Valletta 2018 often makes the news when there is a problem. This week the press picked up on the transfer of some key staff to other government departments. Elsewhere it was said that various infrastructural projects are on a tight schedule to be completed on time.

But the European Capital of Culture should not turn into something negative. Let’s keep in mind what all this exertion is about in the first place. It is not just a series of concerts and exhibitions next year.

Apart from celebrating Valletta, the 2018 events and investment are intended to push forward the cultural and social development of the city in the long term. Importantly, they should focus on residents, not just tourism. The Capital of Culture idea was created by the European Union as an opportunity for cities to be transformed, and to improve the well-being of citizens.

Valletta had achieved the ‘2018 European Capital of Culture’ title five years ago, in 2012. This was the result of a successful, detailed bid which showed, as required, that Valletta could put together a cultural programme with a European dimension.

Besides Valletta, this is meant to include towns around the city’s harbours, and elsewhere in Malta and Gozo. I hope this means that Sliema, on the Marsamxett side, will also receive some attention. Sadly, on cultural and social matters Sliema tends to be shrugged off, or just viewed as an area to exploit commercially. This disregards the vibrant, diverse and cosmopolitan community which lives and works in this town. By contrast, the Valletta community is tiny and dwindling.

V-18 has lofty and worthy aims, such as fostering understanding between Europeans, the inclusion of different community groups, and improving accessibility to culture through regeneration of the city. But what is the social and cultural status of Valletta today, and on this basis, how will we judge the success and legacy of V-18? Many people have been working behind the scenes, planning projects and creating spaces to bring all this together next year. It is promising and the creative sector will thrive on it. Yet many people still just think of Valletta 2018 as an intense burst of the usual festivals, concerts and events. But it will (or should be) much more than that.

Finally, a woman as leader

These are hot, sweltering days for politics. After an intense electoral campaign, the same government has begun a new legislature, and a battle for leadership of the Opposition is set to unfold over summer. This sort of drama has played out many times before.

Sadly, on cultural and social matters Sliema tends to be shrugged off

But what is absolutely not the usual, old news is that a small, third party has made it into Parliament in coalition. And even more momentous is that a party founded and led by a woman has been successful. To all those bemoaning a lack of gender equality in Parliament, Marlene Farrugia is the first woman heading a political party in our House of Representatives.

Does this gender story matter? Yes, I think it does. Each time a woman first achieves a role historically only held by men, this makes it easier for other women to succeed in future. Role models change possibilities and expectations.

It is of course true that Farrugia’s Democratic Party piggy-backed into Parliament on a Nationalist Party ticket. I trust she will be principled enough not to lose sight of that fact, which has worked well for her. She certainly had a sharper nose for getting elected than Alternattiva Demokratika, who really might just throw in the towel at this juncture, all things being equal.

The PN is undergoing a sea-change, which may be for the best. As a more fluid, inclusive, diverse and even fractured political grouping, it reflects the shifting shades of the society we live in. This is not a monolithic, homogeneous community. All our leaders, political but also religious, should recognise, appreciate and reflect this changing reality.

The demolition front

There is rarely good news on the environmental front. The latest is a series of reports on permits to demolish old houses. There is of course nothing wrong with providing new houses or apartments. Malta is not big enough for all families to live in individual houses, and often more spacious ones than similar households in less densely populated countries. This makes no environmental sense.

But even if apartments are desirable to some, this does not justify tearing down the remaining traditional streets which, for many, are a reflection of cultural identity and offer a cherished sense of place. They are undervalued by developers, and a middle-class attachment to so-called ‘heritage’ can be played down by intellectual left-wingers. But the fact remains that many people care deeply about cultural and architectural traditions, and link them strongly to their sense of identity and well-being.  The ongoing pace and scale of building development is unsettling. Is all this construction really necessary and will it ever calm down?

petracdingli@gmail.com