Opinion
-
Explicit democratic disequilibrium
Article 59(2)-(3) of the Constitution deals, inter alia, with the election of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives. The article lays down that: “the Speaker may be elected either(a) from among persons who are members of the...
-
The meaning of neutrality
It is fashionable to patronise Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici, the former Labour Prime Minister. In an age of self reinvention, the insistence by Mifsud Bonnici on not changing his mind appears to be quaint and a sepia-tinted image of the way we were. But...
-
Prime Minister’s statesmanship
Henry Frendo (A Plea For National Equilibrium, April 19) is right to complain about a misquotation. But I would never misquote, that goes against the rules of polite, civilised debate. I have e-mailed him the original article I had submitted to The...
-
Serbia’s path to EU accession
Last week, Serbia and Kosovo finally reached an agreement on a number of issues that had previously slowed down their progress in the accession process for EU membership. Friday’s agreement was reached after 10 rounds of failed negotiations. Serbia...
-
A promise to be ‘there’ for you all
Yesterday, I was elected to fill the seat that was vacated by Simon Busuttil in the European Parliament. From now until the elections next year, I am honoured to serve as one of Malta’s six members of the European Parliament. The trust bestowed...
-
Only one national day
A very interesting debate has developed in this newspaper and several other fora about the controversial subject of Malta’s national day/s. As such, I too would like to make my contribution on this very interesting topic of debate. In 2009, I had...
-
Labour’s bad start in Brussels
Last week in Parliament, the Prime Minister delivered a statement on the European Council summit meeting that he attended last month. The summit was meeting as the details on the Cypriot bailout were being hammered out. In Parliament last week, I...
-
Fundamental right to life
In a recent article in The Times (April 10), it was noted that the International Commission of Jurists’ March report on Malta echoes the criticism regarding “the blanket ban on abortion levelled against Malta for over a decade”. The author quotes...
-
How to avoid another bailout
When will the financial markets sort themselves out? No sooner is one bank bailed out of its insolvent state than another finds itself in difficulties. After Cyprus there already looms on the horizon the Slovenian banks which seem to have taken...
-
More operatic musings
Following my recent suggestions about Valletta and the solution for the former opera house site I feel I should explain why the site can only make sense as an auditorium and not as a theatre, nor an opera house nor, horror of horrors, a multipurpose...
-
A person of high conviction
Born a commoner, she died a baroness. For the right-wing icon, the first British female Prime Minister, receiving a noble title was perhaps the fulfilment of her aspirations. For Margaret Thatcher, with the right drive and determination, everything...
-
Committed to read at whim
Every year, the International community marks the World Book and Copyright Day on April 23. This special observance is an occasion to pay a worldwide tribute to books and authors and to encourage people to discover the pleasure of...
-
Busuttil ticks all the right boxes
During the last electoral campaign the Nationalist Party launched a digital campaign called mychoice.pn. The aims were multifold, with a brand new website to guide us through the campaign but especially providing the facility for the public to log...
-
Honeymoons do not mean much
Political parlance extends a honeymoon to a freshly elected government – its first 100 days in office. This randomly chosen period is somehow meant to signify two contradictory things. One, that the new Government is still in its infancy, the start...
-
Once every other Monday
With a few exceptions, since January 19, 2009, I have filled half of this page with my thoughts on what was going on in the country and the world around it to the extent that this was, in my view, relevant to us. Looking back, my fortnightly...
-
Clear mistaken priorities
Over the past few years, this country invested greatly: in business, infrastructure, tourism. Investment that means we can generate increased economic activity. The best investment we carried out was in education, which allows individuals to reach...
-
Terror and drama in Boston
The horrendous bombing at the Boston Marathon on Monday sent shock waves throughout America and was the worst on American soil since September 11, 2001. The two bombs killed three people, including an eight-year old boy, and injured more than 170,...
-
It is time to move on
The result of the election has left many of us in the Nationalist Party in deep shock. And it is right and proper to examine the reasons and to heal the wounds. But there comes a point when one must move on. The PN now has an opportunity to...
-
Ethics and part-time ministers
The Times reported last week that Parliamentary Secretary Franco Mercieca was granted “a limited waiver” by the Prime Minister to work as an ophthalmic surgeon in breach of the ministerial code of ethics. Dressed in a veil of humanistic reasoning,...
-
Treading gingerly on two models
It was always on the cards that the return to office of a Labour Administration would step on a hornets’ nest. Among other things, the Nationalists, having persuaded themselves that they have some divine right to rule, would be a negative...
Popular Stories
In Discussion
