Throughout the past couple of months, I sadly observed that Gozo has featured in the media so many times and yet almost always in a negative light. I’m of course referring to the turmoil caused by the so-called ‘works for votes’ saga, which has prompted in me the question whether in all this, Gozo is a culprit or a victim.

As a Gozitan, born and bred, I suspect that the answer is both, and in this article I will explain why.

So, why is Gozo allegedly a culprit? To begin with, I wish to make it clear that the purpose of this article is not to point fingers at individuals, be they Giovanna Debono, Anton Refalo, their spouses or ordinary citizens. I leave such judgments to the competent authorities, even though it is sad to see persons like Debono and her husband who dedicated their lives to the institutions, end up in the difficult situation we all know of. Rather than on individuals, I feel that light should be shed on the system and the way it works.

It is a known secret that many people look at the politician as someone whom they elevate and entrust with power, expecting assistance and protection in return. Assistance and protection are what in common parlance we call ‘favours’ and although I dislike the term, I admit that favours are at times a necessary evil, since it would otherwise be impossible to get at what is deserved.

This system is the so-called patron vs. client system, or else clientelism, as many know it, and whether we like it or not, it is a fact that such a system is ingrained in Gozo.

This of course begs the question why, and I think it is fundamental to understand this before drawing conclusions. It is an established truth that clientelism flourishes in places where the population is small, where everyone knows everyone and where opportunities are scarce and harshly fought for.

These are all characteristics that Gozo has and the end result is a constant need among Gozitans for assistance and protection, and hence the system offering them, i.e. clientelism.

This is an element that plays a very important role at every election and often, the politicians that achieve the best results are those who portray themselves as those being able to best satisfy this need.

Of course, all this does not justify the presence of clientelism in Gozo. In fact, while it is true that small communities like Gozo are sort of a natural habitat for clientelism, it is also true that Gozo actively favoured this system, and this is why it becomes the culprit.

Naturally, the ideal is a system where one gets a right because one deserves it and where the right is granted without the need for an intervention of some patron. Notwithstanding this, I’m afraid that we will have to wait for quite some time before achieving or at least nearing this ideal in Gozo. I say this because in the past couple of decades, Gozitans invested heavily in their education in an unprecedented way and despite education being the key to change, the impression one gets is that the old mindset has not yet been eradicated.

We Gozitans want to have a bigger say in the administration of Gozo, because we are best-suited to create opportunities for the island

So far this has been to do with the guilt aspect. But as explained at the beginning of this article, Gozo is also the victim of the situation. In this respect, the key factor is undoubtedly the scarcity of opportunities, already indicated above as one of the reasons for the flourishing of clientelism.

Many a time, the few opportunities available in Gozo are linked directly or indirectly to the government, e.g. a job within the public sector or a public contract. As a result, such opportunities are seen as the only secure source of income.

In addition, the attainment of such opportunities is seen as a very solid platform that allows Gozitans to look beyond and embark on some other activity alongside, usually a part-time job or a small business, hence gaining an extra source of income.

This is how the economy of a small island like Gozo works and successive governments were happy with such a quid pro quo system, because for the opportunities awarded, they got in return stimulus within the community to create more well-being.

Needless to say, such a system gives rise to fierce competition among Gozitans and consequently, politicians often end up as the ultimate referees, deciding how and to whom the opportunities should be allocated. This often paves the way for abuse, especially where the moral judgment of politicians is not so acute.

Despite this, Gozo always had to take the risk, because what is at stake is its economy. Such a forced choice induces me to conclude that Gozo is also a victim of the situation.

Notwithstanding all this, I firmly believe that such a state of affairs can be reversed or at least mitigated. In my opinion, there is only one formula in this respect, i.e. the creation of more opportunities for Gozitans, such that the fierce competition among them and hence the pressure on politicians can be relaxed.

So, what does this formula consist of?

First and foremost, I think that the kind of education Gozitans receive has to be revised. Since Gozo is an island with its own particular challenges, the education system has to be tailor-made to address such challenges.

In particular, it has to be a kind of education that produces leaders, because this is a lacuna which Gozo had and still has, especially with the present extensive brain drain towards Malta and elsewhere.

The formation of more leaders will guarantee to the Gozo of tomorrow the availability of people who can create opportunities on their own in business, the professional world and so on, hence reducing the need for the government to do this instead.

Secondly, Gozo is in dire need for more autonomy. It needs to have a more effective decision-making mechanism, in line with the subsidiarity principle, because it is a proven fact that opportunities prosper where and if those mostly affected have enough determining power.

To reach this goal the process has to be twofold. Malta has to reduce its big brother role in Gozitan matters, in the sense that ministries and government departments in Malta get a lesser say in Gozo. On the other hand, Gozitans have to be prepared to fill in the vacuum and my point earlier on, that Gozo needs more leaders, was exactly in this sense.

Consequently, it is high time that all the discussions which have been going onfor so many years on regional status, regional administration and rethinking of how the Gozo Ministry works, are brought to fruition.

The message has to be very clear. We, Gozitans, want to have a bigger say in the administration of Gozo, because we are best-suited to create opportunities for the island.

Once the above-mentioned two major issues are addressed, i.e. the formation of leaders and the administration, I’msure that Gozo will be better off to tackle other important and widely debated issues, such as employment and accessibility to the island.

Of course, the latter issues are a different story altogether and definitely deserve to be discussed apart. For the time being, my hope is that the present Gozitan political class will intensify its actions to change the image attributed to Gozo, i.e. that of a culprit and a victim in a scenario marked with clientelism, to an image of an island that can determine its future with less clientelism.

Kcutajar78@gmail.com

Kevin Cutajar is a Nationalist Party candidate for Gozo.