The European elections are expected to produce a result which increases the representation of the extreme right and of euro-sceptic parties. They have made political capital out of the policies of austerity pursued by centre-right and centre-left parties in government in most EU countries since the onset of the economic crisis in 2008.

The neo-fascist parties are expected to gather resounding victories with their extreme nationalist rhetoric, Islamophobia and EU-bashing.

The political solution to the crisis is not such rhetoric and empty talk but a studied and well-versed manifesto of Left policy to address the prevailing new economic and social conditions in Europe. Such a manifesto can hardly be expected to be formulated today, after the regurgitation of so much neo-liberal blah blah for so many years, coupled with a varnish of “humanitarian” policies in education, housing, incomes policy and immigration.

It was this concoction of policy which brought about the present stagnation and which is contributing to the demotion of large sectors of the middle class to lower ranks.

Such neo-liberal policies will not be reversed by the extreme right wing coming to power with a bang – in fact the extreme right are supporters of neo-liberalism and their coming-to-power will only exacerbate the problem, as happened in the crisis of the 1930s.

What is required is a sensible wake-up call by the mainstream political parties to salvage the middle classes from the ravages of the Great Recession.

What is required is a programme of political reform to encourage business sense generally and especially in the sector of small business and cooperatives.

Government agencies such as Malta Enterprise can make EU funds more accessible to this sector and in the process create jobs and opportunities for the local economy, avoiding the unemployment and despair prevalent in many other European countries, where apparently no efficacious measures were taken to counter the crisis.