had been good and record sums of money were collected during the yearly charity marathons organised for L-Istrina and Id-Dar tal-Providenza.

An election would not only be a distraction but also risks putting Malta in reverse gear- Hermann Schiavone

There were two other factors that made last year’s festive season special: no political controversies erupted and we all had a break from the daily political discourse.

Besides, no serious incidents were reported.

This year, I have mixed feelings about the outgoing season. The catering sector appears to have had a very good run as restaurants and hotels registered good business. Furthermore, over €3 million were collected for charity. Perhaps one of the noblest gestures in history was recorded. No matter how big the uncertainty or how troubling the future is, solidarity remains an embedded value in our culture.

Unfortunately, not everything went well this year.

The season was marred with three fatalities, one on our streets just before Christmas and a double fatal stabbing in Sliema on the morning of New Year’s Day.

There is a lot of speculation going round on what had happened on that Sunday morning. Everyone feels entitled to his take on the story and the media was awash with comments, interpretations, fabrications and spins.

Some more respect to the families concerned would have been welcome. Silence and time to bereave is what the families need. We all should make an effort to help them come to terms with the loss of their loved ones. The motive behind the tragedy should not be a national concern.

Over the past weeks, I was invited to quite a few parties. Political chit-chat is usually light with greetings and wishes taking over. Not this year.

Discussions at parties were rife about the political situation. All of a sudden, almost everyone was talking about a snap election. But is it in the interest of Malta to have an election at this point in time? Definitely not.

An election would not only be a distraction but also risks putting Malta in reverse gear.

What this country needs at the moment is a government focused on steering Malta ahead. The precarious situation around us is acknowledged by everyone. Even the Leader of the Opposition has finally admitted that 2012 will be a most challenging year.

The tough austerity measures taken by Mario Monti’s government in Italy will start to bite our neighbours.

The situation in Greece, Portugal and Spain has not improved while Britain is struggling to avoid entering another recession. Furthermore, the economic deterioration across the region has now hit Europe’s largest economy, Germany.

The economic situation in these countries will have a direct impact on our economy. Malta depends heavily on tourism from these countries as most of our factories do. Thousands of jobs are at stake.

But, then, the situation was the same in 2009 and Malta, thanks to Lawrence Gonzi’s safe pair of hands, managed to overcome the recession.

The challenges facing the Prime Minister and his government continued throughout 2010 and 2011. Let’s not forget that, apart from the euro crisis, last year Malta had to deal with the consequences of the political turmoil that swept across North Africa, particularly Libya.

In this challenging year, Malta needs to remain focused. Dr Gonzi has proved himself as a formidable leader during tough times and in the prevailing economic situation our country needs the Prime Minister’s experience and track record.

This is not only the year of elections but also the year of the London Olympics and the European Nations Cup in Poland and Ukraine.

Let’s hope that during this summer’s sporting season we will all be left to talk about football and sports rather than politics. We did not have a break from politics this Christmas. Let’s hope our summer will be dominated by sun and sports.

A stronger EU and a euro picking up after the measures adopted will, hopefully, be in the news towards the end of the year.

info@schiavone.com.mt