Malta has been blessed with a string of presidents who have always risen above partisan politics when called to serve the country in the highest constitutional role. President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca is no exception and, in this year’s Republic Day investiture ceremony, she demonstrated she is the most respected voice of conscience of our society.
The President appealed to all, but especially to politicians, not to miss the opportunity for reflection that the celebration of Republic Day offered. She listed a number of issues that are affecting Maltese society for the better but, at times, also for the worse. She was particularly incisive and direct when bringing to the surface the blemishes and warts that are disfiguring our achievements as a nation.
While acknowledging the economic growth registered, the President listed the various socio-economic issues that need to be addressed with more determination by political policymakers. “Material shortcomings, social exclusion, the threat to the quality of life resulting in development that is not always sustainable, the overcrowding of residential areas, the limitation of public spaces, noise and traffic delays and the scarcity of honesty and truth in political life are among the issues that are of concern to the Maltese of goodwill in our country,” she said.
Put simply, as a fair and just society we must never sacrifice the personal well-being of thousands of people on the altar of economic growth. The President noted, for instance, that “there are still a considerable number of families who are struggling to make ends meet despite being diligent and hardworking”. She was very blunt in condemning economic practices that are based on paying “hardworking people a pittance” and appealed for a successful conclusion of discussions on the minimum wage.
The President was equally outspoken on the stress that overdevelopment is having on our environment. She rightly commented: “Not every legal development can be considered as acceptable development in the light of quality of life and the protection of biodiversity.” The lack of meaningful dialogue between development policymakers and the community has given rise to tensions that need to be addressed with urgency.
The warning that “if we persist on this trajectory [of overdevelopment] future generations will not pay us homage” needs to be taken serious by our political leaders.
The quality of our educational system also came under scrutiny in the President’s speech because it is possibly the most important socio-economic factor that will determine the long-term success of the country and the well-being of individuals. She has a clear vision of where we are failing in our educational effort: “The hundreds of students who do not sit for their SEC exams, several other hundreds who fail these same exams after 11 years of compulsory schooling, the one-third of the student population which ends its obligatory education without the necessary skills, the approximately 20 per cent of youths who are neither studying nor in training, the low participation of adults in lifelong learning and the lack of skills relating to the labour force are among the worrying indicators relating to the education sector,” the President remarked.
She is, of course, right in insisting that the desired balance between social and economic well-being can only be achieved when our political class rises above petty tribal skirmishes and prioritises the long-term interest of our society through industriousness, fairness and tolerance.