Opinion
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Real meaning of meritocracy
The word meritocracy is a term used to describe a system, in this case political, where appointments are made on the basis of ability, merit and knowledge rather than on political bias. I must admit that, prior to the last election, I was...
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Securing Libya’s border
The European Union will next month begin a two-year border control mission to help improve and develop the security of Libya’s borders. The mission will address concerns relating to the potential scale of migration to the EU and measures to prevent...
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Rejuvenating the capital city
Recently the EU Council of Ministers declared Valletta the European Capital of Culture for the year 2018. The decision brought to a positive conclusion the hard work of a year and a half carried out by the Valletta 2018 Foundation. Undoubtedly,...
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Hope vs hate mongers
Malta’s two political leaders have now clearly positioned themselves on the side of hope, not hate. Joseph Muscat and Simon Busuttil have started this new legislature on the best possible footing. They have both pledged to do what they can to...
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The Speaker’s ruling last Monday
In a ruling handed down last Monday night, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Anglu Farrugia, severely reprimanded the Prime Minister over words he attributed to my colleague Tonio Fenech. This ruling is rather extraordinary and should...
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Martyrdom of Don Puglisi
The two killers commissioned by the brothers Graviano, the bosses of the Mafia-infested Sicilian town of Brancaccio, never thought they were going to make a saint and martyr of their victim when they shot the parish priest Don Pino Puglisi on...
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One foot in the grave
The older I become the more in synch I feel I am with Victor Meldrew of One Foot in the Grave fame. The amount of times I am either on the verge of or actually do exclaim “I don’t believe it” increases as the toil of everyday living resembles a game...
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Disability today and tomorrow
These past weeks have been a roller coaster of emotions when it comes to dealing with disability, one of the responsibilities that the Prime Minister gave me when he appointed me Parliamentary Secretary for the Rights of Persons with Disability and...
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Is EU hiding something?
The sacking of a European Commissioner is quite a rarity. Yet this happened last October 16, when EU Commission President Jose’ Manuel Barroso gave his Health and Consumer Affairs Commissioner John Dalli 30 minutes to either resign or be fired. The...
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The birthday of a prophet
Lorenzo Milani was born to an intellectual Jewish agnostic family 90 years ago. In 1943, he genuinely converted to Catholicism and was ordained a priest in 1947. Rather than seeking a prestigious career in the Florentine curia, a position he could...
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Political events and the unexpected
Alex Ferguson, the Manchester United legendary manager who has just retired, classified the finest game pithily. “Football,” he said, “bloody hell!” The same may be said about politics, a far deadlier game than football. Its twists and turns...
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We may not remain silent
President Barack Obama called veteran NBA star Jason Collins to express his support and appreciation, a few hours after the latter disclosed publicly that he is gay. In his inauguration speech last January, President Obama felt it necessary to...
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Hunting in Germany
Recent debates show hunting is still a controversial issue in Malta. The media have been full of arguments both for and against in recent weeks. One of the highlights was an interview I gave this newspaper some weeks ago in which I outlined my...
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Point of no return for Syria?
After more than two years of fighting in Syria that has killed over 80,000 people the situation is getting completely out of hand and continues to get more and more complicated day by day. The whole region risks being destabilised, horrendous...
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De Valette’s spirit, in arms
Nothing is more entertaining than the thought of Renzo Piano doing a Jesus-in-the-temple at the Monti (street market) in Valletta. Not that he needs to. His cause has been taken up by a troop of knights who will stop the migration to Ordnance Street...
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Constitutional supremacy is self-evident
Chief Justice Emeritus Giuseppe Mifsud Bonnici states: “The Constitution itself gives Parliament the right to make and unmake laws, which it has made. The Constitutional Court can declare a law to be invalid but it cannot abrogate or revoke any law...
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Forced smiles, real grimaces
There is no reason why the political leaders should not be civil to each other, disagree though they will about policy, tactics, strategy and style. Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and Opposition Leader Simon Busuttil demonstrated that intent by...
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Ethics: not a set of written rules
Last Sunday this newspaper carried a letter by a correspondent who recalled that way back in 1947 the Minister of Health in Paul Boffa’s government resigned because he realised that he could not properly discharge his ministerial duties while...
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The billboard reward
We’re still basking in the post-Eurovision glow, so to stick to the theme, here’s a resounding Nul points for the Labour Government’s system of appointments. In the same way that the Eurovision contest serves up one flamboyant act after another with...
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‘Life in plastic is not fantastic’
The Ukrainian feminist protest group Femen characterised by their bare-breasted protests is from time to time in the news. Their original protests in skimpy attire did not bring them the required attention, so they decided to up the ante and went...
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