Opinion
-
Mintoff remembers 1958
Last Sunday was the 55th anniversary of the April 28, 1958 riots, which followed a general strike ordered by the General Workers Union and altercations between the police and demonstrators. The riots are also associated with the end of Dom Mintoff’s...
-
Innovating with EU’s big data
Innovation is the key to giving our economy the boost required to jolt us out of the economic quagmire resulting from the global recession. The Malta Council for Science and Technology is embarking on a collaborative effort referred to as a...
-
The Jekyll and Hyde AG
In Malta the Attorney General performs a dual function: he is the Government’s chief legal advisor and Malta’s top criminal prosecutor. The AG’s office carries out both these duties together with other duties such as vetting legislation prepared by...
-
They could be your children
When Alternattiva Demokratika started talking about the decriminalisation of drugs for personal use, and the classification between soft and hard drugs, the reaction of the general public was bigger than expected. Numerous people either contacted...
-
It’s no leap in the dark
As the Nationalist Party’s councillors make up their mind about their vote in Saturday’s first round of the leadership election, every informal report I’ve had suggests a widespread sense of uncertainty. It afflicts not just those who have not yet...
-
First things must come first
I was one of the 167,533 electors who voted to boot Lawrence Gonzi out of office. I shed and will shed no tear for the former Administration. Yet, I did not vote Labour simply to have a change of cooks. I wanted a change of recipe. I did and do not...
-
Tackling tax evasion
British Prime Minister David Cameron last week sent a letter to European Commission president Josè Manuel Barroso and European Council President Herman Van Rompuy urging EU leaders to advance steps already taken to deal with tax evasion. Cameron’s...
-
Freefall into bottomless abyss
A good 20 years ago, I spent time teaching English as a foreign language at Inlingua, mostly one-to-one business English. One of my students, a very pretty but serious and conscientious young German lady, was reading a Masters degree in economics at...
-
Inter-ethnic workers’ solidarity
May 1 celebrations occur in various countries, the US, alas, not being one of them, despite its strong historical connections with the labour movement and labour politics. Two years ago, I was fortunate to witness a very vigorous celebration in the...
-
Why air quality matters
During the past few days air quality has featured centre stage at both the EU environment ministerial level and also through an excellent study prepared by the EEA – the European Environment Agency. The main thrust of the study was that one should...
-
European way of doing politics
Today marks the ninth anniversary of our accession to the European Union. It is a day when we should celebrate our European identity. In the space of nine years we have firmly integrated our country into Europe. But have we become truly European in...
-
PN’s future starts today
The Nationalist Party’s leadership race has reached its final lap. In a few days’ time the 900 odd councillors will have to take a very important decision. The election or confirmation of a party leader does not come about every year. It is a...
-
Let us make Malta greener
Studies in most Western nations, and cities most of all, confirm one trend. Wealthier residential areas often tend to have more trees than poorer ones. There are many reasons for this, ranging from the historical to the geographical and social.
-
The way forward for PN
Participating in the Nationalist Party leadership race is an enriching experience. By meeting councillors in the run-up to the first ballot this Saturday, I have learnt a lot. We can renew ourselves by reaching out to our grassroots and to all...
-
20th century artistic vacuum
I recently came across several photographs of Charles Ray’s blanc de chine-like statue Boy with Frog looking out with eyes wide shut from the Punto della Dogana over the Laguna di Venezia. I was intrigued by this statue and its positioning in such...
-
One-trick ponies will not work
I much look forward to reading the results of the inquiry – if the findings are ever published – by the commission currently probing the Nationalist Party’s inglorious elections defeat. If the commission were to pour through a similar report...
-
An almighty challenge
It would be most unfortunate if the new Labour Government were to be hit with an excessive deficit procedure right at the start of its mandate but the blame for this must squarely lie on the outgoing Nationalist Government. The blame game, however,...
-
Professional ethics revisited
The word ‘ethics’ or the term ‘code of ethics’ are now talk of the town as daily newspapers become replete with mention of either of them. There are two issues which, although not related to each other, have a common factor: ethics or, rather, a...
-
Still no proof in case against Dalli
When Josè Barroso, the European Commission president, pushed John Dalli into resigning from his position as commissioner, he was forced to admit that there was no conclusive evidence of direct participation (by Dalli) either as instigator or...
-
Living and letting live
The speech by MP Maurice Williamson on the Marriage Equality Bill highlighted what went on in the New Zealand Parliament when the Bill was carried. There was clapping, singing and a lot of jubilation when the result was declared. The video of the...
Popular Stories
